bcdavis

Ok, I agree that reflective insulating material will only deflect the heat a small amount.

But what about a material that was actually designed to deflect and prevent heat?

Something like Kevlar tape....

You can take a pair of Kevlar gloves and hold your hand over an open flame and not get burned.
Kevlar has extreme resistance to heat. That's why they use it for header wraps.
So if it keeps heat in, it should also keep heat out. It seems like a good option
would be to wrap the tubes in Kevlar, then wrap the Kevlar in reflective tape.

Not too expensive, and might actually work...

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...pe+1+inch+wide

antsmands

I agree with you on this. I put an extension hose from my air pump filter inlet to the front of the car to get into the cooler air that is pumped into the air box after the cats heat up. Though I do not think it makes any significant difference I do not think it hurts and I get to tinker. What FUN!

Leon Speed

I seem to remember from my mechanical engineering study time, on the subject of warmth theory, that heat is 'transmitted' by convection and radiation. Convection being air being heated as it passes along a warm object (like the radiator or engine) and radiation being, well, radiation. Insulating the air tubes with reflecting tape will have an effect on the radiating heat, not on convected heat. I don't recall how convection and radiation compare %-wise. I would assume that the engine produces a lot of convected heat, but I don't see how that would get into the air tubes, other than heated air flowing from the radiator. Radiating heat, I would guess less, unless you drive at redline all the time causing the exhaust manifolds to glow.

GlenL

Have fun, guys, but tell me the drop at WOT. Cruising along isn't that interesting. Just open the throttle a bit more to compensate.


Oklahoma doesn't have Winter. Don't ya grow Spring wheat down there?

mark kibort

I could have summarized all my posts with yours. duh!

Yep, post WOT temps! all other temps dont matter!

mk

auzivision

I just don't get it... when did stock intake tubes become some great magical heat exchanger and the only way to keep the magic from happening is to wrap it up heat deflecting materials? Heat exchangers look like radiators, condensers, heat sinks, etc… lots of fins and surface area specifically designed to exchange heat.

Intakes are the opposite of this. They are round and smooth with a bunch of air rushing down the middle with very tiny fraction making contact with the outside wall for only a very short period of time. So even if that wall is close to 200 degrees that air rushing past it isn’t going to be touching it long enough to make any meaningful impact.

I think the the reason cooler air creates slightly more power is because it is slightly denser (contains more oxygen). More oxygen equals means more fuel equals more combustion equals more power. That's a pretty plausible argument to follow. Sure warmer air combusts more readily… if fact that’s why intercoolers are used on forced induction systems… because higher intake temps are more prone to early detonation.

I‘ll throw one out there that would be a fun riddle to contemplate. Why not put a water mister at the beginning of the inlet to allow for evaporative cooling? Plus water would induce more oxygen and allowing more fuel to burn. Now that would be interesting, but I’m guessing not plausible or it would have already been done.

Maleficio

Who the hell drives around town @ WOT?

Jim M.

I think your point is "Your right and the rest of the world is WRONG!" Your repeated analogies to baked potatoes is rediculous and is an apples to oranges comparison. You've done some very inovative things to your cars, but you don't have EVERY answer to every problem. Sometimes there are more than one way to solve a problem.

I don't disagree about WOT tests, but my cars are daily drivers and even race cars don't stay at WOT all the time. You can't dispute the decrease in temps at cruise speeds, I've done accurate tests at the top if the air cleaner. And I've stated that I don't know what part of my mods actually accounted for the temp decrease, but I got a temp decrease! If there is a reduction at part throttle then it helps at part throttle. Maybe it just makes the car more responsive in that area and does nothing at WOT . . . I don't care! And if opening the throttle a bit more is the answer then getting to WOT should be that much better.

Lastly, I enjoy tinkering on my car and this was just that tinkering . . . along with following Louie Ott's idea that lower air temps means more power.

Bill Ball

Moi.

Maleficio

This has turned into one hell of a thread.

hacker-pschorr

Um, I asked about the temp sender.

It's a legit question. Between Mike (not Mark) and I we've tested over two dozen temp senders. From Bosch, to delco and a few off brands in-between and also Mike's collection of various Fluke meters.
Accuracy is not the issue, speed is.
Out of all the temp sensors, only a couple would react fast enough to give an accurate reading under acceleration.
I doubt it's as big of an issue with a N/A car.

I'm not questioning your results, I was just curious.

I have yet to see an "off the shelf" temp system that will work for accurate intake air temp, especially with a boosted car. Autometer had a system on the market (I have one), the cost scared most away so it was discontinued.

I have three different senders after the throttle plate & before the head on my car. By the time we are done wiring everything up we will be measuring air temp in about a dozen locations between the air filter and the back side of the intake valve.

Jim M.

Eric,

Sorry I thought I answered your question. It is a Fluke sensor accurate to 1/2 deg. F, and at the time both were calibrated by our lab. The reading were done on a long mostly straight stretch of highway (60-65 MPH) about 10 and 20 miles into a 26 mile commute. The engine was fully up to operating temps and the readings did not vary much at all during a given 35-45 minute drive. Readings were taken at the same two landmarks as I passed them, approx. 10 miles and 15 miles from the starting location. The sensor was laying on top of the air cleaner directly above the MAF. It was snaked through the inlet on the LH side of the air cleaner housing and taped in place. The air box had previously been sealed with RTV, but the hoses were not taped or sealed to the air box, nor were the hoses sealed to the front air inlets. The hoses still had the holes for the cam gear/belt cooling.

I made every attempt to duplicate the conditions daily, the only variable was the actual ambient temps and on a few occasions traffic. The traffic (stop and go due to a accident) is when I saw the temps go above 170 degrees.

hacker-pschorr

You did, thanks.

Just thought I would clarify why I was asking, it wasn't to cast doubt upon the results.

I'm a big fan of the DEI line of heat protection products.

dcrasta

GlenL

I do it most every time I'm out driving. Keeps the car tuned...or something like that.