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Vararam Air Grabber intake installed
- Thread starter jamesfg
- Start date
Instructions for the vararam?
Yeah, Vararam Air Grabber. Couldn't find it on their website, which could stand some updates, but I emailed them and they were kind enough to send it to me. Haven't decided if I'll get one, but I get a positive vibe when companies actually read and respond to email.
It's a pretty straight forward install. The instructions tell you to remove the factory engine cover, but don't both as you don't need to. And trimming the radiator cover is kind of up to the end user on how they want to do it. I chose the keep the Ram letters on mine. Which required bending it up to not block airflow. A heat gun and a little patience got me what I wanted
This is one of the details where they took a different approach from Ram AirFlow. Ram comes with a "beauty cover" made to fit around the air duct. That and other things make the Vararam a much more affordable kit. Both share a drawback that seems worthy of note - you can't get a replacement filter at just any neighborhood auto store - it's a special (and expensive) part available only from the maker, AFAIK.
So like most things I find interesting, I've gathered as much info as I could find and will let it settle in my mind for a bit. Probably won't do it unless I feel the need to open up the right fender for a dual battery setup or something.
I highly doubt the Vararam has a proprietary filter. That's a lot of extra cost to get a filter manufacturer to make a low volume special filter Just have to figure out what they use. Ram in the other hand gas the resources to do that, especially as since they offer the ram air as a factory optionThis is one of the details where they took a different approach from Ram AirFlow. Ram comes with a "beauty cover" made to fit around the air duct. That and other things make the Vararam a much more affordable kit. Both share a drawback that seems worthy of note - you can't get a replacement filter at just any neighborhood auto store - it's a special (and expensive) part available only from the maker, AFAIK.
So like most things I find interesting, I've gathered as much info as I could find and will let it settle in my mind for a bit. Probably won't do it unless I feel the need to open up the right fender for a dual battery setup or something.
Sounds likely, but I probably can't pull either one off the shelf at Wal-Mart.
But u can buy a second filter for the Vararam on this internet thing and order a Outerwear filter cover. When the time comes swap the filter and clean/re oil the first filter rinse and repeat no downtown waiting on the filter to dry.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sounds like you're saying you "can" source and stock replacements yourself, as opposed to you "have to" source and stock replacements yourself. That's like the difference between "maintenance free" and "can't be maintained" - same situation, just ignoring the negative aspect. 
Darksteel165
Legendary member
Just got mine today.
Whats up with the breather valve they give you?
The instructions they photocopy in black and white and dogcrap.
I already had to make new holes to attach the flap.
Should I run a inlet tube into my catch can vs the breather valve they appear to be having us throw on?
Whats up with the breather valve they give you?
The instructions they photocopy in black and white and dogcrap.
I already had to make new holes to attach the flap.
Should I run a inlet tube into my catch can vs the breather valve they appear to be having us throw on?
No, it goes in place of the vent inlet tube that came from the OEM intake tube.
This is one of the parts that make Vararam significanly cheaper.
The attached color PDF instructions might be better than what they shipped.
This is one of the parts that make Vararam significanly cheaper.
The attached color PDF instructions might be better than what they shipped.
Darksteel165
Legendary member
Those instructions are what they sent.
In color and not printed out it's WAY easier to see stuff, like on page 8.
What is the point of the breather valve?
Generally the air systems are a vacuum, I don't get why to put a breather valve on it except for people without a catch can, or another inlet available on theirs.
I have another inlet on my catch can I can intake whatever would just get exhausted and put it back into the system.
From what I understand I would want to connect the PCV valve to my can vs just leave a breather on it?
Maybe someone else with a catch can can chime in.
It's on page 7 on the PDF linked above.
There's a bit more to it. Manifold vacuum is used to scavenge and burn blowby and other internal engine vapors. Part of this is pulling some fresh air through the engine so fumes don't just build up into gunk and coke deposits. Commonly, with Vee engines, one cylinder bank will have the inlet and the other will do the scavenging and have a PCV valve to control flow. Add-on catch can is downstream from that, and then the intake manifold.
The OEM vent inlet is a tube that pulls filtered air from the main air inlet tube. It's upstream from the engine, as far as PCV flow goes. If you try to cross-connect this to your catch can, you'll lose engine scavenging and uncontrollably suck air directly into the intake manifold. The little chrome cap just replaces the filtering you lost when you removed the OEM air inlet and vent inlet tubes.
Darksteel165
Legendary member
I mean when I removed the tube, there was oil in it.... It would appear it was spitting it INTO my air intake, not pulling fresh air.
Generally a catch can would go in-line of that with a check valve.
I have a second can that can mount next to my main can, but I wouldn't know where it should be flowing.
As it stands now I would expect in 6 months to a year I will have oil dripping down the right side of my engine from this "breather" since there was already oil leaking out of it.
I do find it odd I have never seen anyone connect anything to this connection at least on the forums here
I'm thinking something like this, the blue lines being the "regular" can and my question being the "yellow" can. Because there is not really a way to use a catch can with the Vararam maybe a clean side separator into the oil cap or something would be the correct way to do it, like this Clean-Side Oil Separator
It's possible I am just over engineering\thinking the issue
That is basically what people running turbos or superchargers do with catch cans because the boost pressure causes blowby which pushes oil back into the intake tube before throttle body.
It needs to be filtered fresh air to allow proper PCV operation. A properly functioning engine shouldn't push oil out that line. Unless you are running a turbo or supercharger. I have had zero oil leaking out the breather I installed on mine when I installed my Vararam, and it's been over two years
My understanding is that mostly happens under wide open throttle conditions when there is no significant manifold vacuum to do scavenging. Or maybe on a worn engine with excessive blowby, but that's a whole 'nuther problem. So yeah you could put a catch can there, or a check valve, or both. That would be your yellow catch can inlet tube. Probably one or the other would be sufficient IMO.
I think it's the left side if you put the little chrome Vararam cap where they show, but yeah that could happen. Or maybe they have a check valve or baffles built into it so that it will just drain back down into the vent port, I'm not sure.
I like your graphic with the blue and yellow circuits. It looks like you have a good handle on the concepts.
Nah, just want to understand. Measure as often as you want, cut once, right?
Darksteel165
Legendary member
To be clear I had oil leaking out of the fitting I connected the breather into.
I think there are some internal baffles inside that might just catch the oil and it will drip back down.
Yeah the oil on that side would be only under WOT.
I mean it's the left side looking into the engine compartment, it's on the driver side right next to the generator.
The breather they provided was https://www.amazon.com/Spectre-Performance-Standard-Push-Breather/dp/B00062ZDD6
I don't have any chrome anywhere on my truck so it's kinda ugly looking, and doesn't have a lot of space as its hugging the 48v line to the rear battery.
I guess I could just swap it for anything, or just leave it completely open to the air???
You have to look at how it's routes from the factory. The fitting is on the intake tube. At WOT, when there is no vacuum in the intake manifold and air is rushing past the fresh air fitting, which could create a slight vacuum in that line. Think of it like the crankcase evap systems that use exhaust gases flowing past a tube to suck vapors out of crank case. Replacing it with a separate breather doesnt do that.
I think I'd be inclined to want a bit of filtering to keep out insects and dirt, but it's probably pretty un-critical.
