Section : Carburettors

ram pipes for SU carbs

Posted By : Tarquin Adams, 29-May-2004, 11:54pm

• ram pipes for SU carbs

  Posted By : David Rumens, 30-May-2004, 02:02pm

  No point using them on a standard engine. In fact you would reduced the performance do to a weak mixture.
  
  The engine would have to be highly modified for them to make any major difference.
  

  • ram pipes for SU carbs

    Posted By : Christopher King, 30-May-2004, 02:56pm

    The carbs need to be tuned up speacially for this, and you might notice better performance, depending on what type of filters you had on in the first place...
    The main thing is that filters are there to stop tons of muck getting in the engine. Use ram pipes and all the bugs and dust gets sucked in and goes though the system. This is fine if you are racing and rebuilding the engine every year, but for a normal car it seems that the cons far outweight the pros....
    However, I do have a friend with an MGB and he uses normal filters but puts rampipes on and readjusts the carbs for track days with an otherwise standard engine. Whether this is just a talking point and looks good in the pits or has a real effect on performance is another question.
    

    • ram pipes for SU carbs

      Posted By : Andy Vowell, 30-May-2004, 05:42pm

      Ram pipes or their shorter cousins stub stacks will improve performance as the air charge into the carb has improved flow, better density etc. But your engine will need tuning with them on to get the full benefits. ie by fitting them you will change the amount of air going in, so the fuelling should need adjusting to match it.
      
      I am unconvinced that the ram pipes with gauze filters in the end give much benefit as the gauze will restrict the airflow anyway. Proper filters flow better than metal! Most racers run with ram pipes but with big air filters over the top, so get the best of all worlds. Rebuilding an engine every season is all very well but we would rather not have to do a hone/rebore to take out scratches in the bores resulting from not running filters.
      
      But on the flip side Ram Pipes do look good and sound great. I you still fancy them for a budget fit I would recommend pipes without gauzes and foam filter socks over the top.
      
      Cheers
      Andy
      

      • ram pipes for SU carbs

        Posted By : Andy Vowell, 30-May-2004, 05:50pm

        Ram pipes (on dellortos) with big filters, Not quite SU's but should give the idea,
        
        I did attach a picture to this post but it did'nt load it, Ill try again!
        
        Cheers
        Andy

        • ram pipes for SU carbs

          Posted By : Andy Vowell, 30-May-2004, 05:54pm

          2nd try, ram pipes and filters

          
          
          ram pipes for SU carbs

          • ram pipes for SU carbs

            Posted By : Christopher How, 24-Jun-2004, 02:57pm

            Some of those anodized aluminium pipes going on ebay
            
            http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca...
            
            A lot of people run the smaller 'stub' stacks inside standard air filters just for the improvement in air flow.
            That way, you probably wouldn't really need to retune the carbs, and it should sound quite nice too.

• ram pipes for SU carbs

  Posted By : Mark Stradling, 30-May-2004, 02:57pm

  Advantages:
  - No filter to suck air through, so no restriction to engine breathing.
  - The radius at the mouth of the pipe encorages an attahced boundry layer, minimising turbulent flow with edies (which create localised low pressures pulling air back out of the engine, restrictng air flow).
  
  Disadvantages:
  - Nothing to stop the dist in the air entering your engine (socks might stop small houses and trees being sucked in, but will have no effect on dust suspended in the air). Now this isn't an issue if your racing you car on the limits and EXPECT to rebuild you engine every 500 miles, but in a road car...
  - None of the breathing problems these fix have any great effect until you REALLY thrash your engine.
  
  For a standard engine paper filters will be fine.
  
  For a fast road/long life race engine, something like K&N's, Pipercross, etc will be fine.

• ram pipes for SU carbs

  Posted By : James Carruthers, 30-May-2004, 04:25pm

  Quiller do sell them - but Canley are cheaper...
  
  
  http://www.canleyclassics.com/featuredproducts.asp...
  
  
  
  
  
  James