Anyone use a flow straightener in 3.2 intake system?

DaveMcKenz · 04-09-2017, 04:36 AM

Hi guys,
I have read some on the use of honeycomb style flow straighteners in MAF systems. It occurred to me that laminar flow might actually be beneficial even to our barn door style AFM systems. I am planning to experiment a little with a piece of aluminum honeycomb material that I got off the internet.
I wondered if anyone else has tried this.
Thanks,
Dave

JohnJL · 04-09-2017, 05:02 AM

Like these? ;-)

DaveMcKenz · 04-09-2017, 10:59 AM

I know. It smells of snake oil. I got some hexagon cell honeycomb aluminum material, and cut it through its packing on my old Hegner jigsaw. I use a cone filter (yeah, I know) and fitted the flow straightener into the horn of the filter.
It drives fine. AFR's no different. Throttle response the same. Low speed off idle throttle response maybe a little smoother. I will need to drive it a while to see how it feels.
I have some lurching when driving through a parking lot at very low speed, and I thought maybe this might smooth it out a little. Just a wild a$$ idea.
Here's what it looks like:

Thanks,
Dave

DaveMcKenz · 04-10-2017, 04:04 AM

Well I've driven it a couple of times and I think it may be a little smoother at very low throttle inputs. I can drive down the street now in gear at idle and not stall or buck. I have not noticed any difference off idle in response or power, but I haven't been able to really push it yet due to weather. I thought I'd need to reset my base idle and mixture, but they were dead on. I wonder if this is dampening oscillation in the AFM barndoor.
More seat of pants impressions later. I'm not sure what is my imagination and what is not.
Good luck,
Dave

Driven97 · 04-10-2017, 05:38 AM

I thought the low speed lurch was usually due to worn out tracks on the AFM?

DaveMcKenz · 04-10-2017, 05:46 AM

Hi Matt,
I'm sure you are correct, in some cases. My AFM was rebuilt, including reconfiguring the arm to new contact area. They supplied before and after signal traces in the course of the rebuild.
I think there are maybe half a dozen other reasons for the low speed lurch. Some can be addressed with small changes, some cannot, like 964 cams.
I just thought I'd experiment with the flow straightener to see what, if anything it can contribute.
Dave

gtc · gtc's Garage

Taper the leading edge of that adapter and you might see some better results.

JohnJL · 04-10-2017, 07:29 AM

I wonder if there is any WOT loss...the walls themselves take up some cross-section that would otherwise be air. Here's another uninformed question...air is very compressible, by limiting the volume in which the air can flow (to each "cell") does that effect the total flow?

Anyway, I am curious.

DaveMcKenz · 04-10-2017, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtc

Taper the leading edge of that adapter and you might see some better results.

Good idea.
Thanks,
Dave

DaveMcKenz · 04-10-2017, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnJL

I wonder if there is any WOT loss...the walls themselves take up some cross-section that would otherwise be air. Here's another uninformed question...air is very compressible, by limiting the volume in which the air can flow (to each "cell") does that effect the total flow?

Anyway, I am curious.

I also would expect possible WOT loss, depending on other limiting factors. I think the honeycomb limits flow not so much by decreased cross section, but by friction over the cell surfaces.
Thanks for your interest,
Dave

422flat6 · 04-13-2017, 10:33 AM

I remember seeing folks selling what was essentially a hair dryer on eBay and calling it an "electric supercharger" and advertising huge horsepower gains...

DaveMcKenz · 04-13-2017, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 422flat6

I remember seeing folks selling what was essentially a hair dryer on eBay and calling it an "electric supercharger" and advertising huge horsepower gains...

Not really the same thing.
Thanks

dad911 · 04-13-2017, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 422flat6

I remember seeing folks selling what was essentially a hair dryer on eBay and calling it an "electric supercharger" and advertising huge horsepower gains...

Since you joined recently you missed the Zanick/Kilbort/Eram thread(s)

eRAM electric supercharger ( a brief description) & some responses to the many post

DaveMcKenz · 04-13-2017, 04:14 PM

Once again, the idea of a flow straightener in an intake airstream is totally different than the idea of the eRam. I am not suggesting that it might increase HP. I actually just wondered what it would do. It seems like there are three things: car could run better, car could run the same, or car could run worse. The results might vary with RPM or other conditions.
I don't know the answers. I thought I'd try to find out. I wondered if anyone else had already tried to find out.
I'll post my impressions based on observation. I know it's a long shot that anything of value will result, but crazier things have happened.
Thanks,
Dave

422flat6 · 04:42 PM

I didn't mean to imply it was the same thing. Apologies for derailing your thread. I have seen honeycomb flow straighteners in MAFs, but I suspect that is more about improving the accuracy of the MAF than gaining horsepower. I'll go entertain myself with reading the eRAM thread now hah

DaveMcKenz · 04-13-2017, 05:27 PM

No problem, flat6. I also read about flow straighteners used with MAF systems. Somewhere in the past, I saw a video of the barn door of the 3.2's AFM in action. It is really very dynamic, with overswings and oscillations. It made me wonder how turbulent vs. laminar airflow would affect it. The cost in time and money was small, so I thought I'd try it out.
The eRam is also an interesting idea. It just doesn't have physics on its side, in its current form.
Good luck,
Dave