Dan Sarandrea (Phila)
Waitin' On Parts...
Yep, we can't say for sure if the stock side scoops work as intended or not unless tested in a totally stock configuration, as in all undertrays installed, rain tray installed on engine cover, etc.
What say you about this?
- Thread starter Fiatfiend
- Start date
Yep, we can't say for sure if the stock side scoops work as intended or not unless tested in a totally stock configuration, as in all undertrays installed, rain tray installed on engine cover, etc.
Steve Hoelscher
True Classic
Interesting...
I mentioned in another thread that I was driving beside a friend's X1/9, in my X1/9, in a rain storm. On a 4 lane highway I could drive along beside his car and observe the water spray off the front tires pass down the side of the car and enter the side scoops. Aerodynamics is a particularly difficult thing to observe and measure. I have learned to use video data systems to view airflow at different speeds with good results.
A friends F Production X1/9 road racing car we had an issue with the engine oil not coming up to temperature on a particularly cold day. The oil cooler was ducted into the left side air scoop. To solve the problem we taped off the scoop and instantly had good oil temperature.
I have learned that airflow through the engine compartment is dependent on a number of things; the presence of the dust shields at the bottom of the engine bay, the venting of the engine decklid and even the ride height of the front end. Much is determined by the airflow under the car so all of these have considerable effect.
If there was air being exhausted out the side scoops my question is what could, or would, cause that? Air venting from the scoop would obviously require higher internal pressure than external. So what would the source of that pressure be? It can't come from above as the area above the decklid is a low pressure area created by the vertical rear window. The only other source would be from underneath the car and or perhaps the decklid vent wasn't clear.
Another thing I have learned about aerodynamics is that what happens to air at one particular point is entirely dependent on what happened to it further forward. So airflow over, around and under a car is entirely dependent on how it is managed round the front of the car. In the case of my MR2 racecar adding a front splitter and venting the front radiator through the hood radically changed the airflow through the engine compartment. Why? Because the flow underneath the car was reduced significantly and the airflow over the roof increased by a similar amount.
Fiatfiend
True Classic
Interesting thoughts, all.
Regarding Myron's nature being to point out safety and environmental hazards (from the first page):
My nature is to reply that, No. 1, I don't plan on rolling my car. And, No. 2, to wonder if it wouldn't be better for the environment, Myron, if we all bought a new car and never drove purely for pleasure. Finally, for the record, the tank venting was gone when I bought it. Moreover, I am environmentally responsible in the rest of my life. I just like -- as Myron likes -- messing with old cars.
Regarding Myron's nature being to point out safety and environmental hazards (from the first page):
My nature is to reply that, No. 1, I don't plan on rolling my car. And, No. 2, to wonder if it wouldn't be better for the environment, Myron, if we all bought a new car and never drove purely for pleasure. Finally, for the record, the tank venting was gone when I bought it. Moreover, I am environmentally responsible in the rest of my life. I just like -- as Myron likes -- messing with old cars.
Fiatfiend
True Classic
In response to the question of whether it would work: Yeah, I don't know. I do plan to seal the whole system as well as possible, so high engine-compartment pressure should be eliminated from consideration. I'm not using that foam interface between the scoop and the hose, for example. It will go directly from scoop to hose. At any rate, the motor will have a fresh source of exterior air even if the ram air affect is nil.
I have considered extending the "lips" of the scoop further into the air if I could do it neatly, perhaps with some carefully bent aluminum stock. I have a couple scoops I could experiment on.
I have considered extending the "lips" of the scoop further into the air if I could do it neatly, perhaps with some carefully bent aluminum stock. I have a couple scoops I could experiment on.
DanielForest
True Classic
So, if I intend to fit the Abarth snorkel on my engine cover, it would make sense to have a front air dam and/or a front splitter. Is that right? (all other things being equal, I understand that)
Steve Hoelscher
True Classic
The only real effective use of the Abarth Snorkel is to have it ducted into the intake as the Abarth cars did. There was an airbox that isolated the carb's stacks from the rest of the engine bay and was sealed to the decklid. The snorkel then supplied fresh air to the airbox. This would make the air fed to the carb's intake independent of the airflow through the engine bay.
Paul Valente
Automotive Engineer
Hard to argue Myron's data but I had an epiphany while driving the 200 odd miles back home from Midwest's open house. My reaching back to feel around the vent was one dumba$$ experiment! My hand was creating who know what sorts of vortexes around it so surely that could have contributed to my feeling warm air. I was creating the low pressure with my feeling device.
