Re: Re: Open Element Air Cleaners: Some temperature

From: Bruce Bridges (bbridges@alarismed.com)
Date: Mon Jun 22 1998 - 12:36:36 EDT


OOPS didnt read to the bottom of the email. Still Looking forward to the pics.
BKB
At 09:18 AM 6/22/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Mike,
>Sounds like a neat setup. Are you going to post some pics too?
>BKB
>At 11:39 AM 6/22/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>>Scott Wrote:
>>> This weekend I picked-up a very cool gadget from a local Radio
>>> Shack. The Shack sells an "Auto/RV Thermometer" for $15. It
>>> is about the size of a pack of gum and comes with a 6-foot
>>> lead and termperature sensor.
>>
>>> The temp is displayed on an LCD display down to the tenth
>>> of a degree. I mounted the thermometer on my driver side mirror
>>> with the included adhesive (put her right on the glass, next to the
>>> top of the mirror housing). I then snaked the temperature lead
>>> under the hood and into my Mopar Performance open element
>>> air cleaner.
>>>
>>> Here is what I found:
>>>
>>> Driving down the Interstate tonight, I found that when I was
>>> cruising at 65 mph, the temperature of the air going into
>>> the throttle body is 35 to 40 degrees HOTTER than the
>>> ambient air measured at the mirror. Yes, cruising down the highway
>>> gives a difference of 35 to 40 degress. The temp outside tonight
>>> varied from 72 to 75 degrees as I cruised along the Interstate.
>>> The temps in the air cleaner were around 110 to 115 F. <==< =:^0
>>>
>>> When I got into town and went from stoplight to stoplight, it
>>> got even worse. I was seeing air cleaner temps around 120F. <==<
>>> YIKES!!!!!
>>>
>>> These open element air cleaners are sucking tons of hot air from
>>> under the hood.
>>>
>>> I did notice once neat thing: I started the truck after it sat for a
>>> while and drove off at a reasonable pace. The temp in the air
>>> cleaner wasn't that much higher than outside air. I then
>>> watched the coolant temp guage on the dash climb to
>>> operating temp. Boom!!! The air cleaner temp started to climb
>>> rapidly. It's not the engine block giving off all that heat, it's
>>> the hot air coming from the radiator. We're sucking
>>> in air that has been heated by the radiator. Ugh!
>>>
>>> I even tested cruising as fast as 80mph on the Interstate. This
>>> doesn't help the air temps in the air cleaner. In fact, it hurts.
>>> At higher speeds, the temp is guaranteed to hang around 120F
>>> when the outside temp is in the low 70s.
>>>
>>> I challenge all Dak owners with to purchase the same "Auto/RV"
>>> thermometer from a local Radio Shack and report their results.
>>> Mount that baby on your mirror and guide the "measuring part"
>>> under your hood. Post the results.
>>>
>>> My next test will be to local the "measuring part" near where the
>>> factory air box got its fresh air supply (near the front,
>>> passenger-side corner of the engine compartment) before I removed it.
>>>
>>> I am very suprised at these numbers. Especially at high speeds. I
>>> think we're going to have to scrap the open element air cleaners.
>>> Raising the air temp by 40 degrees *can't* be helping our
>>> performance.
>>>
>>> - -Scott
>>>
>>> p.s. If you kick on the A/C, that's good for another 8 degrees of
>>> heat going into your open element A/C. Sigh... :^(
>>
>>
>>Scott,
>> I found the same thing when I did that. My reading was
>>110 degrees for the open element and 89 degrees for my ram air.
>>Don't scrap your open air. This weekend I hooked up my ram air
>>to my open air element. Runs great but no track measurements yet.
>>All I did was bought a 8' pc of aluminum dryer vent hose the kind
>>that you can expand to 8' even though when you buy it it's only
>>4' long. It's aluminum not vinyl. Anyway stretched it out to
>>8' then cut a 2.5" slot in about 5-6' of it. I then took it
>>and wrapped the slotted portion around the air cleaner making a
>>complete circle with the non slotted end ducting down to my old
>>ram air connection to the left of the radiator right through
>>the rubber splash boot. So far works great sucking cold air.
>>The aluminum dryer vent is stiff so you can bend it pretty tight
>>around the air filter (I have the MP performance air cleaner, lid
>>measures 13.25") although if you have a true 14" air filter it
>>probably won't work due to fire wall clearance. I'll try to post
>>some pics in the next couple of days.
>>
>>Mike Catlin
>>
>>
>
>
>



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