Author Topic: Ram Air Question (Read 4451 times)

Tim175 · « **on:** January 01, 2010, 06:34:02 PM »

Does anyone know if i use a 770 cfm holley street avenger if the ram air system will still be usable? Will the air cleaner fit on the carb, and will there be enough clearance etc? Thanks if anyone can help me out here.

Boss351Dude · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2010, 12:49:19 AM »

I have a Holley 780 on my Boss 351 and everything fits perfect. No clearance issues and yes the ram air will work, just hook up the carb to intake vacuum line. When the 4v opens, engine vacuum drops and the flapper doors will open. Enjoy that 351C.

Tim175 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2010, 02:44:40 AM »

Awesome thanks for the good news. I'd love to see some pics of that Boss too!

Jeff73Mach1 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2010, 09:32:46 AM »

I've been thinking of the same mod to mine, but wonder if my Eledbrock torker intake will make the set up too tall. I may have to customize an old air cleaner to make it work. The 1973 Q code's didn't get ram air for emissions reasons, but I want it just because it is cool!

Boss351Dude · « **Reply #4 on:** January 02, 2010, 01:26:05 PM »

I use an adapter to mount the Holley and everything fits well under the rubber seal around the air cleaner. If you know someone with the Ram Air cleaner, borrow it to test. If it sits too high, the rubber seal will scrunch down. One thing not to do would be to force the hood to close. Use discretion.

Jeff73Mach1 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 02, 2010, 03:18:35 PM »

any chance you could get a measurement from the block to the top of either the intake or the carb?

and I agree closing a hood with potential clearance problems is best left to camaro drivers

Boss351Dude · « **Reply #6 on:** January 02, 2010, 05:09:33 PM »

Since i am running a 1/4 inch spacer, my intake height is about 3 and 3/4 inches to carb base.

Tim175 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 02, 2010, 05:25:04 PM »

Is that the stock intake manifold or are you using an after market one?

Boss351Dude · « **Reply #8 on:** January 02, 2010, 11:12:26 PM »

Stock Boss intake.

Soaring · « **Reply #9 on:** January 03, 2010, 03:15:24 PM »

Crumple up some tin foil and put on top of the air cleaner to see if the hood hits it. Just an inch or so will do. If it does, then your air cleaner is too close to the hood. Try a thinner spacer.

Jeff73Mach1 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2010, 03:19:45 PM »

Disappointed to report the following

I put an HEI distributor in my Mach 1

To fit it, I had to use an offset baseplate with a 14" air cleaner. Even this required a bit of massaging with a ball peen hammer

but it came out just fine.

Due to the interference between the air cleaner and the distributor, the relocated air cleaner is now 1 1/2 inches farther back than the normal position and there is no way I can fit a ram air set up without making a custom plenum and it really just isn't worth it.

I still would live to have the vacuum operated flappers ducting fresh air into the engine compartment, but don't want to have them letting water run in to just get everywhere.

Looks like I am not going to get what I want this time.

Tim175 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 11, 2010, 06:55:49 PM »

Not what i wanted to hear Jeff. Im using an HEI as well. An MSD one which is massive so it looks like im SOL haha. Thanks for letting me know.

Boss351Dude · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2010, 12:06:18 AM »

If it's any consolation, the price of the Ram Air components would have been large. Neat to have though. Doen't MSD have a Pro Billet distributer with a small cap? Accel has a direct replacement for OEM that is electronic. Looks like a small cap. What are you using for a box? I like the Crane unit with rev limiter. Had one on my 306W. Too many stories of MSD boxes failing.

Tim175 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2010, 12:14:22 AM »

I had all the ram air parts minus the air cleaner already so i wasn't planning on buying anything anyway. My car came with it. Im using an MSD distributor and the cap is some what big but not like the ones with the coils built into them. Im using a Street Fire box with a built in rev limiter not an MSD, but my wires and coil are MSD as well.

Jeff73Mach1 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2010, 07:32:45 AM »

I put in a performance distributor http://www.performancedistributors.com/forddui.htm

coil on distributor and a nice quality unit, not the cheap chinese unit that seems to always have problems.

It is a one wire hook up coil on cap unit that is hand curved to match my engine. Cost was about 365 so less than an MSD with the box.

I also bought their livewires which were a little high, but very nice.

I think a Ram air might be something that could work if you added an extension to the plenum and were able to fabricate a base that would fit, but it would require cutting up an air cleaner housing and rewelding the center offset but the ram air cleaner may be bigger than the 14" open element I have. I have a few ideas, but they are all complicated

Tim175 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 12, 2010, 12:07:19 PM »

Well if your cap is big maybe there is still hope for me because mine isn't that big. I got my dist, coil, wires, and ignition box all for 400 so I think I got a good deal.

Soaring · « **Reply #16 on:** January 12, 2010, 04:06:42 PM »

Then, stick it in there and fire it up.

Let us know how it works.

Tim175 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 12, 2010, 07:26:38 PM »

I will as soon as i can. If the stupid machine shop would stop messing up then this engine would have been finished a long time ago. They ordered me the wrong main bearings so i had to take the engine back to have them re-machine it. Then i got it back installed the crank and they said that the cam was a retro fit and he didn't realize it so i had to bring it back and have them re-machine it a 2nd time. Then i was installing the piston rings today and he ordered me the wrong ones so i have to order new ones. So if i get the damn rings back and they're right the damn thing should be ready by the end of the week.

Boss351Dude · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2010, 11:27:01 PM »

When you said retro fit, do you mean a hydraulic roller? These are used in non rollerblocks. Installing one involves drilling two holes in the lifter galley to hold down the spider which keeps the lifters in place. Your mechanic should have known this. He needs a wake up or something.

Tim175 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 12, 2010, 11:42:45 PM »

Yup you nailed it. Yeah he "didn't notice" it was a retro fit so he had to drill in the hold downs.

Author Topic: Ram Air Question (Read 4451 times)

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