TBone69

I'm wondering if anyone has removed their headlight at the track to provide a little extra "cold" air to their air kit.

Being in close proximity to JDM I picked up their air kit and a C&L racer intake tube to replace the stock elbow and of course loaded the matching tune with my XCAL2. This thing rocks!

The car sounds great and has a lot more kick! I am going to the drag strip to test out the new mods in the next week or so and was wondering if anyone has removed the drivers side headlight to provide a little ram air effect. If so did you see improved ET's?

Also what is involved in removing the headlight assembly?

Thanks
Tbone69

94tbird

you need to remove the entire front bumper to get at the lower screws for the headlight. not a viable solution. even if it was i dont think you would see any gains at all. nothing measurable anyway.

karman

Low temp in the southern part of the state tonight will be 35F. Come up here and get all the cold air you want.

TBone69

Starting to get a little chilly here in NJ so I got that, just need to figure out a way to get it into the intake

I've been thinking of trying an under bumper air scoop and some ducting to plumb it into the new heat sheild/box

karman

That should help, and you don't have to change anything at the track.

94tbird

just get a kenne bell supercharger. your intake will be out of the engine bay

StangNut

Regarding the "ram air", there's a triangular shaped hole directly below the air filter that would be great for running a hose or something up to from the bottom section of the front bumper. The only problems are the shape, (hard to find a triangular shaped hose and if you use one small enough to fit through the hole I don't think it would do much good) and there's a bundle of wires running through the opening.

You could even cut out the "inner" sections of the honeycomb pattern on the lower grille to allow air to the hose and it would still look stock.

mikem

There is no air at the headlight.The huge flat area of the front bumper forces the air over the light area.Notice lack of bugs on the light lens cover.

pville piper

So that's why I felt a little faint when I was polishing the front bumper... I thought it was just me!


Seriously... the love bugs have no problem finding my head lamps! I clean my windows and my head lights as well.

theedge67

Yeah, the bugs sure find my headlights every night I drive. I waxed my headlight covers, makes it a little easier getting them off.

94tbird

he is right so dont make fun. there is a video floating around of a 05+ mustang in a wind tunnel with a string to follow the air travel. the string, depending on the height will flow under the car or directly over the hood and roof. there is no gain from doing this on this particular car due to the aerodynamics. i will try to find the video again

max2000jp

BS.....That goes against the laws of physics. Air travels at the path of least resistance. By removing the headlights, air will want to travel through that "open" path.

94tbird

some air yes. i didnt say no air goes through there. the little bit of air that does go in is negligible and wont affect performance. most of the air will not go through the opening. like 98% of it will go under or over with the rest of the air. tell you what.

remove your front bumper, remove your drivers side headlight. reinstall your bumper. goto the track and see your times improve

StangNut

I believe there is little airflow to the headlight when it's in place, but I agree with Jason, once that headlight is removed, the airflow path will change.

As to no benefit, even if you don't get a "ram air" effect from removing it, at least you'd be pulling outside air to the filter as opposed to the engine bay air it's sucking in now.. stock or aftermarket CAI.

94tbird

you still wont be pulling much air. the flow isnt gonig to magically change because the front bumper sticks out too far from the headlamp. air will not make a 90 degree turn and go into the hole vacated by the headlamp. it will continue in an upwards motion to about the hood area. this is where some of the air gets caught by the small lip of the hood, hence why some people have hood shake if they rubber stoppers arent adjsuted properly. the rest of the air continues up over the car and gets forced over the hood area and over the roof by the unrestricted moving air that started over the hood area already.

max2000jp

Removing the headlight will push air through the hole. It will bring fresh cold ambient air to the filter. I am not going to try it, but it's simple physics.

94tbird

your physics is flawed. google it

mikem

Go ahead add more air.You will need a seperate tune for when you take out the light wich is going to be hard to duplicate on the Dyno.Thats what sucks about our cars.You cant just start ramming more air in with out tunning for it.

TBone69

94bird and mikem,

It sounds like you have already tried this with little or no success?

In any case it sounds like too much of a hassle to remove the headlight assembly on my street car that I occasionally take to the track. Figured if it was a quick removal I would give it a shot and see.

I was looking more for cooler outside air than a ram air effect.

Thanks
TBone69

max2000jp

Please explain because you are refuting the laws of physics. Again, air travels the path of least resistance. Pickup a Physics or Aerodynamics book if you don't believe me.