Blackwing
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Blackwing
Just saw an ESPN special on the C-6, one of the highlights, in addition to the larger displacement of the LS2, was the fact that the car "breathes" better. This has got me thinking about a blakwing for my bone stock 97....I want the car to stay very streetable, but if this mod could help the car without changing the streetability, it would be worth it.
Opinions as to whether it's worth the cost for the performance, and how hard it is to install????
Thanks,
Russ
Opinions as to whether it's worth the cost for the performance, and how hard it is to install????
Thanks,
Russ
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,640
Likes: 0
From: Sunshine State
Originally Posted by h2oskibum1
Just saw an ESPN special on the C-6, one of the highlights, in addition to the larger displacement of the LS2, was the fact that the car "breathes" better. This has got me thinking about a blakwing for my bone stock 97....I want the car to stay very streetable, but if this mod could help the car without changing the streetability, it would be worth it.
Opinions as to whether it's worth the cost for the performance, and how hard it is to install????
Thanks,
Russ
Opinions as to whether it's worth the cost for the performance, and how hard it is to install????
Thanks,
Russ
Bob
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 2
From: Lake Havasu City AZ
Russ.
If its performance you want, you need to go to a cold air intake sytem like the vortex or vararam. I changed from a blackwing to the vararam and picked up 3 tenths and 2 MPH in the 1/4.
Mike V
If its performance you want, you need to go to a cold air intake sytem like the vortex or vararam. I changed from a blackwing to the vararam and picked up 3 tenths and 2 MPH in the 1/4.
Mike V
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,640
Likes: 0
From: Sunshine State
Originally Posted by MikeV
Russ.
If its performance you want, you need to go to a cold air intake sytem like the vortex or vararam. I changed from a blackwing to the vararam and picked up 3 tenths and 2 MPH in the 1/4.
Mike V
If its performance you want, you need to go to a cold air intake sytem like the vortex or vararam. I changed from a blackwing to the vararam and picked up 3 tenths and 2 MPH in the 1/4.
Mike V
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
If you picked up 3 tenths with the Vararam over the Blackwing thats huge.
It would be good to know if the difference was entirely attributable to the Vararam however. For example what was the difference in DA between the best run with the Blackwing vs the Vararam?
It would be good to know if the difference was entirely attributable to the Vararam however. For example what was the difference in DA between the best run with the Blackwing vs the Vararam?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 21
From: Waldorf MD
With a bone stock 97, I would go with a 2002 Z06 Air Filter top. For $60, it's best bang for your buck. Since it's good enough for a 405 HP, it's more than you need. I did it with my 98, more responsive and sounds great too.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 57,408
Likes: 164
From: queensbury ny
blackwing
with the blackwing,as good a filter as it may be,if you don't cut a hole under it on the shroud for some actual outside air to get in,you will gain maybe 1 or 2 h.p.tops once the car is warmed up and all that hot air is under the hood,which will negate any gain from"cold air".the vararam is good when you get up to speed.i looked into these 2 systems in particular,bought a blackwing and was ready to cut then i changed my mind about installing anything.i am going to mod the stock box a little and maybe get a k and n for 50 bucks.good luck with your choice,whatever it turns out to be.
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 14,542
Likes: 5
Originally Posted by jessem
with the blackwing,as good a filter as it may be,if you don't cut a hole under it on the shroud for some actual outside air to get in,you will gain maybe 1 or 2 h.p.tops once the car is warmed up and all that hot air is under the hood,which will negate any gain from"cold air"....
"Actual outside air" does get into the car -- that's what makes it run.
And since the "actual outside air" is constantly being replaced under the hood, particularly when the car is moving (that's why your engine gets dirty), the air coming into the engine compartment and going into the filter is cold outside air.
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Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 57,408
Likes: 164
From: queensbury ny
well,on testing,the car gained in the beginning and practically went back to stock #'s after heat up.but,you might know better than i do.i'm not a mechanic,i just get info from the testing in the mags and asking mechanic's who've done this stuff.and the consensus is the shroud needs to be cut for any substantial gains.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,164
Likes: 0
From: Lutz FL
The reason I chose the blackwing over the vararam, was because I live in FL, and my c5 is my daily driver. The blackwing has less probability of sucking up water, and some days we get a lot of rain very quickly. I didnt want to take any chances.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,640
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From: Sunshine State
Originally Posted by EHS
Not correct.
"Actual outside air" does get into the car -- that's what makes it run.
And since the "actual outside air" is constantly being replaced under the hood, particularly when the car is moving (that's why your engine gets dirty), the air coming into the engine compartment and going into the filter is cold outside air.
"Actual outside air" does get into the car -- that's what makes it run.
And since the "actual outside air" is constantly being replaced under the hood, particularly when the car is moving (that's why your engine gets dirty), the air coming into the engine compartment and going into the filter is cold outside air.
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 14,542
Likes: 5
Originally Posted by jessem
well,on testing,the car gained in the beginning and practically went back to stock #'s after heat up.but,you might know better than i do.i'm not a mechanic,i just get info from the testing in the mags and asking mechanic's who've done this stuff.and the consensus is the shroud needs to be cut for any substantial gains.
About 15 h.p. for the Blackwing, consistently, hot, cold, or lukewarm.
Why?
Because we're not talking about an air intake mounted to the exhaust manifold. It's up front by the bumper, in front of the radiator. The air temp there is the same as the "outside" air when the car is moving.
When the car is standing still, you don't need the extra horsepower.
Unless you feel "cold air" makes it rev better at the stop light. Capisce?e
Originally Posted by Korreck
Amen. You got it right. Sure hope they don't get started on the 'ram air effect' of the vararam.
Thank you. Thank God.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,640
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From: Sunshine State
Originally Posted by jessem
ehs -"capitto"!!guess i got bad info from the source.
when they want to sell you their product. And I'm using generalities here, not singling out a particular product. If you read carefully, you'll see a lot of info is misleading but not an outright claim for product superiority. They like to say things like 'our customers have reported'.
Have a good night.
Bob
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 2
From: Lake Havasu City AZ
I raced the 02' for two seasons with the blackwing. What you find is the engine compartment is full of hot air and the blackwing sits in the middle of it. The Vararam's intake in front of the car. I compared the DA and verified the gain was 3 tenths and 2 MPH. This can be verified by most of the members of the West Coast Corvette Challenge. If someone had told me there was that much difference I would have claimed 
!
Mike V
!Mike V
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 451
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Originally Posted by MikeV
I raced the 02' for two seasons with the blackwing. What you find is the engine compartment is full of hot air and the blackwing sits in the middle of it. The Vararam's intake in front of the car. I compared the DA and verified the gain was 3 tenths and 2 MPH. This can be verified by most of the members of the West Coast Corvette Challenge. If someone had told me there was that much difference I would have claimed !
Mike V
!Mike V
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 931
Likes: 35
From: Rowlett, Texas
I have the Blackwing. I hook up my little scanner sometimes and check the air temp coming into the engine. When I am moving at all, even around town, I see about 2-5 degrees above the ambient air temp.
I can drive all over, and never see warmer, until I stop.
When I stop and idle, or kill the engine to run in a store or something, the intake temp goes up 30, even 40 degrees.
Then when I move again, it comes down, but very slowly, and doesn't get within 10 degrees of ambient for a very long time, maybe 10-15 minutes.
So, the blackwing definitely is placed where it sees cool air when moving. And of course the sensor and the inlet tube will cook when idling over a hot radiator. But I can't explain the long period to cool back down. Maybe the inlet tubing just soaks in a lot of heat that the cool incoming air has to slowly remove. Maybe the sensor is slow to react.
So, I think, even after idling, if you hammer the gas, and bring in a lot of air, it will be good cool air, but your motor will think it's hot air cause that silly sensor is still showing hot.
I can drive all over, and never see warmer, until I stop.
When I stop and idle, or kill the engine to run in a store or something, the intake temp goes up 30, even 40 degrees.
Then when I move again, it comes down, but very slowly, and doesn't get within 10 degrees of ambient for a very long time, maybe 10-15 minutes.
So, the blackwing definitely is placed where it sees cool air when moving. And of course the sensor and the inlet tube will cook when idling over a hot radiator. But I can't explain the long period to cool back down. Maybe the inlet tubing just soaks in a lot of heat that the cool incoming air has to slowly remove. Maybe the sensor is slow to react.
So, I think, even after idling, if you hammer the gas, and bring in a lot of air, it will be good cool air, but your motor will think it's hot air cause that silly sensor is still showing hot.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,640
Likes: 0
From: Sunshine State
Originally Posted by MikeV
I raced the 02' for two seasons with the blackwing. What you find is the engine compartment is full of hot air and the blackwing sits in the middle of it. The Vararam's intake in front of the car. I compared the DA and verified the gain was 3 tenths and 2 MPH. This can be verified by most of the members of the West Coast Corvette Challenge. If someone had told me there was that much difference I would have claimed !
Mike V
!Mike V
I'm not doubting you did what you said. I just said something else was going on. No way are you going to pick up .3 with the vararam. The blackwing isn't getting any warmer air. It's in FRONT of the radiator.
Bpb
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,911
Likes: 1
From: Augusta GA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
IMO the VaraRam was a PITA to install. If I was to do it again I would get a Tric from Haltech. I do enjoy the 1/4 way to omuch, but I have not done back to back testing. A static dyno deos not get the effect from either intake so it compares bad apples to bad apples. Go for blackwing or a Tric as it is way easier and the if you do not drag 
Take care and good luck!
Dave
Take care and good luck!Dave
