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Feels like more HP

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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 02:23 AM
  #1  
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Default Feels like more HP

Just drove my 427, 69, back from a mates house, temp outside is around 1 deg C, car feels like it has another 100hp wow.
Smokes the bags on a rolling start just on throttle, guess all the hot air really makes a huge difference.
Actually goes like I always felt it should!
Stoked!
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 08:48 AM
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Oh yeah... cool air will make a BIG difference. I can really tell that here now that the temps have climbed up so high. Just doesn't run like it did when it was cooler out.

Sounds like a nice ride!

Adam
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 08:52 AM
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Quite a few things factor into this. It's true, colder/denser air can make more power, but cooler pavement/tire temperatures, don't allow for much traction either. If not already, you're really wanting to duct in cooler intake air, before the hot radiator, rather than a basic open type element. The biggie's really elevation though. For every 1000 ft above sea level, you'll lose about 3% hp. It's easy to see why there's quite a power drop in the mountains.
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 10:30 AM
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Makes me wonder why a manufacturer never vented some of the A/C air into the carb. Of course, with the C3's, there was very little air they could do that with.
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 10:32 AM
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Originally Posted by sweeet76
Makes me wonder why a manufacturer never vented some of the A/C air into the carb. Of course, with the C3's, there was very little air they could do that with.
Because the energy spent in making the cold air will never equal (never mind exceed) the energy gained. No free lunch.
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 11:18 AM
  #6  
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Gotcha, thanks.
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 03:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Because the energy spent in making the cold air will never equal (never mind exceed) the energy gained. No free lunch.
OTOH, if you use the engine's energy (via a belt) to force additional air into the engine via, say a supercharger, that does seem to give you a lot of extra power. There's a heavily discounted lunch.


And what exactly is an "intercooler" anyway?
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 04:34 PM
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Originally Posted by PRNDL
And what exactly is an "intercooler" anyway?
Compressing air (with a turbo/supercharger) heats up the air (Ideal Gas Law: PV=nRT). Passing that air through the intercooler(think radiator for the incoming air) AFTER it is compressed cools it down before it enters a carb/throttle body. That brings you back to cooler air which has a higher concentration of O2 which means you can add more gas and have a bigger BANG!
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 04:58 PM
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Originally Posted by shrekviper
Compressing air (with a turbo/supercharger) heats up the air (Ideal Gas Law: PV=nRT). Passing that air through the intercooler(think radiator for the incoming air) AFTER it is compressed cools it down before it enters a carb/throttle body. That brings you back to cooler air which has a higher concentration of O2 which means you can add more gas and have a bigger BANG!
And there's the difference. Nice summary
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