Insulating the air intake duct work
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 127
Likes: 32
From: Shelby Twp Michigan
Insulating the air intake duct work
On my lt1 NA I have measured temperature differences of up to 30 degrees between the surface of the filter box and the duct at the entrance to the throttle body. These measurements were taken after wot bursts. I would shut the car off open the hood and take the temps. Does it make sense to insulate the ducting or does the speed of the air flow make it irrelevant?
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 164
Likes: 60
From: Indiana
I assume your higher measurement is at the TB inlet is heat transfer from the engine block. Heat transfer is a function if delta T (temperarure) between two objects and time (that is a very generic description of conduction). While under WOT, the air traveling inside the intake tubing is exposed to a hotter plastic tube, but the time exposed is limited...not much heat transfer happening. In theory, wrapping the intake tubing would only help insulate from radiant heat from the higher under hood temps, thus reducing IMAT, but would do nothing to stop heat transfer from engine TB to the intake via conduction. Plastic is also a poor conductor of heat, unlike say...aluminum, and wrapping the plastic intake tube wont do much if anything I'd suspect.
Long and short...wouldn't waste your time, but it's your car...I'd say, do what you want.
Long and short...wouldn't waste your time, but it's your car...I'd say, do what you want.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2015
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Your temperature readings are surface temperatures of the metal and plastic, not air temps. You need to actually measure the air temperatures while driving with a probe/lead style thermometer. Dont waste your time.
Last edited by BrunoTheMellow; Sep 30, 2018 at 12:15 PM.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2018
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From: Reality
On my lt1 NA I have measured temperature differences of up to 30 degrees between the surface of the filter box and the duct at the entrance to the throttle body. These measurements were taken after wot bursts. I would shut the car off open the hood and take the temps. Does it make sense to insulate the ducting or does the speed of the air flow make it irrelevant?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2015
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Drifting
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Instructor
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i personally use: https://www.plxdevices.com/Kiwi-3-OB...7346002832.htm
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 5,692
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Torque can read all the standard OBD2 PID values
i personally use: https://www.plxdevices.com/Kiwi-3-OB...7346002832.htm
i personally use: https://www.plxdevices.com/Kiwi-3-OB...7346002832.htm