DIY: Heat reduction hood
08-16-2011, 06:57 PM
#1
JK Freak
Thread Starter
DIY: Heat reduction hood
Story:
I had been toying around with the idea of making my own heat reduction hood for awhile, when I found a Craig list add for a JK hood for $100 so I decided to pick it up. That’s when I really started to think about all the different options to reduce the heat that builds up under the hood at slow trail speeds. First I started looking at vents, louvers then I ran across Pontiac GTP scoops blah blah blah… all were way to much money to spend on something I didn’t know would really help. I finally found a scoop at AutoZone for $40. When I got it home I realized there was a lot of room under the scoop. Then I started thinking of mounting a fan to push the hot air out. After doing several Internet searches I found a cheap 8” fan that pushes 1700 CFM’s and best of all its reversible. After the fan came in I just started moving the fan around the hood to find the best place. Originally I started in the center but there was not enough room on top of the motor to clear the fan. Then looking around the driver side area made a lot of sense. There was lots of space and that side of the hood seams to be hotter anyway. It also reminds me of the old Dodge Turismo TC3 power hood.
Nuts and Bolts:
Materials
1. 8” AC Fan 1700CFM’s $17
2. Autozone scoop $40
3. 12 volt switch
3. In line 30 amp fuse $3
4. 4 ½” bolts, nuts and washers
5. 10 feet of wire
6. edge trim molding
7. Black paint $6
8. Clear coat paint $6
9. Double sticky foam tape
10. Black RTV
All total with out the hood I have about $72 invested, I did have some of the misc parts around the house.
First figured out a good location for the fan
Then cut a paper template from the fan
Tape the template to the hood and trace around it
Then with a punch mark the hood so you can drill the hood from the top down
Tape off the hood and using a body saw cut a 7.5” hole in the hood and drill 4 bolt holes. Next I painted the areas of the hood that were cut and drilled.
Next mount the fan I used double sticky foam tape on both side of the hood to create small cushion and put the RTV in the holes. I also took some edge molding a put that around the 7.5” hole.
There is some room to mount the peel and stick scoop so measure and make sure you can flip the hood over and it will clear the windshield.
Next I hard wired it in to a switch on the dash so I can control when it turns on. I routed the wires through the channels in the hood and used some wire loom I had laying around.
After I installed the fan I also ordered a Superchips programmer and adjusted when the thermostat fan would kick on I changed the stock settings to low at 200 Med at 205 and High at 210. On the trail you can really tell the difference and with the thermostat adjusted and you hear it change from Med to High and then kick the hood fan on the radiator fan quickly shifts from High to low and the off.
I had been toying around with the idea of making my own heat reduction hood for awhile, when I found a Craig list add for a JK hood for $100 so I decided to pick it up. That’s when I really started to think about all the different options to reduce the heat that builds up under the hood at slow trail speeds. First I started looking at vents, louvers then I ran across Pontiac GTP scoops blah blah blah… all were way to much money to spend on something I didn’t know would really help. I finally found a scoop at AutoZone for $40. When I got it home I realized there was a lot of room under the scoop. Then I started thinking of mounting a fan to push the hot air out. After doing several Internet searches I found a cheap 8” fan that pushes 1700 CFM’s and best of all its reversible. After the fan came in I just started moving the fan around the hood to find the best place. Originally I started in the center but there was not enough room on top of the motor to clear the fan. Then looking around the driver side area made a lot of sense. There was lots of space and that side of the hood seams to be hotter anyway. It also reminds me of the old Dodge Turismo TC3 power hood.
Nuts and Bolts:
Materials
1. 8” AC Fan 1700CFM’s $17
2. Autozone scoop $40
3. 12 volt switch
3. In line 30 amp fuse $3
4. 4 ½” bolts, nuts and washers
5. 10 feet of wire
6. edge trim molding
7. Black paint $6
8. Clear coat paint $6
9. Double sticky foam tape
10. Black RTV
All total with out the hood I have about $72 invested, I did have some of the misc parts around the house.
First figured out a good location for the fan
Then cut a paper template from the fan
Tape the template to the hood and trace around it
Then with a punch mark the hood so you can drill the hood from the top down
Tape off the hood and using a body saw cut a 7.5” hole in the hood and drill 4 bolt holes. Next I painted the areas of the hood that were cut and drilled.
Next mount the fan I used double sticky foam tape on both side of the hood to create small cushion and put the RTV in the holes. I also took some edge molding a put that around the 7.5” hole.
There is some room to mount the peel and stick scoop so measure and make sure you can flip the hood over and it will clear the windshield.
Next I hard wired it in to a switch on the dash so I can control when it turns on. I routed the wires through the channels in the hood and used some wire loom I had laying around.
After I installed the fan I also ordered a Superchips programmer and adjusted when the thermostat fan would kick on I changed the stock settings to low at 200 Med at 205 and High at 210. On the trail you can really tell the difference and with the thermostat adjusted and you hear it change from Med to High and then kick the hood fan on the radiator fan quickly shifts from High to low and the off.
10-29-2011, 09:08 AM
#6
JK Freak
Thread Starter
I have had several Pm's about this mod.
So I thought I should post an update. In the summer this worked excellent the fan is a little loud, however with combining that with a failsafe thermostat and the programer it made an incredible difference in under hood temp on the trail at slow speeds. Also the hood scoop and programing made noticeable difference at highway speeds.
On the trail when to electric radiator fan kicks on and you can hear it move from low to med or med to high and I turn the hood fan on with in seconds in the radiator fan kicks down and off. If you run with the hood fan on the radiator fan hardly ever kicks on. I also only run trails in 4 low and I have an automatic. Another trick I learned with the Auto is to use it like a stick. If you stop on the trails and are idling always slip it into neutral or park. This helps with trany heat.
The hood works so well I've had to put the stock one back on this fall. Going back and forth to work the engine never warmed up enough to turn the fan on. At 50 degrees and below I kept blowing engine codes because it didn't warm up enough. I changed the hood and the programing back to stock for the winter and everything is good.
The partnumber on the fan is ACK-1001-8-Z300
So I thought I should post an update. In the summer this worked excellent the fan is a little loud, however with combining that with a failsafe thermostat and the programer it made an incredible difference in under hood temp on the trail at slow speeds. Also the hood scoop and programing made noticeable difference at highway speeds.
On the trail when to electric radiator fan kicks on and you can hear it move from low to med or med to high and I turn the hood fan on with in seconds in the radiator fan kicks down and off. If you run with the hood fan on the radiator fan hardly ever kicks on. I also only run trails in 4 low and I have an automatic. Another trick I learned with the Auto is to use it like a stick. If you stop on the trails and are idling always slip it into neutral or park. This helps with trany heat.
The hood works so well I've had to put the stock one back on this fall. Going back and forth to work the engine never warmed up enough to turn the fan on. At 50 degrees and below I kept blowing engine codes because it didn't warm up enough. I changed the hood and the programing back to stock for the winter and everything is good.
The partnumber on the fan is ACK-1001-8-Z300
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11-03-2011, 06:18 PM
#9
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by absolutalchemy
Very interesting design. No problems with water seeping in and shorting the fan?