Tell you what, looking at another Vararam thread, its like deja vu all over again

dé·jà vu Audio pronunciation of "deja vu" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dzhä v)
n.

1. Psychology. The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time.
2.
1. An impression of having seen or experienced something before: Old-timers watched the stock-market crash with a distinct sense of déjà vu.
2. Dull familiarity; monotony: the déjà vu of the tabloid headlines.

 

EB2003: 2. Dull familiarity; monotony: the déjà vu of the tabloid headlines.


Very good. I like it.

What I don't like is spending money for no gain. That's why I posted in the first place, to keep someone from doing the same.

 

6Speeder do you know anything about the vararam from YOUR PERSONAL use? Many of us who use the vararam product have switched from something else. In my case just as the originator of this thread asked, I switched from the Breathless unit (which was very good) to a better unit (vararam) Now that the FACTS are here. Please allow the originator of this post to make his decision based on facts from those who know. No disrespect to you but, maybe you can find a vortex thread, where you can give first hand advice if thats what YOU use.

 

In what way was it better? Did it dyno higher (same conditions?) Did you gain MPH in the 1/4, again, same atmopheric conditions?

I've never used one, but from other's posts here: It's a more difficult install, and it's ability to filter the air is very questionable.

Simple physics just don't support it giving better performance. How is it better?

For the time, effort, and money involved, will it really be worth it to switch?

 

Yes sir it is that much better, this is why when asked I offer my results. You see ZERO RESULT on a dyno. Where you see the result from the Breathless unit to the Vararam is on the drag strip. Yes my car picked up a bunch. On the drag strip I went from a best of 12.43 @ 111.81 (Feb 6th 2005) to a new best of 12.13 @ 114.08 (March 4th 2005) Only change was swapping to the Vararam. I then installed my SS3600 Converter and now can run 11.9's in the warmer (not hot) weather. Many including myself have no idea why it works but it really does.
Bob

 

Bob: So, 3 tenths and 2.2 MPH better. A coupla questions: Same track? Same temp? Same barometric pressure? Same track prep? No offense, but I've seen more changes with NO CHANGES to my vehicle at the same track with just weather changes.

To gain that much (same conditions, just vortex to vararam) would mean the vararam makes at least 30 HP more at high speeds. As you say it doesn't dyno higher. Does that really make sense to you? Look back to your time slips, is the 60' the same? What about the 660' times/MPH?

Please understand, I don't doubt the differences in final ET/MPH, just why. With weather data and full run info I'll bet it's not the intakes that made the difference.
Wayne

 

If you bracket race regularly and keep good data believe me you know if something improves your times by 3 tenths. We log WX data and can predict our ET within 0-3 hundreds of a second off the trailer. Do you really think we would not know the difference between WX or a CAI effecting our times.

 

Ok, this thread got me to break out my automotive math handbook...

The Velocity Head = (ρ * V^2)/4,311

where ρ = air density, lb/cu ft ~ 0.076 lb/cu ft
V = velocity, MPH

Therefore, say at 60 mph, the pressure increase in the manifold would be approximately .063 psi, which represents an increase of approximately .4% over ambient pressure. Theoretically the power output should be increased by this much as well, which on a stock LS1 would be about 1.4 HP. This is best case, assuming losses are ignored through frictional losses present in the intake. Most likely, nowhere near 100% of this gain will actually be seen by the engine.

At 100 mph the pressure becomes about .18 psi over ambient, resulting in approxiamtely a 1% increase, or 3.45 hp on a stock LS1, assuming zero losses in the intake.

At 180 mph, assuming a 90% pressure recovery through the intake, the pressure becomes about .5 psi over ambient, resulting in about a 3% increase, or about 10.35 hp on a stock LS1.

I hope this sheds some light on the physics and fluid dynamics of the systems. I would say the greatest benefit of the Vararam is in the fact that it is receiving air that has had no opportunity to be warmed by the engine. And, as we know, a 10 degree drop in intake temperature yields about a 1% increase in power, which is roughly 3.45 hp on a stock LS1.

Hope this maybe helps to aid some people in their decisions,
Chris

 

I honestly cannot compare all the variables your asking for. I can tell you I have raced this car since 2002 when I make a change and it goes faster there is a reason. Now as I said NO SCIENTIFIC data just track time. Yes the better track times also have better 60' times however I cannot see how a better 60' will pick-up 4mph and 3/10's on a consistant basis. I'm sure my time slips are not the critical data your looking for but, the improvement was in an airbox swap. Hopefully these scans work. (difference in car #'s is my #'s and my wife's #'s on my car)

 

Since March, I have swapped 2 converters, and went from the DYNO tune that was on the car, to an E-MAIL tune Also have gone through 3 sets of headers That might sound backwards but hey, it works. Went from 12's to the occassional 11's. Eventually I will have a real dyno tune done, and I expect this BOLT-ON ONLY A4 to run every pass consistantly in the 11's. My signature has my mods listed and for those that will ask, the motor has only had the valve covers off so I could get all the different headers in and out.
Bob

 

thanks for everything guys. i just went ahead and ordered my new radiator shroud from gmpartsdirect and ordered my vararam with the green filter for $299 shipped. my vortex setup will be for sale shortly

 

Money well spent.

 

16again:
Well, hard to read, but... Looks like you made a much better launch, 1.74 60' Vs. a 1.91 60'. Seventeen hundreths in the 60 will add up to at least 2 1/2 tenths over a quarter mile, more likely 3 tenths. A vararam won't give more hp in the first 60', or else it would dyno higher also. Sorry, still not convinced the vararam is better. I think your slips prove it's not.

 

Thats only the 1st slip after the change. How do you explain it for the whole season? What about the MPH? Sorry the only thing I see coming of this discussion is our agreeing to disagree.

 

Try posting a question in the drag racing section, with the guys that do this all the time. They will agree that a .17diff in the 60' time will give you at least a .25 to .3 reduction in ET and an increase in MPH, probably around 3 MPH, at the speeds you're trapping.

 

I live in the Drag section. These which CAI threads don't last over there.

 

6speeder, have you used a vararam?

I know the answer already. Do you have any idea how many people on this forum have used the product and consistently reported 3 tenths and 3 mph gain over stock.

Do you think you are the first person to discover weather affects ET and mph. How do you think we predict our ET's?

You have no idea how closely tuned a bracket racer is with the performance of his car. It is all about ET and knowing exactly what your car is going to run. Like I said before we know if a CAI improves our time. We don't just go to the track 1 time per summer, we go race twice a week and more sometimes.

I really don't want to argue with you about this because we actually agree on the thread topic. But you are doing a disservice to other member's because you obviously do not know how the product performs and you are giving a great amount of incorrect information about it.

Most of the guys in drag race section with C5's use the vararam I would say. A few do not and I respect them for their reasons. It is not a perfect product and there are things to criticize but trust me performance gains is not one of them.

 

I don't know if it was because my K&N filter was dirty on my Pro-Flow or what, but after the VaraRam install & tune the car feels like it has another gear. Keep in mind that the car was tuned 6 months ago as well, with the old setup still installed, so it wasn't just the tune that made the difference this time. Unbelievable.

 

Shurite: The disservice is advising someone to take off a good product and spend money and time to install another. His question was comparing the Vararam to the Vortex, not to stock. 3 tenths from stock to vararam, OK, maybe. 3 tenths from Vortex to vararam, not a chance.

The slips 16 posted showed the gain was in the first 60', not when the vararam is purported to help. He went quicker because he launched better, not because the vararam made more HP. You and 16 talk like you know dragracing, but don't know how much of an effect a better launch has on the entire run? If you make 2 runs with everything (vehicle, track, weather) identical except the 60' time the run with the quicker 60' will be much quicker and faster at the 1/4. A tenth quicker 60' will give you a quarter mile ET that's 1.5 to 2 tenths quicker and 1 1/2 to 2 MPH faster. The change in the 60' time is multiplied with no other changes. Don't call BS, don't believe me, ask the hardcore racers, they'll tell you the same. Me, I just hit the track 10 or so times a year, probably 50+ runs a year.

 

Sure a good 60 makes your ET quicker. But it does not give you a better trap, usually the trap speed will suffer a little especially if the 60 improvement was based on better traction.

And like I said in the first place, I don't think I would swap out a vortex for a vararam either, especially if I was not racing.