Opinions?

 

I see no use to them besides looks,Some use them to try to fix a cooling problem when it really needs work on the coolant system.And places that see snow it can melt and drip water all over your engine not a good idea to me.

 

Ya I am in Chicago too, probably a bad idea then huh.

 

I am going to do it in my '00. But only if I can find some decent 5.9 Hemi GC louvres at a reasonable price. People usually want obscene amounts for these things. They come with drip trays so that will take care of some of what andrewmp6 said. Like the look, they are fuctional, and it so happens that I am getting my hood repainted sometime in the near future (surface rust issues) so the timing is better.

 

http://www.napierprecisionproducts.com/ These are the best quality ones I have found.

 

try living in on the coast when its 110 degrees.... going 10mph on soft sand that is radiating the heat and having the rpms at about 2500. it builds up head quickly cause your not going fast enough to get cool air through the engine compartment. The vents help to expel that air as quickly as possible. Just cause they may not be needed in KY doesn't mean they are not beneficial and do work in other climates.

 

I have not had any problems with snow, rain or anything else with my hood vents. They work very well for me. I have mine up front more to work more like a heat extraction hood.

 

The snow melt is an invalid argument. More slop gets thrown up by wheels wether snow or mud/water on trails.

 

The easiest and least costly but most effective is to install washers in the hood hinges to lift the rear at the windshield to release heat at the cowl.

 

+1
I removed the pad plus the weather stripping on the firewall. I then carefully bent down the edge that the stripping sits on for an even 1/2" gap. Stripping can still be used if desired. You can tell where the heat is most intense. I plan on painting the hood with high temp black satin before long.

 

I've never heard of any ill effects from hood vents. I'm not saying it hasn't happened, but I am saying I've never seen or heard of it. I've got a big set that I'm going to install on mine soon. They're most effective for expelling heat from the engine compartment at low speeds.

People worried about moisture in the engine compartment must not be aware of how much water is thrown up there from underneath, every time it rains or snows. It's not like our hoods are water-tight, either. People with snorkels submerge their engines completely from time to time and their Jeeps keep on going. If vehicles couldn't handle water under the hood, my state would still be primarily horse drawn carriage.

 

The vents on mine seem to help,I ran around in 100 degree weather today and the temp gauge did not skip a beat.

I agree that they look good but my engine compartment is stuffed pretty tight and I'll take anything I can to keep it 210 degrees all day long.