The Vortex Generator! Don't lose your Doodad thingy's!?

[MasterCylinder]

I just had to share this as I found it amusing. A long time friends son has a early 2025 XL with the 2.3L. I'm under a 91 Bronco finishing up a transfer case rebuild putting fluid in it. I see the truck pulling in my long driveway. He gets out along with his Dad and they commence to tell me how it has lost a bit of gas mileage and just is kind of running "Blah". Knowing how they are about tinkering and then they come to me to figure out what they did has always been amusing to begin with (what are longtime friends for right ?) but this was a dandy. I started with a long list of questions on what they have done in the last month or so to the truck. The one that hit home was they had removed the air box to clean out bugs, dust, debris and even bird feathers from running these dirt back roads and changed the air filter. I pop the hood, everything was plugged back in(no codes), clamps tight etc....no noticeable problems, so I take it down the road and it was just kinda "blah" like they said, my first thought was it's in ECO mode, checked, no. Ran fine just not up to par and like mine runs. So, and here was the million dollar questions. I asked, did you have anything left over parts wise, take anything off or out, find anything on the ground afterwards? The Dad's saying no as they look at each other and the Son chimes in, Dad remember that funny looking "doodad thingy" I found on the ground a few days afterward and we were wondering where the hell it came from and what it was? Ooooooh ya that's right! I ask, do you have it? The Son reaches in the glove box and shows me the "doodad thingy" (he saved because it was "cool looking") I knew immediately what is was, I walked in the shop handed them the necessary tools and said, pull the air box, I'll fix your problem and show where it goes.
That "doodad thingy" is technologically known as a Vortex Generator (see Picture) and was borrowed from air planes and race cars to create turbulence, guide turbulence and adapted for use in turbo piping to start the air turning, spinning the direction of the turbo spin from the air filter before the turbo which helps reduce lag, helps efficiency can even add a certain very small percent of boost when you get heavy on the gas pedal, not to mention the ECU is set up for it to be there etc.... Its pretty much useless on a drag car but for street it does a real job. I was actually a bit shocked that it made a noticeable difference on the 2.3L. I reset computer while they removed the air box, showed them where it went (this one was not a good tight fit like it should have been so I gave it a trick so it wouldn't fall out again) and told them to give it time to relearn things and call me in a few weeks to let me know how it's running. Report back was "it's running better than ever and mileage was back up plus a tad" they said. The buttermilk pie and BBQ reward was great!
So folks, Don't lose your "doodad thingy" (Vortex Generator) the engine likes it! Hope you Enjoy!

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[Shadow Black Ranger Rapto]

Good call! I think we all know that if Ford could save a nickel by leaving it out, they would have…

 

[NM Mike]

So, does the doodad go into the doohickey or the thingamabobber?
thanks for the heads up about the vortex generator. I’ll watch for it falling out if I pull the airbox.

 

[John E Davies]

Cool story, thank you!!!

I hate to bring this up, but I am really curious about vortex generators for RVs, I was an A&P for a while and I installed a fair number of them on airplane wings, but for driving less than 100 mph on the ground the benefits may not be “as described on the Internet”.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ap/aerodynamics_vortex.html

I would like to kill the low pressure area behind my GFC Topper and tailgate to stop the dust and road spray from building up. I am talking about 40 to 60 mph ranch roads, not off roading…. Any mpg benefit would be welcome too.

https://www.airtab.com/application-rv.htm

This is not my truck, any comments?

Thanks,

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[MasterCylinder]

Cool story, thank you!!!

I hate to bring this up, but I am really curious about vortex generators for RVs, I was an A&P for a while and I installed a fair number of them on airplane wings, but for driving less than 100 mph on the ground the benefits may not be “as described on the Internet”.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ap/aerodynamics_vortex.html

I would like to kill the low pressure area behind my GFC Topper and tailgate to stop the dust and road spray from building up. I am talking about 40 to 60 mph ranch roads, not off roading…. Any mpg benefit would be welcome too.

https://www.airtab.com/application-rv.htm

This is not my truck, any comments?

Thanks,

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Unfortunately what your wanting to prevent is physics and the law of motion. NASA has studied it ad nauseum with little success because it cannot be defeated. Aided in subtle ways but not changed. What you see with the dust behind the camper and truck is a perfect example and the more blunt the object is in the rear the more drag it will create. Research all you can, if you come up with something you'll be a billionaire! I like it when people think outside the box.

 

[got3fords]

Cool story, thank you!!!

I hate to bring this up, but I am really curious about vortex generators for RVs, I was an A&P for a while and I installed a fair number of them on airplane wings, but for driving less than 100 mph on the ground the benefits may not be “as described on the Internet”.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ap/aerodynamics_vortex.html

I would like to kill the low pressure area behind my GFC Topper and tailgate to stop the dust and road spray from building up. I am talking about 40 to 60 mph ranch roads, not off roading…. Any mpg benefit would be welcome too.

https://www.airtab.com/application-rv.htm

This is not my truck, any comments?

Thanks,

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

How about something like the big rigs?

 

[josephp732]

You can upgrade to the metal version....

 

[driftns2k]

I just took apart the intake on my 2.7l. The passenger turbo inlet has this design on it. After my research I was going to remove it, as AMS claims to increase their flow by 200% w/o them.

 

[superj]

You can try it and just out it back in if you feel like it causes issues without it

 

[MasterCylinder]

I just took apart the intake on my 2.7l. The passenger turbo inlet has this design on it. After my research I was going to remove it, as AMS claims to increase their flow by 200% w/o them.

Did you lose decimal point in front of that number?
A 200% increase would triple the CFM flow which is a physical impossibility and could not even be measured on a running 2.7l engine on a dynometer because it can not flow it, not through the filter, intake piping, innercooler, throttle body or engine!
The V6's should have one in each side.

 

[driftns2k]

https://www.preauxtuning.com/products/ams-performance-2015-2020-f150-2-7l-ecoboost-turbo-inlet-tubes

I don’t make the product or test it. AMS builds some sick cars tho and I trust the Company. They built me a nice custom 4 inch down pipe for my turbo S2k a while back.

 

[MasterCylinder]

Cool story, thank you!!!

I hate to bring this up, but I am really curious about vortex generators for RVs, I was an A&P for a while and I installed a fair number of them on airplane wings, but for driving less than 100 mph on the ground the benefits may not be “as described on the Internet”.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ap/aerodynamics_vortex.html

I would like to kill the low pressure area behind my GFC Topper and tailgate to stop the dust and road spray from building up. I am talking about 40 to 60 mph ranch roads, not off roading…. Any mpg benefit would be welcome too.

https://www.airtab.com/application-rv.htm

This is not my truck, any comments?

Thanks,

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

I remembered something that might be along the lines of your wind idea. Back in the late 90s I had a Chevy Blazer. On the back of the truck was a wind deflector that caught air off the roof and directed it down the back glass. I know it worked because they had to abandon the idea as it caused wind and water leaks in the hatck back weatherstriping. You could use some pvc pipe of large enough size to get the shape and start experimenting!

 

[MasterCylinder]

https://www.preauxtuning.com/products/ams-performance-2015-2020-f150-2-7l-ecoboost-turbo-inlet-tubes

I don’t make the product or test it. AMS builds some sick cars tho and I trust the Company. They built me a nice custom 4 inch down pipe for my turbo S2k a while back.

Your misunderstanding what their saying. They are not saying anything about removing the vortex generator makes flow. They are simply using geometry numbers to sell! They are referring to cross area density increase of 200% which by all practical methods they would've had to increase the pipe size by at least 3/4 of an inch however since it retains factory size connections it means little in the way of air flow other than a smoother transition from point A to point B. They even state the increase is only in a certain section of the piping, " between the intake filters and turbo compressor covers" this does not increase air density because of the laws of physics. The only way you can do that is jack up the turbo output psi, or cool the air down, both would require more fuel. You can incrementally size between connections and the squeeze effect from big to little will increase flow some but in no way can it make 200% difference in anything except their pockets!

 

[driftns2k]

Your misunderstanding what their saying. They are not saying anything about removing the vortex generator makes flow. They are simply using geometry numbers to sell! They are referring to cross area density increase of 200% which by all practical methods they would've had to increase the pipe size by at least 3/4 of an inch however since it retains factory size connections it means little in the way of air flow other than a smoother transition from point A to point B. They even state the increase is only in a certain section of the piping, " between the intake filters and turbo compressor covers" this does not increase air density because of the laws of physics. The only way you can do that is jack up the turbo output psi, or cool the air down, both would require more fuel. You can incrementally size between connections and the squeeze effect from big to little will increase flow some but in no way can it make 200% difference in anything except their pockets!

Yes! it was increase in diameter not flow.

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