Dreamer1

For those that don't know me, I showed up a few weeks ago getting ready to buy a 2010 GT. Never owned a Mustang, let alone ever thought about modifying or souping one up.. Hang around here long enough, your sure to get the bug and want to start doing things to your car.

I have many questions and much to learn.. Who can tell me what a shaker does for your engine. Always loved how they look coming out of the hood but would like to know just what and how they work etc?

Thanks for the help. Many more simple minded questions were that came from..

AirBrontosaurus

Since they are facing forwards into the airstream, the forward motion of you car allows them to funnel/ram a tiny bit of extra air into the engine, which creates a very, very, very, very small boost effect (more air = more fuel = more power). They also take air in from above the hood, which means that the air they take in is usually cooler than the air in the engine bay (cooler air = denser air = more fuel = more power), which is good for performance. Again, it's a very small increase, but it is there.

They also look certifiably badass, which is why I think a lot of people have them. It's not like you'll be picking up an extra 30hp by having one.

Dreamer1

Great response just the sort of info I was looking for.. So you can do this and have the CAI tube as well?? So the CAI & Tune plus a shaker if you want?

The certifiably bad *** part is what I'm looking for though I think..


Thanks again for the reply..

AirBrontosaurus

No, because the airmass intake is done through the shaker part of the hood, which is then funneled directly into the intake.

A cold air intake goes from the intake and down into the wheel well (to draw in cold air, hence the name). A shaker hood draws air in from above the hood, which is already at ambient temperature (and thus as "cold" as it's going to get).

Basically, even if you could use a CAI kit and a shaker hood together (which you can't), you wouldn't want to be cause a shaker intake does everything a CAI can do, but better.

hiboostwoody

The original Shaker (1969 and 1970 Mustangs, Torinos, etc.) was called a shaker because it is attached directly to the engine on top of the air cleaner and not the hood. Being attached this way caused it to litterally "shake" when the engine was idleing. The Shakers you get now don't really shake like the originals did because the engines tend to run a lot smoother.

Dreamer1

I'm learning stuff already..

Thanks Guys!

glamborn

I beg to differ with you, you can use a shaker in tandem with a CAI, but the performance gains come mainly from the CAI. The shaker becomes even more of an appearance-only item. This is a picture of our 2007 with a K&N CAI and the shaker. Since this picture was taken I've plumbed the shaker tube into the backside of the CAI heat shield. The filter element does show some dirt next to the shaker tube inlet so I know it is getting some airflow from there but the majority of the airflow comes from the front of the car.

Fobra

It does nothing, there is actually a pocket of air that forms around a car where the air movement is minimal. In order to have a functional "ram air" you have to have a scoop that reaches above the "pocket", like those found on drag cars... they are effective and will see some boost, but mind you they are 10" holes, 10" in the air and strapped to a car going 200+ mph.

AirBrontosaurus

I guess that would fall into the "you could, but you wouldn't want to" category.

The only reason you might see a tiny bit of increased airflow with a full shaker system is because when the shaker scoop impacts the incoming air, it builds up a tiny amount of pressure, which forces a tiny amount of additional air into the chamber (emphasis on 'tiny').

When you hook up a CAI to it like in that picture, you give the pressure somewhere to go besides your engine. If you somehow built up a mass of air in the intake tract (which as mentioned above is pretty much impossible), the pressure would be dissipated out through the CAI.

Basically, you've made the worlds largest blowoff-valve that you can't turn off, lol.

With the changes you made, I guess it could be argued that you are getting colder air into the pocket where the CAI takes air in. But I think that bit of dirt you have in the intake outlet is the only difference that shaker is making .

HOWEVER, it does look certifiably badass, which I believe we decided is the shaker's main purpose.

GreyStang

Yeah if you look at a car in a wind tunnel you'd see there is no high pressure area at the front of the shaker hood scoop.. no ram air effect at all, you'd have to raise the hood scoop up way-high like Forba said in order to get the opening into the airflow, OR, turn the hole around towards the cowl as there IS some high pressure air at the base of the windshield. I have to admit Pontiac did a better job configuring the shaker hood on the old Trans Am's, pointing the opening towards the windshield NOT pointing it forward