DK challenger

Very good post deranged, glad to hear that the hood scoops are functional, thanks for the info.

RLSH700

Thank you for your review. Deranged, I'm a little confused about something. Jeremiah and I were talking and he said that on the Charger the scoops were functional in the sense that air would enter the engine compartment and sort of blow on the engine, but it was not necessarily a RAM-AIR per sey by not feeding the engine intake with cold air. Are you saying that the same thing is or is not true about the Challenger, and if not why has it not effected the power output ratings.

Cuda340

The hood scoop on the SRT Charger is called "functional" by Dodge because it allows cooler air to enter the engine bay area, but it is not a ram air set-up. Unfortunately, the Challenger will have the same "functional" hood scoops. [:@]

Maybe, if we are lucky, they will have a shaker ram-air scoop in 2010.

RLSH700

That's what I thought. I remember the Challenger Concept having that exposed K&N in the place of the hose from the air box in the LX cars, since the production model appears to be different I doubt it will happen the way we want it. Oh well, perhaps we can get something in the aftermarket.

deranged

The intakes just dump outside air into the engine bay towards the rear of the heads from what I could tell. They are not connected to the induction system in any way. I think they are there only to help push heated air from under the hood. However if I was seeing things correctly there is a rather large opening on the radiator support behind the grill towards the drivers side that corresponds to the location of where the front of the air box would be located behind the radiator support. This would place the opening directly in the air blast through the grill of the car. Effectively ram-air. Again this being if I was seeing everything and their relation to each other correctly which I'm pretty sure I was. I was trying to catch every detail believe me. There was some distance between me and the car though but I think I'm right about this. I would not try giving people false hopes and speculation. These are honest assessments of what I saw. I'm not just wishful thinking here.

RLSH700

Forgive me for being skeptical, but I don't think it will be a full ram-air. It will help with the heat management I'm sure, but I'll help much beyond that. I'm partly skeptical after being burned a few times. The thing is the Viper has the intake with the dual cone air-intakes in the front to receive air through the hole in the hood. The Trans-Am had the system right on top of the radiator that was quite obvious. After what they did with the LX cars and that they called that a functional air scoop, I will believe it when I hear the press recognize it as being real. Also, if it is functional then can you explain why the output hasn't increased?

Jeremiah 29:11

Certainly does not meet with my definition of functional air scoop. [:'(]

DSkippy

Maybe by functional, they are implying IT DOES SCOOP AIR!

What's the down side to ram air induction?

Just curious, and I know someone on this forum has the automotive chops to explain it.

It seems if making more dependable power were as easy as a scoop and plastic shrouding forcing air into the filter and intake, it would be on every car.

There must be a down side to this approach. I don't know what it is, maybe having to pick dead critters from under your hood? Birds, bugs, Cessna's,

Jeremiah 29:11

Okay so let me take a stab at it, knowing that I am not a mechanical engineer, physicists, nor did I take thermodynamics.

Disadvantages of a hood scoop:

1. Water and other contaminates (insects) can enter the air filter.

2. Can potential create noise.

3. Block the drivers/passengers windshield view.

4. Add wind drag

Difficulties in hood scoop design:

1. The ram air (speed and pressure to force colder denser air into the hot engines combustion chamber) effect really only works high freeway speeds
or race track unless the shape of the hood scoop is designed to speed air flow.

2. To get the ram air effect, the hood scoop has to be in a high pressure zone which is usually at least 3-5 inches above the hood.
On the surface of the hood is pressure is low and and the ram air is not as effective. GM used the reverse hood (cowl induction) because
there is high pressure near the windshield.

3. Being able to close off the intake at a moments notice from the inside to eliminate rain, bug, or dirt feeding (coming from an 18 wheeler) your engine.

Advantages of a hood scoop:

1. Wow factor

2. Increase in horsepower (5-10 %).

3. Low cost/low maintenance

4. Constant free colder air (than what in under the hood) feeding the hot combustion chamber.

All that being said, deranged said, he noticed a ram port of some sort on the front grill and maybe if that is what it is can create the ram air effect to give that performance advantage that normally real functional hood scoops provide.

My definition of a real functional hood scoop: Orifices on the surface of a hood that take advantage of colder outside air and create a "ram air" effect to funnel to the combustion chambers of an engine for the purposes of increasing horse power.

This is an example of a real functional hood scoop. Notice it is above the surface of the hood by a few inches.

[IMG]local://upfiles/17/DBD6074055E84AF7886E9FB8374703D4.jpg[/IMG]

awsure

Ummmm...their are no cool butterflys that flip open when you step on it right? That is my definition of "functional"...that was a sweet little addition that will be missed.