I have been reading through the posts and I haven't found anyone with my exact set-up, at least not that they are talking about.
Thanks to a power pole, a nasty rain storm, and a heavy foot I recently found myself needing a new hood and grill. I decided to upgrade to the SRT-10 hood and a colored matched grill, mainly because I thought it would look sexy. I was right!
Anyway, I can get an intake tube that bolts under the hood and redirects air to the intake box ($285). I will also have to change the intake box for this tube to dump into ($200+).
My question is would the power gains justify the $500+ required to make the hood scoop usable or should I just upgrade to a CAI kit or a different ram air set-up?
I understand the scoop on the SRT-10 truck is just to help cool the fire breathing monster under the hood, it was not really designed as an intake. So there is really only one option I have found to use it as such. Does anyone know of another design to use the hood scoop as an intake for the HEMI engine?
Any thoughts fellow hemians?

Sure does make it look sexy!
I've read the aerodynamics of our truck don't function as air intake. For a ram air effect I think the Varram is the way to go. Or make your own.
I have K&N 77 series.

Heres a better option thats much cheaper.

http://bigboys-customtoys.com/...od_Air_box__K&N.html

Keith,
there use to be a lot of threads on the topic. Pretty much all the research pointed to the hood scoop isnt high enough to grab the air it needs to make it worth wild. Still looks great but there are much better options out there for the money. Its up to you if you want to try and would most likely work better than the stock air box but for around the same price i'd go with something that gets a little more airflow.

After posting yesterday I noticed there are 3 pages in the CAI forum... Should have paid more attention I guess. There is a lot of information and a lot of opinions on the subject.

In a perfect world we could buy one of each and test them individually, keep the best and return the rest, but that just isn't practical.

So, the scoop does not pull any air because of the shape/aerodynamics of our trucks. It is however an area where a properly sealed intake could pull cooler air from outside the engine bay. The problem is finding a way to seal the hood opening to the intake, then you would have to consider water getting into the intake. Anyone know of a workable solution?

I might be better off with a good CAI and just leave the hood scoop alone huh? I considered the vararam, but my truck has tow hooks mounted where the intake scoops mount. I also have fog lights so that wont work either. I'm not convinced a ram air set-up is better than a good flowing CAI anyway. Has anyone tested/compared the two different systems?

I read one post where Jim Guy tested 5 different CAI's and got the best results from the RamHammer (thanks Jim, good stuff man). I've also noticed the RamHammer does not appear to be available any more. Is the BFI a replacement for the RamHammer? Sure looks like it.

My search continues... I think I need some ice for my head!

On my last truck I had a dual intake that "T"ed right off the throttle body. I just added a 45 degree elbow to it to raise it off the motor some and add the IAT into that. I would post pics but I am on the wrong computer right now. I can later. I put 2 Amsoil dry flow filters on it to keep from using an oiled filter. It worked real well. You could see the filters sitting right behind the SRT opening. This truck I am using 3rd Strikes with an Amsoil 9".

Good looking truck! Good luck with the intake.

Graphemi, which intake do you think you had better power gains with? The dual intake or the 3rd strike?

Hemiram32, thanx man. I dont really go looking for mud, but i've never ran from it either.

I haven't actually got the 3rd strike on my new one yet. Probably this week. But, honestly I doubt I will be able to tell. My dual intake was on a truck with the SRT and this one doesn't have an SRT hood. plus this truck has a Superchips and my other one didn't. The reason I went with the 3rd strike this time was it is only one filter vs. two. Little less maintenance and less filter cost...lol. Plus it is just a nice looking intake as well. Wanted to try something different. I think as long as you go with a decent intake whether it is 3rd strike or whatever, the power gains are going to be within reason of each other. Honestly you aren't going to notice 3,4, or 5hp at the wheel different probably.

quote:

I think as long as you go with a decent intake whether it is 3rd strike or whatever, the power gains are going to be within reason of each other. Honestly you aren't going to notice 3,4, or 5hp at the wheel different probably.

That may be the best advice I've heard yet.

I just wonder if, like an exhaust system, you open it up too much you lose back pressure and power.

It may be that some intake setups will give better bottom end power and some might give better top end power. You never see anyone clamp a filter directly to a throttle body, there is always a pipe or tube involved. Is this to create velocity or to help dissipate heat or what? Hell if I know. Its not like old school hot rods where a wing nut held a breather on the top of a 4-barrell gas guzzling, asphalt chewing, thunder belching mopar monster!

It's a strange new world we live in. You almost need a degree in physics to figure out how to go faster.

intakes sound cool, i wouldnt expect much more than that though

I don't think with any of the intakes on the market you can lose anything. Back pressure comes from the exhaust which yeah, you can have too much flow there. But the more air you bring in, the fuel adjusts for it, creating more horse any way you cut it. You could restrict air flow too much, but anything aftermarket is going to flow more than OEM.

I thought about clamping my Amsoil filter right to the TB so I could get the OEM stuff out of the way, but I don't think it would fit first of all being that close to the motor, and secondly, you have to be able to put the IAT sensor in so that would consist of me going and getting some piping and rubber connections to make it work. And since I have an intake on the way, it isn't worth it. But, you could probably do it.

As far as opening it up too much, there are people that have big enough balls to run the quarter without an air filter on at all just to get the most air possible. But you are right, I got my Physics degree a few years ago....

I'm probably over analyzing it. I tend to do that some times, my wife says I'm anal retentive...

I tow a 25' camper and a 19' boat so I just dont want to drop any bottom end torque. Wait until I do my exhaust, I probably wont sleep for three days. Ya'll are gonna be so sick of me.

I'm not expecting much from just an intake. I know most of the claims made about horsepower gains and fuel economy increases are not 100% accurate. I had a Ford F-150(I know, I know) I put a K+N CAI kit on and the biggest improvement I felt was in the throttle response, it felt a lot crisper off the start and even at cruising speeds you hit it and it felt quicker. The seat-o-the-pants meter loved it.

I dont even think I would have enough balls to start my truck without an air filter. The thought of what tiny grains of sand/dust would do to the valves/cylinder walls makes me cringe.

What I was thinking about with the exhaust back pressure reference was the ram air setups are designed to force air into the intake, while the CAI systems are designed to allow the air to flow more freely. The engine can only take in so much air, so does forcing air into it really increase performance more than allowing it to flow freely enough to take in what it needs? Probably a bad reference, but that was my thought pattern. A little insight into an anal retentive mind.

Forcing air into it will help allot. Thats what a supercharger does.
But your not going to replicate that just by installing a CIA.

You do need back pressure in the exhaust system too.
I can feel a big difference on my T/A when I'm running open headers compared to when the mufflers are on it.
It has allot more power with the mufflers.

Isn't that the point of the ram air systems to force air into the intake? So that means that the ram air systems are better than the CAI systems? performance wise I mean. That's what I'm trying to figure out. Do the ram air systems really provide that much more power over a CAI? I dont have 5 grand for a supercharger or I would be in a different forum right now.

I do see your point about the supercharger forcing air into the engine and creating tremendous power, but thats not really what I'm getting at. I'm just trying to figure my best option for letting the beast breathe a little.

I understand that good back pressure provides for better bottom end torque and pulling power. While a more free flowing exhaust provides better HP at higher RPM's and a better top end speed. At least that the way I understand it.

I do a lot of towing so I will probably opt for the single exhaust option as much as I like the dual exhaust look. But, that's a headache for another day.