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As an Engineer, I liked the idea of "true" cold air system that VaraRam provides. However, we basically have to take apart the front end of the vehicle to properly install, while assembling several pieces, that according to users many of the pieces did not fit good. I just do know if it's worth it?
Nothing worth doing is ever easy !
In terms of HP /Performance gains vs $$$ spent , dollar for dollar only NOS offers a better ratio . Even NOS is time consuming to install.
If we were talking about a 2 tenth of a second gain in a 1/4 mile that would be one thing . When you have documented gains of over a 1/2 second on some C5's covering 18yrs and holding every national record since its first year of production. You have to ask yourself , is it worth the trouble to you? If you think its just a cold air intake , then that is your first mistake ! It is a true ram air system that intercools the induction system all the way into the manifolds plenum. It also builds some added pressure.
Cold air intakes don't do that . They always have a temp rise in the manifold of 20-60 deg "ABOVE" the Intake air temp sensors readings .
If it happens to build pressure above the typical LS-1,LS-6 MAP numbers then all the better , and it does.
The unit is 118% efficient yet its capable of topping 160%. We restrict it for street use to 118% (That's 118% of road speed)
Ask any B2 owner if they have ever driven down the road ,pulled over and grabbed their throttle body casting or intake manifold ? They will tell you that both were cool to the touch! All wile being in a bath tub of 165-185deg under hood heat! Cold air intakes don't do that either .
Is that type of performance improvement worth the additional effort?
I put the same aFe intake on my car recently. It was an easy 30 minute job. It looks great and sounds better than the stock intake. I doubt there's much gain in power. A small gain at best and nothing I could notice by seat of the pants feel.
Hey MisterG. Those tailpipes look awesome! CAT back install?? Any/all details are appreciated. Thanks.
Nothing worth doing is ever easy !
In terms of HP /Performance gains vs $$$ spent , dollar for dollar only NOS offers a better ratio . Even NOS is time consuming to install.
If we were talking about a 2 tenth of a second gain in a 1/4 mile that would be one thing . When you have documented gains of over a 1/2 second on some C5's covering 18yrs and holding every national record since its first year of production. You have to ask yourself , is it worth the trouble to you? If you think its just a cold air intake , then that is your first mistake ! It is a true ram air system that intercools the induction system all the way into the manifolds plenum. It also builds some added pressure.
Cold air intakes don't do that . They always have a temp rise in the manifold of 20-60 deg "ABOVE" the Intake air temp sensors readings .
If it happens to build pressure above the typical LS-1,LS-6 MAP numbers then all the better , and it does.
The unit is 118% efficient yet its capable of topping 160%. We restrict it for street use to 118% (That's 118% of road speed)
Ask any B2 owner if they have ever driven down the road ,pulled over and grabbed their throttle body casting or intake manifold ? They will tell you that both were cool to the touch! All wile being in a bath tub of 165-185deg under hood heat! Cold air intakes don't do that either .
Is that type of performance improvement worth the additional effort?
In my world,.... absolutely !
VR tech
Well, the numbers are wonderful and indeed, even I would justify the "additional" effort. I am not sure how you folks have address VR users comments that "parts did not fit properly". Probably if I had spoken t someone such as you before my purchase, I would had installed the VR Intake system also. Perhaps next time. Data and information on your products should be clearly posted by all of your suppliers to enable the consumers make a "better" decision. Thanks for enlighten me on your product.
John
Well, the numbers are wonderful and indeed, even I would justify the "additional" effort. I am not sure how you folks have address VR users comments that "parts did not fit properly". Probably if I had spoken t someone such as you before my purchase, I would had installed the VR Intake system also. Perhaps next time. Data and information on your products should be clearly posted by all of your suppliers to enable the consumers make a "better" decision. Thanks for enlighten me on your product.
John
No prob , glad I could help
I am getting on the dealers now to provide customers with more detailed information. This unit has been around so long ( 18yrs now ) that I think some of the info has just been overlooked. Its on our site , just not in simplified Power Point style form. Its in tech style long verbal form.
No prob , glad I could help
I am getting on the dealers now to provide customers with more detailed information. This unit has been around so long ( 18yrs now ) that I think some of the info has just been overlooked. Its on our site , just not in simplified Power Point style form. Its in tech style long verbal form.
VR Tech
Ok, VR tech, I will invest the time and money. Send me to a "good deal", recent update of your product, to purchase. Now "sell me" all the way, and I will be a VR friend forever!
Nothing worth doing is ever easy !
In terms of HP /Performance gains vs $$$ spent , dollar for dollar only NOS offers a better ratio . Even NOS is time consuming to install.
If we were talking about a 2 tenth of a second gain in a 1/4 mile that would be one thing . When you have documented gains of over a 1/2 second on some C5's covering 18yrs and holding every national record since its first year of production. You have to ask yourself , is it worth the trouble to you?...
Is that type of performance improvement worth the additional effort?
In my world,.... absolutely !
VR tech
Can you post the documented gain of over 1/2 second in the 1/4 mile?
That's equivalent to around 45-50 HP gain, yes?
What motor was this tested on, what air intake was on prior, and was the filter new/clean? Etc.
Can you post the documented gain of over 1/2 second in the 1/4 mile?
That's equivalent to around 45-50 HP gain, yes?
What motor was this tested on, what air intake was on prior, and was the filter new/clean? Etc.
Search: Corvette forum Corvette Challenge series Englishtown NJ
: Vette magazine test ( google)
: Eckler's Corvette intake shootout on Vette TV- We sent our Widemouth "cold air" only to that shootout . It produced a 3 tenth of second improvement and dominated the 1/4 mile tests. The Wide -Mouth is nothing but the B2 upper airbox with a panel filter, that's it!
Its also all over the forums , not just this one, covering the last 18yrs of customers and tuners ( example: Cartek ) reporting massive gains in before and after drag strip testing.
You will find lots of reading and even video's , enjoy !
VARARAM Intake Systems.
Ok, I was made a believer. Steve and Patrick at Vararam Inc., given me all the technical information (see previous posts), help, recommendations to purchase and install their system on my C5. By no means, this is was not a 4 hour mod. If you are (and should be with your ride) a perfectionists, then you will find to correct and re-route other things as you remove a good part of the front to the radiator. Definitely, need ramps with supports to raise and support the vehicle, foot or so off the ground. Be prepare to replace several clips/fasteners (no way can you save them all) and properly improvise with some non-OEM fasteners and bolts.The video on YouTube while helpful, one thing that I wouldn’t do as the guy said “you do not need to fasten the ram vents onto the fog cover fasteners. This is a most do if you would like to properly align the fog light to the openings, as design on the ram.In order to fasten the ram vents you most use two bolts 1.5 in long with washers and a 1 in long spacer (I used hose with a 3/8 ID) for each side. This required, to install / uninstall couple times for proper alignment. I also used 3M tape to close off openings on the sides to close off gaps. (See image #1)Bottom line; 2 days about 8 hrs. for this mod, but the end result is awesome. It looks good, it sound good and after a 30 mile run the LS1 is humming with love. Upon returning home opened the hood and placed my hand on top of the intake and did not got burned, I am guessing about 200 degrees. In addition I am installing two stainless steel grills over the fog/ram openings to dress up front end. Questions, please contact the folks at VARARAM and or email me jgftlog@gmail.com
Think of it as a small turbo see picture
Last edited by Johnny the Greek; 02-28-2018 at 09:14 PM.
Reason: Additional Info
Not a Vararam fan due to my fear of water ingestion mainly, as my Z is my DD. That said cool air has obvious benefits, and water fears aside it is the best fresh air intake IMO.
The fit'n'finish is known to be questionable, but as long as it is completely sealed after the filter, some leaks are not really that much of a concern. Again; IMO.
Multiple drives in rainstorms, no problems at all for the past year.
Originally Posted by grantv
Can you post the documented gain of over 1/2 second in the 1/4 mile?
That's equivalent to around 45-50 HP gain, yes?
What motor was this tested on, what air intake was on prior, and was the filter new/clean? Etc.
Vararam wouldn't do that much better on a dyno than a normal CAI. It relies on the speed of the car to produce gains. Maybe if you put the dyno in a wind tunnel...
I think the gains primarily come from reaching peak power/torque sooner and keeping it longer, rather than a measurable increase in power/torque.
Multiple drives in rainstorms, no problems at all for the past year.
Vararam wouldn't do that much better on a dyno than a normal CAI. It relies on the speed of the car to produce gains. Maybe if you put the dyno in a wind tunnel...
I think the gains primarily come from reaching peak power/torque sooner and keeping it longer, rather than a measurable increase in power/torque.
Think of the Ram Air System as a small turbo system; see picture
Last edited by Johnny the Greek; 02-28-2018 at 09:09 PM.
Reason: excel tables not shown correctly
Think of the Ram Air System as a small turbo system; see picture
Which is all fine and good until you realize that the maximum psi generated by 60 mph wind is around 0.06 psi, and 0.17 psi at 100 mph. Even 200 mph is only around 0.68 psi. A far cry from forced induction systems reaching 5+ psi.
Search: Corvette forum Corvette Challenge series Englishtown NJ
: Vette magazine test ( google)
: Eckler's Corvette intake shootout on Vette TV- We sent our Widemouth "cold air" only to that shootout . It produced a 3 tenth of second improvement and dominated the 1/4 mile tests. The Wide -Mouth is nothing but the B2 upper airbox with a panel filter, that's it!
Its also all over the forums , not just this one, covering the last 18yrs of customers and tuners ( example: Cartek ) reporting massive gains in before and after drag strip testing.
You will find lots of reading and even video's , enjoy !
VR Tech
We have been using Vararam for well over a decade and I can say with confidence that we consistently see an decrease in et and increase mph in the 1/4 with it over stock intakes or intakes that draw air from under the hood.
The B-2 unit has reset and held records for 18 yrs now. It has done that by using the Ram Effect as the ultimate weapon. When it was designed ,we threw everything at it but the kitchen sink and used the filter as our restrictor. The overall design has stayed the same as a testament to how powerful it truly is . The unit as it is sold today, is 118% efficient. That means it produces velocities 18% greater than road speed at the throttlebody. This is not all it can do, it is simply what we can get away with in a street driven vehicle with a MAF. The system is capable of over 180% efficency. We have some that can push 210%!
True Ram air systems are designed to cool the air charge "INSIDE" the intake manifolds plenum. The air inside of the plenum can be 20-60 deg+ "ABOVE" true ambient temp. That is a 2-6% gain in power from cool air alone even if there is "NO" pressure rise ! Now on a 400HP car thats 8-24HP More that you would ever see from a typical "COLD AIR" intake. We documented this on the LS-3 Camaro for the world to see for themselves. The B-2 does provide a pressure rise adding additional HP gains. The new LT-1 and LT-4 engines have two temp sensors and you can monitor this using any datalog system.
After all , who cares about a temp reading over in a fender ? Nobody ! That is not the air the engine is processing , what is inside of the manifolds plenum is .
There is also a substantial flow increase with the B-2 in static conditions offering another potential gain in power. The B-2 outflows every other intake system on the market for the C-5 . It was designed to support up to 1000 Rear Wheel HP in N/A form.
VR Tech
Which is all fine and good until you realize that the maximum psi generated by 60 mph wind is around 0.06 psi, and 0.17 psi at 100 mph. Even 200 mph is only around 0.68 psi. A far cry from forced induction systems reaching 5+ psi.
Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) not good for fuel combustion such as gasoline. The more volume of air (CFM) into the combustion chamber, the better. An internal combustion engine (ICE) is a heat engine where the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine.One of the challenges in modeling combustion chemistry is the fact that combustion takes place over a wide range of pressure, even in a single device.
Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) not good for fuel combustion such as gasoline. The more volume of air (CFM) into the combustion chamber, the better. An internal combustion engine (ICE) is a heat engine where the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine.One of the challenges in modeling combustion chemistry is the fact that combustion takes place over a wide range of pressure, even in a single device.
You were comparing it to a turbo system, which implied boost. I pointed out the boost generated is small, good for maybe 5-15 HP at most, and nothing compared to forced induction.
An LS3 maxes out at about 350 CFM. By your numbers, it's already there at 12 mph. Therefore, the airflow increase doesn't matter by 12 mph, and less than that in reality.
Like I said, what I believe happens is that the cooler air brought in from outside of the car combined with the fact that the engine does not need to suck in air raises the HP and torque curve throughout the RPM range while not doing much for peak HP and torque, and that's how it gets the better times.
02-17-2018, 02:03 PM
