Hood louvers

[libarata]

Hey all.

I am looking to purchase hood louvers for my car for a few reasons;

1. I think it would look neat
2. I live in a fairly warm area, so it would help lower temps in the summer
3. I can not think of, or find a reason this would hurt the vehicle in the long run

As of yet, I have only found one company that makes then in the USA, and not made specifically for a Jeep. Does anyone out there know of others? I would like to compare prices and such, but am drawing a blank. Also, have any of you installed/used louvers to help cool your engines? Are there reasons to not louver?

This is the company I have found.
http://www.hoodlouvers.com/

 

[LR Max]

We used to go get Louvers off of Chrysler LeBarons (I think that is what it was) at the junkyard. Pretty much the same thing.

Or on Cherokees, we'd modify the hood hinges so that the back end of the hood was open a bit.

Overall I've discovered that maintaining and upgrading the cooling system does everything I need. I did go from a 3 to a 4 core radiator and that seems to be quite nice.

 

[pappawheely]

I was looking into adding louvers to get rid of the air buildup under the hood. When driving into a headwind I notice my hood lifting demonstrably.

 

[Plannerman]

I believe this is less from air pushing from beneath the good and more about a low pressure area formed above the hood. This is the same situation that gives airplane wings lift. Louvers won't help this high-speed situation, unfortunately.


Sent via fat thumb

 

[libarata]

We used to go get Louvers off of Chrysler LeBarons (I think that is what it was) at the junkyard. Pretty much the same thing.

Or on Cherokees, we'd modify the hood hinges so that the back end of the hood was open a bit.

Overall I've discovered that maintaining and upgrading the cooling system does everything I need. I did go from a 3 to a 4 core radiator and that seems to be quite nice.

Insightful, I will have to see if the local yard guy can locate some for me. I had not thought about lifting the rear of the hood up.

 

[rxinhed]

You can also perforate the inner fenderwell to relieve heat, not compromise the aerodynamics of your vehicle. Or, take your hood to a good body shop and have them louver it liked a hot rodder.

 

[XJINTX]

I added the old Lumina Z34 vents. I liked them because they have under panel to move water off the op of engine. I am in Texas and now my 2000 XJ never goes over 210

 

[LR Max]

I met a guy who had dumped a Vortec 8.1 in his TJ (Overall this vehicle was ridiculous, it was a TJ with full size everything...then rockwells and 49s...BTW he was AWESOME). He went and bought a bunch of little 12v plastic fans. With the engine at idle, he put a piece of toilet paper on a stick and looked where the airflow in the engine compartment was going. He then placed the fans to help direct/suck the hot air out of the engine compartment.

When he opened the hood, he had about a half dozen of these fans in there. Overall it was cool.

Dunno, just thought I'd throw that out there as well. A bit unconventional but also for an unconventional application.

 

[inter]

Lifting the rear of the hood up is dangerous and its feature of last century.
Hood louvers must be install with constantly fan on only. My car has louvers and fan radiator is always on (when engine start) and even in this case I made little tuning.
At first I added two water jet for radiator (bought washer jar with two washer pumps: one for windshield, second for radiator)
and made revers for fan heater, but its design features of my heater system.
Sorry my bad English.
And if you want to cut hood correctly, see this link, please
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=2162
and if your car with intercooler
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=112690

 

[libarata]

Inter, No worries about the English! Great article, and very informative! The author of the article made a good suggestion about the marine louvers, then again about hunting a junkyard for ones. Sadly, many of the yards around me do not allow you to just wander around. The idea behind my vents, is for when I am going slow, stuck in traffic, etc etc. Smaller ones located close to the start of the hood would help, alongside the larger ones towards the center. I also am assuming I will have some skidplates, which would modify the air pressures and such as well. In the end, I need/want heat to go up, and out of the engine bay.

rxinhed, no one else has mentioned that, and that could also find its way into my car!

LR Max, some dudes just really like the small frames, GIANT everything else. It makes me wonder how they 1. turn 2. not flip.

 

[brian90744]

hood vents

There are some companies that make fiberglass hood with louvers. I installed a fiberglass hood with louvers on my Ford Ranger see pics. just FYI=brian

 

[TwinStick]

For louvers "on the cheap", has anyone thought of looking in the home improvement stores ? I bought some floor register louvers that open and close, for our camper/toyhauler, so i can close off the ones i don't need. About $10 each. Closed in the winter. Open in the summer. Red-neck-ish, yes. Functional, yes. On-the-cheap, yes.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Daystar makes a pair that I just put on my JK. No reason why they couldn't be adapted to other vehicles, just cut and modify the template.

 

[libarata]

Thanks for the further input! Looking into daystar now. I know I drive a Forester, but I try and source as many of my NEW purchases from my fellow Americans, and as few Commies as possible. I am keeping an eye out for US made home improvement/marine style louvers, but am not finding much.

That Ranger looks bad ***!

 

[Matto]

That Ranger looks great Brian - you must be very happy with the outcome. Did you paint the hood, or leave it black?

I've been tempted to cut louvers into my hood for years, because the R50's run VERY hot under the bonnet. It's not helped by the hood sealing pretty much perfectly with rubber all the way around. A Wise Man told me though that Nissan has designed it that way so that air ingested through the radiator was then forced down under the vehicle and along the transmission, thus cooling it. By venting/lifting the hood or otherwise allowing the air to escape up top would defeat this.

I have no idea how correct or otherwise that suggestion is, but it's stuck with me since and spooked me from ever trying it.

What say ye knowledgeable people - truth or rubbish?

Cheers,
Matto