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Ram Charger Hood

nakabrd

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I have a '71 Charger RT with a Ram Charger hood. Everything on the hood works as it should. My question is, how do you keep the Ram Charger door open with the engine off? Thanks for the help.
 
It's vacuum operated, right? Then there is a solenoid under the dash that returns the scoop to closed when the engine is shut off.
 
I have a '71 Charger RT with a Ram Charger hood. Everything on the hood works as it should. My question is, how do you keep the Ram Charger door open with the engine off? Thanks for the help.
In other words.... you don't. The hood is designed to close when the engine is turned off.
 
Ah but you can. I see them up at car shows all the time. So that's why I'm asking how it's done Beeper.
 
Ah but you can. I see them up at car shows all the time. So that's why I'm asking how it's done Beeper.

The ones you see are probably cable-operated. The Plymouth Air Grabber changed for 1970 from using a manual cable to open and close to a vacuum-operated one. The actuator raised or lowered the scoop when vacuum from the engine passed through a dash mounted switch to the actuator via several rubber hoses that were color coded to identify their position in the system. The Dodge Ramcharger stayed manually-operated by a cable. The 1971 Dodge Charger Ramcharger was changed to vacuum-operated.

I suppose you could either modify the vacuum operator to become an electric solenoid, or change to a cable operator. I believe the air box assembly is entirely different between vacuum and cable.
 
Ah but you can. I see them up at car shows all the time. So that's why I'm asking how it's done Beeper.
Well, before I figured out how to connect all the hoses, I used to hold mine open with a spring I bought at the hardware store. If I remember correctly, I would connect it from the "cross bar" that holds the underhood flap, outside of the fiberglass box, as my "anchor" and attach the other end of spring to the lever arm near the vacuum actuator attached to the hood that operates that cross bar. Just look how it works under the hood and it's obvious. Hope this helps!
 
Actually it can stay open if you have a bad solenoid, like mine is on my 1970 RR. Vacuum is still in the system and the solenoid acts as an automatic bleed when the car is turned off. This happens regardless of the position of the switch on the dash. Now if you have a bad solenoid like mine, my grabber door can stay open until I manually move the switch under dash to closed position when the car is turned off. It was designed to be a catch safe to make sure the door closed while not in operation, instead of having to remember to flip switch before you exit the car.
 
I have a 70 Road Runner. As others have stated, the scoop closes on its own when you shut off the car by design - this is so if it rains while the car is off you will not drown it.

I use a HIGHLY TECHNICAL method to keep it open at shows: :rolleyes:
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Yes, it is a piece of WOOD with a slot cut into it! I can open the scoop by hand, slip the wood piece on, and away I go. It takes second to put it on and take it off, and it does not disturb the proper function of the air grabber.

Hope this helps,

Hawk
 
I don’t use the solenoid on mine. Also removed the return spring from the actuator. So now, my AirGrabber door stay open when I shut the engine.
 
I don’t use the solenoid on mine. Also removed the return spring from the actuator. So now, my AirGrabber door stay open when I shut the engine.

Then does it even close properly?
 
Take the yellow hose off the solenoid and put it on back of switch where the short jumped hose is and that will eliminate the solenoid.
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Uhh I just unhooked the spring, mine stays open without issue. But i doesn’t have the proper base plate to I don’t operate it normally anyway.
 
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