355 Air intake Modification! | FerrariChat

355 Air intake Modification!

Discussion in '348/355' started by race850i, Jan 8, 2010.

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  1. race850i

    race850i Karting

    Jan 6, 2010
    132
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Themis
    #1 race850i, Jan 8, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hi I am new here and….i would like to saw you a project I make…

    I drive a 355 since 2 years now , I am really happy with the car but I always had some complains about the engine performance .On a hot days the engine was losing his half power ,it was driving just tired!!!
    I tried to study this engine and I ended up that a big problem this engine has is the Air Filter Boxes. Ferrari put them exactly on the exhaust system ,the boxes sitting on the exhaust .After a while driving if somebody opens the Hood and tried to touch the boxes his fingers skin will stay on the aluminium .That causes a very high temperature on the input air ,that means very low capacity of air. The other problem is that the only source for air is the two tubes left and right which are too small.
    So I was thinking for a long time how can I solve this problem, and the only solution I found was to make my own Boxes in an Other Position . I fixed them a little bigger than the OEM for more air Volume and with 2 air entrances, one is the original and one second is coming through the Diffusers!!!
    I installed them and I drove on the Highway for a test.
    I WAS DRIVING AN OTHER CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    The car has changed completely, it has Torque everywhere without any hole, power until the end, the car has just suddenly waked up. I had the car on the Dyno and the Results were 16Bhp and 22Nm increase. Unfortunately on the Dyno day was very hot, we had room temperature over 35 degrees C the car was on the Limit to overheat and the Air fan was too small, the Project though worked indeed and increased the Power. With ideal temperature conditions and with better material made System (now I run the Prototypes)I am sure that the engine can gain up to 25Bhp.

    Before I install the System I talked about it with some mechanics and I got as always 100 different opinions .Some said it won´t work some other said you can try it and it might work and some were positive. So I had nothing to lose except my Pride and many €€€€ for the Project. I can say it was worth it any penny .I am really Proud about my Patent
    Here is some Pictures to figure out what I am talking about and to discuss it too.


    Best regards Themis
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  2. sambomydog

    sambomydog Guest

    May 23, 2009
    1,380
    I have seen that before. Have you posted up pictures of your car before, or have you copied it from some one else?
    I have definitely seen them pictures or pictures like it before. I recognise the fabricated boxes under the corners of the rear bumpers. Yes definitely seen that before.
     
  3. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor

    Sep 11, 2004
    20,976
    MD and NE
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    Robbie
    This should turn into a very interesting thread soon.....:D
     
  4. F355Bob

    F355Bob Formula 3

    I have the GruppeM intake and felt the same results. The air box is made out of kevlar and stays warm but never super hot like the stock boxes. Also the GruppeM has a larger volume of air.
     
  5. race850i

    race850i Karting

    Jan 6, 2010
    132
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Themis
    Its me in an other Forum,England or Germany.
    I am working on this project almost two years now!
     
  6. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 29, 2001
    18,055
    USA
    Very cool. This is just as Dave Helms has postulated for years!
     
  7. race850i

    race850i Karting

    Jan 6, 2010
    132
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Themis
    I don`t know him....
    come one.....say some more,it makes feel a little embarassed:eek:
     
  8. NeuroBeaker

    NeuroBeaker Advising Moderator
    Moderator

    Oct 1, 2008
    40,189
    Huntsville, AL., USA
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    Andrew
    That looks pretty darn cool! :cool:

    If this works for the 355, would the 348 benefit from a similar modification or does it not suffer the same problem of heat soak in the vicinity of the air intake filters? :confused:

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
  9. race850i

    race850i Karting

    Jan 6, 2010
    132
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Themis
    Hi Andrew,
    i must say that all the Ferrari V8 cars suffer from high temperatures,the filter boxes or they are on the Exhaust or between the Engine and the Exhaust-double heat-,this is why none of these cars have the full power!!!
    What i tried to do is to take away as much as possible the system from the engine room and from the Exhaust in result to keep the boxes as cold as possible and increase the power;)
     
  10. ernie

    ernie Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 19, 2001
    22,620
    The Brickyard
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    The Bad Guy
    Impressive.

    My only concern is the location of the intakes at the defusers. The reason is that some owners like to drive in the rain. Being that the 355 sits low, and if the driver happens to got through a puddle, there is a chance that water can get sucked into the engine and hydro-lock. I have heard of this happening on other cars, Hondas for example, that run cold air intakes down to the bottom front of the fender well.

    Just a thought for you as you may want to rethink the location of the defuser intake.
     
  11. NeuroBeaker

    NeuroBeaker Advising Moderator
    Moderator

    Oct 1, 2008
    40,189
    Huntsville, AL., USA
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    Andrew
    Sehr Danke. ;)

    It looks a great solution. :D

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
  12. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,742
    Question: If the problem is the air boxes get hot, then why not just put insulation around the outside of the air boxes to prevent heat from getting in? The outside bottom and sides exposed to the (stock) muffler would get most of the benefit.
     
  13. race850i

    race850i Karting

    Jan 6, 2010
    132
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Themis
    l was very skeptish on the begining about doing there the second intake.
    i quite solve the problem with a very thin sieve a speciall tube and the paper filter is drying all the humidity too;).The filters must be changes though after 10000km.
    Just 15€ cost.
    I have tried it too. DESASTER!!!!!!!!!
    there is no place for a thick insulation and the other thing is that i didnt want to bern my car;)
     
  14. Monteman

    Monteman Formula 3
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 9, 2006
    2,348
    Santa Barbara, CA
    Full Name:
    Monte
    Very interesting concept. I'd love to see input from Rifle or Dave Helms but conceptually I can see why this would make sense but the devil is in the details.

    Only issue I see is that this would only work for the manual gearbox guys since the drivers side airbox is right where the F1 pump is.
     
  15. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    29,263
    socal
    What are you talking about Willis? Ferraris don't work in the rain.

    Anyway, why haven't any of you guys run a hose from the washer fluid reservoir and inject dilute alcohol or water mist into the intake? That always makes for good power and it's cheap if you use water and 90% of what you need is already there. We used to do this in the old days and you can feel the difference.
     
  16. sambomydog

    sambomydog Guest

    May 23, 2009
    1,380
    Oh yes son water injection, i remember that trick, used it my self:) We used a 50% methanol mix with the water to ;)
     
  17. race850i

    race850i Karting

    Jan 6, 2010
    132
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Themis
    l have also a solution..... but its still on my head.i havent found yet an F1 car for mesurements.
    l want to improve and produce first what i fix and then i will get busy with the F1 and with the 360:D
     
  18. BrandSB

    BrandSB Karting

    Jun 11, 2008
    236
    Canton, Michigan
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    Steve
    Doesn't this perform even better on forced induction compared to naturally aspirated? Intriguing concept, I've read about some impressive results on Turbo motors.
     
  19. race850i

    race850i Karting

    Jan 6, 2010
    132
    Germany
    Full Name:
    Themis
    The half cars in Emirates and South Afrika work with this System,just cause the high temperatures!
     
  20. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    29,263
    socal
    Yup...silly gents here try all kinds of expensive upgrades and for less than $10 bucks I can get you power you can feel at the flip of a switch! I'm sure it will work good with F cars because even with piped in cold air the intake systems is usually a series of long pipes to get air to the motor and it gets hot in those engine bays.
     
  21. CRAIGF355

    CRAIGF355 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2005
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    CRAIG ANDERSON
  22. sambomydog

    sambomydog Guest

    May 23, 2009
    1,380
    Water injection is used in various applications. I myself used it on a turboed V8, as well as a normally aspirated one to.
    Some turbo road cars like Subaru also use a form water injection system. Its used to spray a mist of water in front of the inter cooler at the front of the car to cool the inter cooler charge.
     
  23. BrandSB

    BrandSB Karting

    Jun 11, 2008
    236
    Canton, Michigan
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Interesting web reference:

    In 1983 Ferrari also claimed to be the first to use water injection. With the cooperation of their fuel supplier Agip they managed to suspend water in the fuel in microscopic emulsified drops in a ratio of 90% gasoline and 10% water. They won the constructors championship. Like Renault they dropped water injection when heavier fuel elements (toluene) came into use.
     
  24. sambomydog

    sambomydog Guest

    May 23, 2009
    1,380
    I have a book called "Ferrari inovations", it has a few pages on the subject.
     
  25. eulk328

    eulk328 F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2005
    2,800
    Full Name:
    F683
    I have been considering having mine ceramic coated on the outside (like people do with the headers). I tend to think this would help but I don't know of anyone that has done it/confirmed it yet.


     

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