erock5000

Hi All,
I have a 2010 GS, and have been doing some research on CAI's. I have it narrowed down to either the Vararam or a shroud (sold by Corvette Mods - not sure who the mfr is) that covers an open filter and pulls air in through the small scoop on the nose at the base of the hood. I haven't decided on which open filter/intake is best, so if you have any thoughts there, I'm all ears. From what I've seen the Vararam seems to work about as well as advertised, but it's a bit of a job to install and requires cutting of the radiator shroud. Beyond that, I am a little concerned about how low the intake opening is to the ground (in the event of water...). I like the simplicity of the shroud/nose scoop option since it uses an existing opening, but it seems like the opening might be a little small to provide enough airflow. I'm not planning any big engine mods such as FI, but probably just headers and aftermarket exhaust, and maybe an intake manifold later if it makes enough of a difference on an otherwise stock engine. Thoughts?

Dcasole

Headers and CAI are the two big mods , you are going to get one hundred or more opinions on which is the best CAI

If you look at the fastest corvettes on the list , most are running Vararam

I went with the Vararam and you are right, it is a pain to install but once it is installed it is a good unit if that makes sense ?

I think the pain point is the rather sparse install directions, I ended up walking away from my install putting my stock air cleaner back on and coming back the next day to restart all over ... ( and I am not afraid to wrench on anything .... )

I would not be to worried about water , many people make this statement but look at where the intake is in the grille , it is an easy 12 inches or more from the ground , and then the water would have to go up the snake charmer pretty far , if you running in water that deep , going that fast , you have more troubles than just getting water in your engine......( just my opinion ... )

Now that mine is installed , I am very happy with it

Dave

09_BSM_Z51

I did vararam first, now getting headers. Try out headers first then decide on intake. There wasn't enough gain to make intake on a stock car worth it to me. It does make the engine breath better at all rpms, but doesn't feel any different up top. I can basically feel how the exhaust is a restriction, not the intake. Don't get me wrong, I do like the vararam, it did help but I now understand why people are saying to do headers beforehand.

Also, the vararam blocks the radiator and cutting the shroud makes the radiator fans less effective. I've been complaining about this for a while, I had to adjust my cooling fans a lot to keep the car under 205* when idling or in traffic. Going with a 160* thermostat to help keep the car cooler when driving and slower to heat up while idling. The concern here is that all the gains of the vararam could be negated by the ecu cutting power because of coolant temperature being too high. I live in the south, I need as much cooling capacity as possible. In the future I may be returning to a less intrusive setup, I'm not sure at this point. Going to see how she does in the middle of June stuck in a traffic jam for an hour. That's the real test for me.

I don't feel the vararam is a wrong choice, it just may not suit my application the best.

Dcasole

Not sure I agree with this statement.......

the snake charmer does not block the airflow since the corvette is a bottom breather , the Vararam is in front of the radiator..... and does not block airflow at all, the fans are a PULL THRU design and the hole in the surround will have little effect at low speeds or idle

Now at speed cutting the shroud will cause issues if you are not careful

When cutting the shroud you cant go crazy, you have to cut it just enough to have the Vararam drop through it and not an inch more as the shroud is what directs the air thru the radiator at speed

Also the shroud gets real flimsy and does not seal in the front once its cut , I glued and taped mine to the bumper support so it would continue to direct air thru the radiator at speed , I also sealed any openings around the Vararam and the shroud

I to live in the deep hot south and my TEMPS have not moved a bit since installing

there are many posts about the lower intake temps after installing a Vararam so I am not to worried about my car pulling timing

Just my two cents ...
Dave

erock5000

Thanks - I'm in Atlanta, so we're neighbors. If I go with the Vararam, I think I'll buy the pre-cut shroud from them. I want to keep all of my original parts, just in case the day comes I want to return it to stock.

09_BSM_Z51

Thanks Dave,

You could be right, I may be wrong. I didn't realize the tolerances were that tight. Good news is, I didn't ruin the shroud, but I think I may have cut a little too much out. This weekend, I'll get in there with some black duct tape and try to close up the gaps more than I have.

Seadawg

Here is what the corvette mods version did for me. The engine did not pull any timing, even after 6 consecutive dyno pulls on a very hot (90 degree plus) Florida day. I'm very happy with it.

I rarely see more than a 5 degree temp difference when comparing outside air and my IAT sensor too

Dcasole

The black super sticky duct tape from home depot is what I used , good luck and let us know how it works
Dave

Dcasole

PM me if u need help

Dave

09_BSM_Z51

Do they still make the pre-cut shroud? I could never find one, please let me know if you have a source for them.

Dcasole

Or you can buy one from a vendor , that way you still have an uncut shroud

Its not that hard to take it out , I was not fond of cutting it on the car , one slip and you got the condenser

u just have to make sure you go real easy when popping out the plastic plugs , I have the tools

Dave

CI GS

Please note that the GS, unlike the base Vette, is NOT a "bottom breather" but uses the grille alone to feed air to the radiator, and the slot on the bottom of the nose is actually blocked off with a rubber flap, although that can easily be removed.
All models of the C6 have limited airflow through the radiator at slow speeds, which is why they overheat in traffic, so I personally didn't go with the Vararam for that reason and that my experience with Vararam's quality has not been good. They do perform though, without question, as they are in fact a true "Cold Air Inlet" that uses a "ram air" effect to get cold air into the engine. The benefit of this has been debated vigorously and extensively on many threads on here, so there's plenty to read on the topic.
I initially bought into the CAI being the first necessary mod too, and ended up going with the Halltech with the Behive enclosure and then cut some slots in the bottom of the radiator shroud to get cool air into the cavity where the filter sits. I experimented with my own ram air scoop and them removed it. I then bought a Vette air scoop, which hangs down slightly into the grille opening in the nose to grab air and ram it into the filter cavity. I never installed that though, as by then I had decided to go the FI route, so I don't know how well it works or if it has any adverse effect on cooling. I doubt it would though.
To be honest, none of the "CAIs" are going to give you a huge gain on a stock LS2 or LS3, as the stock air inlet reportedly flows more than enough air for even a modified LS3. You will see the same or better gains you would get from most aftermarket CAIs, if you either pop open the shroud or cut some slots in the bottom to get cooler air to the filter with the stock air inlet. BTW: If you don't like the looks of the stock LS3 housing with the noise dampner on the side of it, you can also go with a stock LS7 air inlet for a cleaner look.
Headers, on the other hand, will give you a significant SOTP noticeable gain and will improve your mileage as well, although they will require a retune, which, by the way, even on a bone stock car, will probably net you more power than any CAI could.
OP, good luck with whatever you decide. Happy modding!

Dcasole

GS is not a bottom breather

Corvettes overheat

Really ????

CI GS

What's your point, exactly?? Wasn't it you who said Corvettes are "bottom breathers" when clearly the OP has a GS, which is not?

gsflyer2011

Dcasole

Well guys no need to get all up in arms .....

My point is I have never heard of a GS running any hotter than a base and there are a lot out there that have cold air intakes ...

and I thought that they all used the same shroud ( see attached picture of GS parts diagram ) which sure looks like the same one that is on a Base
I guess I am wrong ......

Dcasole

Thanks SeaDawg , that is the point that a lot of folks miss

A CAI does not add much if any power , but it will stop the ECM from pulling timing because of the stock Air intake taking in hot under the hood air
You can feel this in the seat of your pants especially if you live in a hot climate

Dave

HOXXOH

The dragstrip testing I've done with a Vararam has shown a .30 ET improvement with no other changes. I also tested propping the shroud and got a .18 second gain. I didn't scan the Vararam test, but the propped shroud showed no timing influence.

The Vararam will also accept a paper filter, which catches a LOT more dirt and also provides protection against hydrolock from water ingestion.

Dcasole

Thanks for sending me the paper filter numbers hoxxoh
I am changing mine over to the paper

Dave

Mr.Nubain

Go Vararam , you may not feel the gains around town, but you sure will when you pop on the highway or accelerate 40+mph that's when you can feel it. I remember when they told vararam owner to hop on the highway and drive for a couple hours to get the computer etc. adjusted. Even at low speeds it gets what is considered cool air even if it's 95 degrees outside the engine bay that's still considered cool compared to the air it's sucking from the inside the engine bay. When the temps are at night 50-65 degree's out it's so fun to go on the highway accelerate 2-3 or 3-4, what a blast!
You'll love the vararam, it's not the prettiest CAI, but you wont feel gains like it delivers with any other mod for the dollar. That's what an eleven-year old engine bay looks like it with 57K on the clock, with vararam.( I cant wait for FAST and LT's_