Making front vent work, other vents
This is something I posted up over on the blue forum. My engine bay was getting so hot my compressor for my front locker was refusing to work.
This is the "finished product" from the outside:
The main idea here is to get more exterior air into the engine bay, and then to get the warm engine bay air out.
The stylish air intake on the hood, above the main grill is a fake plastic cover. But, this would be a good place for a real air intake. The plastic cover can be removed, but one gone, you have two problems: 1. You now have a big open hole in the hood, 2. The hole only goes in abit, and then you hit a layer of hood sheet metal (and then another) - the air still won't go into the engine bay.
The grill
On Air2Air's suggestion, I got some nice sturdy metal mesh from
industrial metal supply, which is just a sheet metal store. I tried Home Depot, and couldn't get anything decent. It has been pointed out to me that the pattern I chose is a little BBQ or screen door. I know
But it was by far the strongest piece available, and I took strength over matching aesthetics... ymmv.
The metal mesh is cut to the size of the hole left by the plastic faux intake mesh. In order to retain structural strength, we did not cut out all of the first layer of sheet metal. Instead, we left support pieces every few inches. Some of these residual pieces were used to bolt the metal mesh into place.
The stock hood, prior to the cut. Note the support ridges - these were left in tack as we cut holes in the panels around them:
The "mesh" in the upper air intake in the stock hood is a plastic faux mesh - no air will get through (and if it did, it wouldn't get far):
The metal mesh in place in the intake:
The support pieces left in the first layering of sheet metal cut are evident (note that this photo has the second layer cut, also, else you couldn't see the first layer):
These images show more of the bolting of the metal mesh:
The secondary (inner) layer of sheet metal also needs to be cut to allow air flow through. Like the first layer, we left support beams in the sheeting at "reasonable" (i.e. guess) intervals.
This image shows some of the support pieces we left in the inner layer of hood sheet metal:
The Louvers
We had two approaches to getting engine bay air out: the louvers were our better idea. These are parts that
MAF have put on various Toyota 4WD vehicles. The louvers come in different shapes and can be
found on the MAF website. They come in long, wide, or square sizes. The one I have on right now is a long. The hood panel beneath the louver location was cut, without cutting the support structures below. This reduces the amount of air going out the louver, but strength is probably key here. The louver is placed with the air intact back-to-front, such that driving in rain doesn't pound water into the engine bay. Rain will come in, though, fyi.
Marking out where the hood louver shop will go:
View from inside after chop with louver on:
View from the outside:
Details of the pins used to hold the louvers in place:
Amount of open air via the louver:
Ducting to the Meshes Below the Wind Shield
Large meshes sit below the wind shield that are used to duct air into the cabin air system (the a/c when vented). We decided to try using these for engine bay air outlets. Obviously, they can't really work for both, so if you want outside air coming through your cabin vents, then you probably don't want this mod (or you for some reason
like sucking on dirty engine bay air).
Basically, we cut holes in the plastic "firewall" that separates the engine bay from these mesh outlets. The driver-side wall was not cut because the air intake plumbing connects there. This is just a basic plastic cutting exercise, nothing fancy:
Holes cut in the barrier that ordinarily stops engine bay air and cabin intake air from mixing:
