Installing functioning hood louvers

I found that after I got my new trailer that the engine would start to over heat a little while at highway speeds with the AC on.

Seeing as I have a winch, lights etc on the front bumper I figured it was a flow issue.

After some searching I finally found a place that sold functioning louvers not the crappy stick on fake ones.

So far they seem to be doing their job. At idle while sitting still I can feel quite a bit of air moving out of them. Only time will tell if they solved my problem but I am thinking that they did.

Here they are so you get an idea of the size.


Since I was installing them on a carbon hood I used aluminum backing so that the rivets would not split it.


First hole cut


View from the underside with the one installed

I used the backing plates as a template to drill the holes for the rivets


And although I do not show it, a Dremel tool make quick work of cutting the main holes in the hood.

Putting the rivets in the second one.


All done.


The whole job took less than an hour and a half. I think it would have taken longer if I had the OE hood and was cutting through the metal.

Where did you find them, I have been thinking of doing the same thing, or taking it to a body shop and have it done with a press.

Just did a google search for "hood louvers"

That is crazy, I was JUST looking into doing this a few days ago(cause I live out in the mojave) and here is this WITH pics! Did you have to take 2 fukitol before you started to cut to keep your hands steady?

Good write up. I wonder how well you could accomplish this with the stock hoods. Last time I looked at doing it all the second layer supports discouraged me.

Just get a good drill with some larger drill bits to make enough holes to allow for enough airflow.

True.
I put H2 vents a while back on my friend's Jeep but there's not much in the way of under support on the location I chose.



I look for the old longer Grand Prix GTP louvers every once in a while on ebay.

The River Raider vents look decent. Just want to make sure I used some that looked proportionally correct when I get around to it.

looks nice

I'm kinda' likin' that carbon fiber hood. Where did you find it? How much lighter is it?

Jeff!

I will have to look it up again.. I got it from some place out in California. We had a hail storm here and insurance paid for a new one so I figured I would go lighter.

It is WAY lighter. So light that when it is open if a good gust of wind comes along it can lift it off the hood stand and cause me grief.

We did the same thing on a stock hood for a buddy of mine, came out pretty good.

Excuse the crappy cell phone pics.














It went pretty well...We just used some camaro louvers (He did paint them to match later...)

...and positioned them so as to minimize disturbance of the hood structure....cut the holes, and taped them in.

^^^I want to see these pics...

I Re-Hosted the pics...can you see them yet?

I see them now. They seem to be a bit close to each other. But aside from that they don't look bad.

Any finished pics?

Edit to add:

I now see why you placed them so close. Looking at the underhood shot I am guessing you did not want to cut through that brace.

Yup...and that if the air was to flow over the engine, a central location was actually preferable, and more cross flow would then occur.

Otherwise, your just air the bay out, which is of course fine, but less direct.

If you figure the air is entering at the grill/engine fan area, this is really an exit point for peak heat build-up.

I'm a d bag spammer

I used the backing plates as a template to drill the holes for the rivet, and the juice of the 4 guys that pounded my anus to lubricate the drill bit. I did it all while I was spamming random sites because that's the only way I can get off.