Korbo

I will repeat from MY REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE, stay out of WATER ACCUMULATING!!!!!!! And deep is not what the CAI makers want you to believe it is in fantasy land I think. Just be prudent and you should enjoy your CAI.

07 Z51

A couple of years ago (maybe more), I remember watch one of the shows on the Speed Channel (can't remember which show) during which they installed an intake on an Acura NSX that had as part of the intake neck a fitting that "popped" like a release valve and purged the water from the intake BEFORE it could reach the engine. It would then reset itself.

Has anyone thought of incorporating this into our CAI or am I going to get flamed for this because the concept, in reality, did not work well? Just thought I would raise it - I do not know if it worked well or if it just falls into the "As seen on TV" category.............

SubSolar

I asked my friend that works for Progressive Insurance and he said that as long as you have full coverage you will get compensated for hydrolock, even if you have an aftermarket intake. Obviously it's still better to avoid all the hassle of a rebuild but at least you don't have to worry about paying for it all out of pocket.

bosco 08

so hydrolock is a real problem?

LS1LT1

Yes, it could be...at least it is for people who drive their Corvette as if it's set up for the Paris-Dakar Rally or something.

Zip Corvettes

It costs allot to engineer a part like that in that would actually work well. Hydrolock is not a real issue, it is something that gets over rated on forums. In order to hydrolock your engine, your air cleaner opening has to be completely submerged, not a little bit of it but all of it. If you look at your airbox that is about were the turn signal light is on the side of your bumper. If you are driving through water that deep with your corvette, you should hydrolock your engine, because you need a truck instead of a Corvette anyways. Your chances are better at winning one of the Corvettes from the Museum then having a hydrolock issue unless you fish with your car
Justin

AeroJim

From a quality/fit and finish standpoint they are really a POS. While I can't speak from first hand experience I'm not sure which aftermarket CAI will minimize the hydrolock issue. I have a Vararam and the only reason its not off the car yet is because I'm not really using it that much anymore.. When the fall comes and the motorcyle is used less I will be changing it for sure. I'm waiting to see what LG comes out with, they've got an excellent reputation and have developed some quality products over the years.

fop91

Love My Haltech. The only way to FLY.

Korbo

It is important for me to note that the comment that Hydrolock is not a real issue is debateable and from my personal, sad experience TOTALLY UNTRUE. Be careful and you should be ok, there are those of us that know better than what this vendor is trying to tell you.

madmxnj

I assume hydrolock is really only a concern with the 'true ram air' CAI's (Vararam mostly, but others that seal to a modified radiator shroud). And that other 'open element' CAIs that are not ram air should be okay(Halltech, BBK, K&N FIPK, SLP Blackwing, etc)

Is that the case?

I'm looking to get a CAI and I have similar concerns. I'm not worried about driving through a water bog and killing my engine. But I do wonder about a ram air being driven in persistent rain. I don't make a habit of it, but my DD was laid up a couple of weeks back and I had to drive my Vette every day, even in the ... gasp ... rain. "Oh the humanity". My friends and family thought I was going insane. Anyway, I would worry about the filter in a ram air eventually getting saturated and preventing airflow through the element (running rich) and then possibly water getting through. I don't see enough water getting through at a time from ambient precipitation to cause a hydrolock without submerging the intake, but I can still see problems here.

Halltech

Hydrolock is real, and happens more often that folks want to admit. I have seen many broken motors due to this design. We had two incidents back in 2000 that were a result of our TRIC bottom breather, so I can tell you it is real.

We were boastful that we had hundreds of guys that had no problems, each had his own rain experience, but decided immediately to take ours off the market when the second incident occurred, and never looked back. All of our intakes are located in the stock location with no access to bottom feeding. If you are lucky, you will not have a problem, but why risk it?

We have a Beehive Ram Air Shroud that can have cold ram air without it getting the direct stream of water in the rain.

The Beehive is a cold air solution that does not involve sucking dirt, dust, and road grime into the motor when it rains, and frankly, that is the biggest issue in my opinion, with all bottom breathers, not hydrolock.

04_Z06_CE

Cause its true...Makes good power but bilt like a 5 dollar peice

Zip Corvettes

Korbo,
GO back and re-read what I wrote. I did not say it could not happen, what I said is what it takes for it to happen. If you have some new information on water being lighter then air let me know. The entire intake has to be covered by water in order for it to suck water into the engine. If a intake has the its only opening down low and that gets covered by water, then yes your engine will suck up water. Look at mine, look at the Halltech, Breathless, K&N, Blackwing all of them. Look at where the filter is located, that has to be submerged in order for it to suck in enough water to hydrolock it.
We have been in business for 33 years, we did not get that way by misleading people of designing inferior products, so before you accuse me of saying something that is wrong, you need to bring the facts, not what you think. If you have data that shows otherwise I would love to see it. My box was designed to bring cold air into the air cleaner area, my filter is in the stock location and is not sealed to the bottom scoop. You will have to have water up to your emblem in order for my box to pull water to hydrolock your car. If you drive your car in water that deep then you can 't blame a performance CAI because the stock one would have done it also. The only one to blame is the person who drives his car in that deep of water. Again Forum chatter making something bigger then it really is.

Zip Corvettes

There used to be a really good photo of a car Donaldson tested with a Blackwing, it was a C5 ZO6 and they were driving through water that was up to the front of the headlights and the car was still not hydrolocking because the whole topside of the filter was still exposed to air. I will try and find the photo.

Zip Corvettes

"Come to your own conclusions but my experience is the Vararam will hydrolock (at 10 mph and probably lots less as I am trying to be objective) in water that has accumulated during a brief, violent storm where the storm drains were overwhelmed.

I was lucky as my engine was brought back to life without hydrolocking. Even the oil overflow was filled with water.

My advice, just be extremely cautious when heavy rain is possible." Per Korbo

You just replied with exactly what I was saying. You were driving through deep water. If the air cleaner goes under water, you are going to hydrolock the engine period, it will suck up water and water does not compress so something in the motor will have to give. Don't drive through deep water and you will never have a issue.

QuikZilver

Well, I have some experience here. I put the Callaway Honker on my 08 Corvette. It is a GREAT air intake. SOTP experience felt like a huge increase. It wsa fine in the rain, but where I had a problem was going through a puddle that I did not realize was as deep as it ended up being. The puddle was about 8" deep. I tried idling through it, but the water level was just too deep. The #8 connecting rod was bent every which way but straight. The good news was the damage was covered by my insurance company. They gave me the money to repair and I upgraded at the same time to a 418 stroker and some additional go fast goodies. I still have the Honker on my Vette...I just avoid any puddle deeper than 1".

madmxnj

Yeah, I think I'll be staying away from a bottom feeder. I usually don't intentionally drive in rain, but sometimes it happens. I'm **** enough as it is, but to be stuck like "I can't go home because I don't want to drive through the puddle". I don't need that.

dennis50nj

even the bronco2 and ranger 4 wheel drive owners manual said avoid puddles 8 inches deep i have had the vararam since it came out one of the first, just got caught in a bad rain storm tuesday night broken tree limbs water in all the tire ruts on the road major interstate 295 highway rt 38 rt 206 rt 70 a bunch of back roads and another c6 was there with the vararam, and had to drive down 295 and 42 to get home neither of us had any problems with the vararam but we did have a problem with driving over 60mph with drag radials and et streets, once i turned the AH&TC off the car was easy to straighten out

madmxnj

Ordered a Halltech from Maryland Speed last night. Looks like the most surface area on the element and cheaper than the K&N or blackwing. Can't wait to install it and get a tune.

dun4791

Want to sell it? PM me.