Does the oiled filter of a CAI/RamAir intake reduce the probability of hydrolock during extremely wet conditions?

Some of these OTR's look really exposed to the outside world.

The only person I've heard of actually having a problem so far on a G8 OTR is the guy in post #42 of this thread: http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13178&highlight=water+engine&page=3

I've driven mine in rain with no problems, although I have been a leery a couple times due to heavy downpours and hitting a puddle fast enough to send water over the hood. It seemed to shake it off alright. Or, I got lucky.:dunno:

I have heard of at least one person with the Callaway Honker system on a 'Vette that ruined the engine through hydrolock. It uses an oiled filter element.

If enough water gets to it...it can get through. Google hydrolock and you can find all kinds of stories about it, including many happening on cars with aftermarket CAI's...most of which use oiled gauze or oiled foam filters.

Haven't heard of anyone hydrolocking, but I wouldn't see how an oiled filter would help either way. It would still let water through.

Again though . . . haven't heard of any issues.

In San Antonio we had a 500 year flood in October 1998. My kids had to go to a practice for a school function and my ex-wife decided that instead of taking the Suburban she should drive my 95 Impala SS with the Evergreen CAI. The water was so high that she stopped on the highway in two feet of water.

That was enough to kill my engine. My comprehensive insurance covered the new LT1 engine with a modest deductible. The only downside is that the car showed on the carfax from then on as being flood damaged, even though there was never water in the car.

The design of that CAI put the cone oriented down through the bumper IIRC.

None of the G8 CAIs that I've seen put the intake that low.

I had the KN on my GTO and drove through downpours with no issues.

I would not be overly concerned about this.

my ex-wife decided that instead of taking the Suburban she should drive my 95 Impala SS with the Evergreen CAI.


I can see why she's your ex.

^ +1 lol

The sad thing about my ex-wife is that trashing my Impala SS was the LEAST of her problems!!!:wink2:

The sad thing about my ex-wife is that trashing my Impala SS was the LEAST of her problems!!!:wink2:

Oh man, don't get me started on ex-wives trashing things...:nonono:

In San Antonio we had a 500 year flood in October 1998. My kids had to go to a practice for a school function and my ex-wife decided that instead of taking the Suburban she should drive my 95 Impala SS with the Evergreen CAI. The water was so high that she stopped on the highway in two feet of water.

Ah, yes. Having been in the 90's B/D-body world with a Fleetwood for many years, otherwise the fancy Impala SS with the LT1 and everything else interchangeable gut-wise, I remember many discussions about the various CAI's and water ingestion.

The RAISS which was a lot like our NEP OTR now but for one of those cars didn't bring up much, because like the NEP of how high and up out of the way it was, but another that is still sold, I think, the RamAirSS which was all up front but went from the TB straight down and out through a hole you'd cut in the front underbody deflector brought up a LOT of discussion about such things. Funny thing was, no one ever had an issue I think, except maybe for one...lots of "I've been in bad rain storms, am careful over deep puddles, etc." though.

As for the G8, though, I too have still wondered the same. Most designs it'd be pretty much no different than with the stock setup when it comes to potential water ingestion. With the "Orssom" OTR I had that was all up top & out front of the TB, I didn't really give it too much thought except for the dust & dampness factor of not having the hood seal on with it vs. driving in different conditions over time...but still not much. Now I have a Roto-Fab and as it is very stock-like in layout, just a lot more open and direct, I think even less about it.

It's like anything with this. If you ever come upon enough water, in whatever way, to be such a threat, it very likely would have been the same issue if the car had the stock intake in a lot of cases. It just depends on the situation, the intake in that situation, etc.

Yeah, I would expect bad things to happen if the opening of any intake made contact with a body of water like a puddle, pond or lake.

I want to have a better understanding around design and research going into these things.

I have a Vararam in my garage waiting to be installed. Are these Green High Performance filters really good?