Originally Posted by saskins
CyberGreg, were did you put the air filter, were it didn't get water or debris. I have found from testing different vehicals for the most optimal PSI flow areas on the Car or Truck, are 9 out of 10 times is right behind the headlights. The last place you want to put the filter, is behind the radiator, it is like a dead Zone of hot air.
On my system, the air filters are placed directly behind the stock Ram air ports
Originally the CAI w/K&N filter was routed through the inner fender well in front of the drivers front wheel, completely outside the engine compartment (and protected by the plastic inner fender). This setup also, as you correctly pointed out, recommended that an AEM bypass valve be installed to eliminate the possiblity of drawing water into the engine. I was living in CT at the time and drove the car in plenty of rain storms and never had a problem with water.
Note: AEM makes a bypass valve that once installed on an upper part of the intake will open if the filter gets submerged in water and thereby not allow water into the intake system.
***
Once I installed a turbo charger on this car I modified the CAI to fit the turbo. Needless to say the performance was very impressive. I have no dyno numbers but I'm sure that having the turbo pull air from outside the engine compartment did nothing but help. Heat is the number one problem with any sort of forced air engine.
***
I would agree that placing any sort of air pickup or filter behind the radiator is indeed a bad idea, there is never any clean or cold air there. I think its a good design that our stock intakes pull clean, cool air from in front of the car, I guess you'd call it the front grill area, inbetween the radiator and headlights. My wife's 2003 Mustang GT also had a cold air "designed" stock intake, pulling air from the front grill area.
***
Now onto some additional design thoughts... it looks like your air filters are in the upper 1/3 of the engine bay, is that right? Have you considered additional tubing to place the filters in the lower 1/3, or are you concerned about water? I haven't a clue as to how the air flow pattern is through the engine bay, my guess is there's a bit of mixed flow or turbulence but perhaps better, cooler air closer to the gound. Just a thought...
