new ram air intake for the SpaceShip

Buffalo SpaceShip · July 13, 2007, 04:09:15 PM

Following JC (lostagain) and Stan's advice on a previous thread, I put a ram air scoop on the bus today.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to run one down from the roof, and even went so far as to buy a section of 6" PVC pipe and big elbow. But I couldn't find a route that would miss the roof support (that holds up the engine cradle) and not make a mess of the bedroom.

So I took the easy way out and plumbed it to the side of the bus where the old louvers were. The hardest part was removing what was left of the old airbox. Even with an 18" blade of my Sawzall it must have taken two hours to chew it all out of there and work the rivets free. The scoop is simply a 6" wall vent from Home Depot, with an integral screen. Two 6" elbows, some self-tapping screws and metal sealing tape was all it took to make it into the intake of the new air filter I put in last week (a Farr-style Ecolite 1000cfm model from NAPA).

I still need to make some sort of drain at the low point in case in water gets in there.

I'll have to get her out on the road this weekend and see if it makes any difference on my black smoke issues.

Ram on!
Brian B.

Buffalo SpaceShip · July 13, 2007, 04:09:36 PM

one more pic

Jeremy · July 13, 2007, 04:16:04 PM

Hate to be a downer - but the injuries that thing could inflict on a pedestrian's head don't bear thinking about. Even if it mounted higher than a pedestrian's head it probably breaks a dozen 'construction and use' laws (or it would here at least).

Jeremy

Buffalo SpaceShip · July 13, 2007, 04:25:04 PM

Quote from: Jeremy on July 13, 2007, 04:16:04 PM
Hate to be a downer - but the injuries that thing could inflict on a pedestrian's head don't bear thinking about. Even if it mounted higher than a pedestrian's head it probably breaks a dozen 'construction and use' laws (or it would here at least).

Jeremy, it doesn't stick out any more than the mirrors... even less. Maybe 5". I have a similar scoop on the opp. side for the rad. intake all this time, and have somehow avoided decapitating pedestrians when I'm driving around.

So... I'm pretty sure it'll be fine. Just duck when the SpaceShip blazes by!

Air... grey matter... it's all combustible, right?!

-bb

Jeremy · July 13, 2007, 04:41:37 PM

It probably looks bigger in the photo than it is in reality - strictly speaking though, lights and mirrors are the only part of the vehicle which are allowed to be wider than whatever the local maximum legal width is. In the UK it's 2.55m (approx. 99.5"), I presume in the States it's 102". Technically bolting an awning mechanism to the side of your bus can make it illegal, though granted you are never likely to get called on it - something wider still, and with sharp edges to boot, would worry me a lot though.

Jeremy

Buffalo SpaceShip · July 13, 2007, 04:49:37 PM

Yup, it's 102" here. My coach is a 96"-er. The rad. scoop in addition to the new ram air scoop might put me slightly over that (by an inch or two)... but they'd have a heck of a time measuring it.

Truly, if someone got within 5" of my moving bus, the mirror would have knocked 'em down already. I'm not trying to be cavalier about safety, I just don't see it being a big danger.

Cheers,
Brian

FloridaCliff · July 13, 2007, 05:02:35 PM

Brian,

Plus the REAL danger is when your near the exhaust from the Flux capacitor!

Cliff

Devin & Amy · July 13, 2007, 05:17:27 PM

Brian,

If they're that close to the bus when it's passing by then...!!!
I LIKE IT!
Devin

Stan · July 13, 2007, 05:47:35 PM

Brian: A 6" round is a bit over 18 square inches so if you make your scoop a 3" X 6" you stay legal with a 96" bus. I made my box about 18" long with a rounded trailing end so that it worked into a round transition piece. Your setup should give you an idea if it is worth improving on the design.

BTW: Nothing beats a plasma torch for removing scrap metal in a bus.

lostagain · July 17, 2007, 01:05:08 PM

Brian B., I've been away at the BusnUSA rally. Great time by the way! How is your air scoop doing? Let us know.

JC

tekebird · July 17, 2007, 05:07:16 PM

did you gain any airflow with your new intake system. Weren't both those vents on the curb side intakes...now you only have one. lost 50% of your air intake capabilities.....well not quite that much as you have a small gain from the ram air effect, but Unless you had some serious filter blockage, the 08's/05's were always veray capable at sucking in air on their

I suspect your black smoke issues are strictly a result of this air and a low power engine

sivrtnge2 · July 17, 2007, 06:59:36 PM

L

ks great!!! Just let us know how it does on the road!!!

--
BILL

TomC · July 17, 2007, 09:28:31 PM

Brian- I realize you made the opening of your scoop higher than the scoop itself, but it is still a good idea to have somewhere near the bottom of the tube a small hole that any collected water can escape. I put in a new Donaldson 7" air cleaner and it had four small holes at 90 degree spacing for water to escape from the air cleaner. If water stays in the system, it can migrate to the engine where water in the incoming air can be very bad-if enough exists, can cause hydro locking and basically blow the engine. Good Luck, TomC

RJ · July 17, 2007, 09:55:53 PM

Doug -

Brian's main smoke issue is N65 injectors with "A" timing and living at 5000' elevation.

Brian -

Interesting. . . Did you fabricate this out of the damaged rain gutter you kissed with the roof of the coach?

FWIW. . .

Buffalo SpaceShip · July 17, 2007, 11:25:49 PM

Quote from: tekebird on July 17, 2007, 05:07:16 PM
Weren't both those vents on the curb side intakes...now you only have one. lost 50% of your air intake capabilities.....

I don't really think that's true... the louvers themselves took up quite a bit of the free area of the intake, and even then, they just fed a big air box going to a 5-1/2" hose to the filter. My "airbox" is now infinitely large and ramming air into the filter intake via a slightly-larger, smoother 6" duct. The new filter is also less restrictive than the OEM paper setup was. When I hold my hand by the scoop, I can really feel the air coming into the engine, even at idle.

I haven't got to road test her yet since I've been chasing down electrical gremlins in my gauges. Should be just a few more days.

I don't expect miracles, by any means. Maybe just a little less smoke from those C65's (I was told it's normally-timed BTW). And I had to replace the filter anyways, since the old one was "unobtainium" or nearly so. I'm also thinking of using some duct-insulation to keep the intake temps down... the duct passes over the top of the V730, which is a heat pig. I also might heat-wrap the exhaust.

TomC, thanks for the water warning... I'll drill some holes in the low point of the elbows to take care of any that gets in there.

I'll keep ya'll posted,
Brian B.

p.s. Gutter fabrication, Russ?! Ouch, I resemble that remark. And now I gotta be careful not to drag my shiny new scoop down the brick of my house!