[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
Two possibly helpful mods would be routing cold air to intake and venting hot air from engine compartment. I'm not sure about the best way to do either. And I don't want to draw any more attention from the constabulary than necessary, so low-profile, subtle modifications are preferred. Anybody have any suggestions/comments? (Specifics pertain to SPG/C900 but generally may be applicable to 9000, or other models.)
INTAKE
Stock airbox/snorkel too restrictive; open K&N mounted to AMM eliminates restrictions but sucks hot air in from intercooler. Some have mounted K&N in fender well, but is that supply adequate? Scoop at bottom of car is (my opinion) poor choice: on hot day, air 3" from pavement is much hotter than air 3' from pavement; also, bottom scoop vulnerable if vehicle driven into deep puddles. (That water can be a LOT deeper than it looks, and I have very little ground clearance to begin with.)
Intake Options include:
(a) Left fender intake. Somebody on this bbs posted pictures, very pretty installation on a red 900. But requires substantial and noticable modification.
(b) Front end intake. Benefit: should not require substantial modification to body. Drawback: grill already minimal for radiator surface area; piping to intake potentially difficult.
(c) hood intake near front. Louvers or small intake scoop near leading edge of hood. Drawback: potentially dramatic modification to most noticable part of front of car.
(d) hood intake near middle or rear. (WASSAAB's post today spurred this thought.) Drawback: long run, with bends, to filter; also, possible interference with exhaust venting (see below).
General considerations: cleanest pipe run with minimal bends necessary. What size, minimum intake, to be functional? What optimum design to bathe filter in fresh, cool air without recreating a restrictive airbox/snorkel?
HEAT EXHAUST PORTS/VENTS
Engines create heat; turbos really create heat; heat rises; and there are no natural outlets for that heat underneath the hood. Engine compartment temps are dramatically higher than they need to be, especially in traffic.
Possible solutions:
(a) side vents in body behind and above block. I think Z3 designers stole this idea from me, but I'll forgive them because of beautiful execution. Drawback: dramatic alteration of side of car.
(b) side vents in hood, near rear. Potentially effective, if airflow reaches this point (possibly shielded inside?) and if large enough. Minimal alteation. Drawback: Dirty/oily/hot air possibly drawn into cabin through open windows.
(c) top vents in hood, near rear. Exhaust vents, similar in appearance to the cabin frest air inlet, could be cut/stamped at middle and/or left (US driver's) side of hood. Appearance would be symetrical and modification would have minimal footprint. Drawback (possibly illusory): concern about dirty/oily air fouling windscreen and being drawn into passenger compartment through open sunroof.
Discussion questions re exhaust venting:
Minimal sizes to be effective?
Relative effectiveness, side ports vs. higher mountings?
Whether concern over dirty/oily air fouling windscreen (via top vents) is valid?
Clearly, I've only begun to identify issues or solutions. Any and all discussion welcomed. Thanks.
Jim Watts
87 SPG (The Stealthbomber), modestly modified.
, Wed, 9 May 2001 23:24:43
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
