Ram air's are not effective unless you are obtaining drag/ F1 speeds. You would need an F1 style tube to generate any kind of pressure, and even then it isn't going to do that much.

It is an alternative to a traditional Subaru CAI set up in that it uses the scoop instead of the fender. I know a guy who had a CAI and went through what he thought to be a shallow puddle, only to blow his engine. That sucked. Sucking air from the scoop would seem like a better idea.

 

short ram uses the hoodscoop...are you sure?

 

Cobb is the best for power but expensive. Ganzflow is the next best thing, and it's about as cheap as you can find. DON'T buy anything that takes air from inside the engine bay, unless you are rallying or something. Check this thread out: https://www.i-club.com/forums/showth...threadid=17951

 

it says on this page that "Air drawn in is cool, since the air comes from the edge of the engine bay, and at speed, all air will be drawn from outside. " that is talking about the stock air intake. if the stock intake takes in cold air from inside the engine bay, pushed all the way to the left, then why wouldnt an aftermarket short ram?
i understand that the colder the air the better, but it seems that where the intake is located it will be just about the same as a true cold air intake when compared to a short ram. it also makes sense to box in the short ram to maximize on the cold air, but wouldnt it be fine not to since the stock air box is not?

 

It's not 'pushed to the left', it's right behind the headlight, about 2 feet from where a ram air ends. It makes a difference. You can trust Subaru engineers to know what they are doing. (Just remember that performance is only 1 of about 2354265 things they have to worry about.)

 

i see what you mean, by it being about a foot back from the stock air box, and i was saying that i trust subaru engineers in thier design on the airbox, i was just thinking that if the stock box was in the same place as an aftermarket short ram would be, then it would not make too much of a difference if it went into the fenderwell or not, but a short ram is about a foot farther back than the stock airbox. even so, shouldnt it recieve about the same amount of cold air pushing through when you are moving? it is wide open before it with the stock intake tract removed. just a thought, not bashing anyones proven designs or anyone elses theorys

 

No, what matters are:
1) The temperature of the air drawn in by the intake. The farther away from the motor, preferably outside the enguine bay altogether, the better.
and 2) the relative smoothness and straightness of the tubing. This is where the stock system falls short. All the kinks and bends and boxes are there to control noise, to the slight detriment of power. This is why a good (read expensive, usually) intake is both cold air AND very short, smooth, and larger than stock. Ram air intakes only meet one of these criteria- they trade the weakness of the stock intake, but lose its strength in the process.

 

is there an article or something anywhere describing the differences?

 

I've read just about everything there is to read on this site, and other, about intakes for WRX's. The way that I understand it is that a CAI will slightly lean out the engine and by doing so create more power. Furthermore, since the WRX is set to run so rich from the factory, this leaner than stock condition is still safe. Does this sound about right?
I have an AEM CAI and a Borla Cat-Back exhaust on my 02 WRX and I was just wanting to make sure that I was still safe.
Thanks.

psychobooe

 

i agree i had a custom short ram air intake on my with stock ecu and it was still running rich off the chart so it will be fine. Thomas

 

Sorry fellas, but this is incorrect. On a turbocharged car, lean=death. You WILL have detonation, whether you can hear it or not under lean conditions. At max boost your A/F ratio should be in the 11.5 or 12:1 neighborhood. Short intakes are not worth risking your cars engine. Also consider that for this reason, ANY modification to the intake tract on a WRX is grounds for voiding the portion of your warranty covering the engine.