Hey Everyone.
I've been reading the posts on the soupbowl debate and I'm not too convinced whether or not to cut it mine out - just yet! I wouldn't mind getting a turbo on the beast - hopefully in the near future - so I'm stuck with what I've got.
I read on DS.com about a guy that did his own 'custom' ram air. Kinda mickey mouse I thought but he got me thinking. What he did was fabbed up a funnel out of tin, stuffed it beside the drivers side of the rad (cut out a bit of the rad support) and utilized the front grill to direct air into his 'Ram'. He used some washer/dryer hose to rehooked up the air cleaner (he left the soupbowl in place).
What I thought (and i know that i couldn't be the first) was to cut a real style of ram air into the hood. Why wouldn't this work as well? Has anyone seen this? or done this?
Dubra

 

Iwas hesitant on removing my"soupbowl" even b4 I knew what it was due to my mechs. bad predictions of engine ruin.
After reading all posts on this & other forums monitoring my mileage & performance(Bogged) I opted to try it & rate the diff.
as of 3 tanks of fuel I can see better mileage & power.
Like another members said" has anyone ever heard of a diesel
blowing up from too much air.NO
Is there a soupbowl on turbos or 6.9's? No
Also,this bowl is a Ford better Idea to quite the intake noise having no thought about better mileage or H.P.
Do what I did, get a 2nd lid, cut one, try it with & without.The improvement is obvious in m.p.g
B4 Removal the best I could get with all around driving Hwy&city was 15m.p.g cdn.
Now removed I get 17m.p.g in 2wd & 16 with hubs locked & 4wd!
The problem is keeping your foot out of it with the better operation & increase noise was barely noticable!!
Even my oil consumption per week is less!!
Read, learn & DO whatever you want!!

 

I have thought about the same thing,(ram air scoop) but in my location i would have to deal with snow sucking into the breather.If indeed you did that mod your soup bowl would be gone anyway as the breather cover is not used on a ramair bonnet.If you are skeptical on soup bowl removal go to your local scrap yard and get the cover off a e-350 7.3.The soup bowl or noise reduction system on the van is a smaller hole in the lower part of the breather where it sits on the intake,the cover is a conventional flat cover.Try that cover for comparison to the soup bowl cover.You wont be dissapointed.

 

The way the air flows across the top of the hood while driving that is a lower pressure area unless the scoop is rather tall. Probably the highest pressure area on the hood is back close to the windshield like the Chevy Chevelle's cowl induction was set up facing backwards. If the scoop was all the way to the front of the hood so it actually caught air spilling up over the front of the hood would be best, but I would want to check into inspection laws before putting something of any size up there.

I have been thinking on a way to use air intake stacks like the International and several other semi tractors used a few years ago. The only bad thing is it sure would take a lot of plumbing to get it to the air cleaner. Since it would have so many bends it would take a lot of figuring to actually wind up with more air pressure in the air cleaner. The hardest part is you have to figure on when you are going slow when you actually need the most help in the air department as well as when you are going fast. The fast side is rather easy to do but you do not want to hurt the slow side in the process.

Another great place to get air would be below the front bumper with an air dam and ducting up to the air cleaner. This would be a great easy place to get lots of air for a road only truck, but would create a lot of issues for off road 4x4 people like stream crossings water depth and approach angle reduction. The road guys would have to give a little thought about taking to much air off the front brakes or just work in some extra ducting for cooling the brakes which could actually improve that area as well as radiator cooling.

Something to think about on the soup bowl debate is this,
7.3 liter = 445 cu. in.
445 cu. in. * 3300 RPM = 1,468,500 cu in or air per minute
1,468,500 / 1728 cu. in. in a cubic foot = 849.826 cu. ft.
Thats a lot of air a minute through that little hole at max RPM.
Go look at a room that is 12' x 12' with an 8' ceiling, it has enough air in it to run your motor for 1 minute 20 seconds at max RPM.

 

Thanks guys for your input.
I was following LoudWayne's previous thread and was really debating the idea (still thinkin' there's a better way out there to improve the intake system) then I saw the difference that he experienced (15mpg to 17mpg is a cheap upgrade). I think I'll try it out - get a new cover for the air cleaner and upgrade the filter to a K&N will deffinetly give me an improvement.

The second problem I'm having (other than the soupbowl) is that my intake is being blocked a bit by a bug deflector, so somehow relocating the intake piping is where I think I'll get the best improvement, but where?

 

I like your ideas for a "cold air" induction system.

Since you are into cutting things out- why don't you go to a previously mentioned zone (which is true, that is why "cowl induction is better then "ram air" which is bogus for what speed most vehicles go anyaway- but it looks cool and dad and grandpa said it work so they are always right)- the base of the windshield- and tap into that- simply cut into your windshield cowl- you know, the big empty space where your windshield wiper linkage is. Heck, that would be really close to the air cleaner too- and it also is screened, keeping most of the big stuff out. A few leaves and twigs can be caught by the filter of course. Try it out and let me know- look where your wiper motor mounts- see that plate- remove that and you are inside that big open area in front of your windshield, under that cowl. Its so easy- single wall- you can even remove the wiper cowl and get access to both sides when you put your flange for your ducting in. Everyone should have it. Someone make a kit- complete with template- you get the idea.

Remember the speed your truck will be going it is impossible to have a "ram" air effect. (think of the speed the truck is going verses the wind that is also smacking into it- then think of how many pistons are filling cylinders through the air cleaner hole- I don't think 200+ mph will be safe rpms)

But I don't want to get into a flame war because it is proven science- like all the motorcycle boards like to argue over ram air- when it is air box tuning and the actual cooler air that benefits the motor- and not until obscene road speeds are reached that a ram effect will occur- and still then it is only a small amount- blah blah blah

 

Mattter of fact you don't even have to take the hood off to take the wiper cowl off. Remove antenna, remove wiper arms, remove screws along the front of the windhield that screw down into the firewall, and then remove the screws along the inside of the wiper cowl from the engine compartment. Raise hood halfway up and block with some wood, and then pull cowl foward until it pops from under aluminum windhsield trim. then pry up over wiper arm stubs and there you go. Do it all the time by myself. I think I will set up a cold air intake to this cowl area. Might even put a flapper on it like a heater box so I can close it off when the weather gets too icy.

 

MRZ,

Man, u r right on track to what I was thinking about!
I knew that someone out there had an idea.
I'll look into the cowl induction theory and do some thinking.
I like the windshield location and definetly look into making something at the shop to fit that area. Thanx for your input and I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

I have a 1989 f-350 at my place of work it has a banks turbo with ram air, the ram air scoop is just below the hood in the front, it picks up air that comes through the gap between the grille and the hood, just thought id put my 2 cents worth in.

 

remember you owe me a case of beer when you get that thing patented and make more loot then Bill Gates!

 

But you also gotta remember that the heater is already taking air from that location under the cowl. Take enough to supply the engine and you may mess with the heater.

As far as the banks system, how big is the crack between the griol and hood?

 

does the bug deflector really affcet the air flow that much.my dezee came with intructions not to use on a diesel,but who reads those anyway?i know,i know more air is better !

 

When I was driving over the road back in the fuel shortage days some trucking company did a little study on those bug deflectors on long nose big trucks. Their study claimed it took an additional 25 - 50 horses to push the extra dead air on the hood down the road.

It is easier to punch the hole in the air than it is to drag the hole that you punched in the air.

Ever get a small vehicle behind a big rig going about 70 or 80? It will drag it right on down the road cause it is in the hole the truck is dragging.

 

Well the space isnt all that big, but it must make a diffrence or they wouldent do it, it may not ram as much in as a diffrent system but its more than likely more a cold air intake, dontknow but the turbo sure dose make a big diffrence. and why couldent you use one right on top of the hood like they sell for a gasoline truck? wouldent it do the same thing on a deisle, or is there another idea going on here?

 

What is everyone saying here? That by removing my bug deflector and geting rid of my soupbowl that I'm gonna get an additional 50 horse and a gazzilion mpg? lol

I know that the bug deflector is restricting the gap between the hood and grill but it's like a double edge soard - it looks cool and protects the hood (a bit! lol) and it's all about looking cool isn't it? so there's no way I can take that off!

Anyways, felling the pressure of being the last one to do it, I stopped by the local wrecker afterwork and grabbed myself a used cover for my air cleaner (w/o the soupbowl from what pnose suggested - off a e350 7.3 fits perfectly) and a new K&N filter. I'm not expecting huge changes in performance or anything just more along the lines of a more efficient and reliable truck.
'would look cool with a huge scoop tho'