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Hi all. I was surprised on the amount of heat after a 20 minute drive. Yesterday it was about 105 outside. I had taken the stock air induction set up off to clean it up. When I pulled in the driveway I put my hand over the hood bulge opening before I turned the engine off. It felt like a furnace was blowing on high. My car is stock lg4 with a clutch fan and even with temps over 100, it doesn’t overheat. My air induction system works as it’s supposed to but I’m considering leaving it off. Getting the hot air out of the engine bay seems more important. Thoughts?
My car is the same as yours, and I agree with you.
I don't want that much heat under the hood, even if the engine is not overheating.
But whatever you do, you don't want to feed the carb that hot, underhood air.
In other words, no open element air cleaner!
I would think that:
1) If there's no overheating issue,
2) You build or have a cold air inlet such as the factory TPI twin filter element, cowl induction or something,
then it really doesn't matter how hot it gets under the hood. Within reason of course.
What's really needed is a CAI (of course) and a heat extracting hood like a late model Corvette. Whatever goes through the rad is exited through a louver/vent in the hood. That and ceramic coated headers.
Seems to me this exists or existed on some level at one time. I'm thinking a Japanese deal form the 90's.
Here's the Vette version.
I've been following his thread. That's a tough one.
The hood I think would be difficult to execute. Not so much the hood itself but the shroud needed to get from the rad to the discharge area of the hood. I've checked out the Vette's OEM arrangement and it's tight. Really tight. I suppose you could go free air. It would lose some efficiency obviously but maybe better than nothing. But there's also the matter of rain...
If you incorporate that excellent looking cold air package then any holes punched in the hood I would think would be a benefit.
I've seen folks suggest that leaving the back end of the cowl induction style would help with removing under hood air. The problem I see with that is the exit of the cowl against the windshield is actually a high pressure area and air is drawn in. I think it's less pronounced today with the laid back windshields compared to the 60s/70s but it's proven to work that way. Holes on the side of the cowl on the other hand would do a pretty fair job.
Cold air first Mr No! I love the ram air aspect of it too. Then deal with the heat under the hood if that's needed.
You Firebird guys are kind of left out when it comes to the Camaro TPI filter housing but after seeing what Speier has accomplished with his, I'm thinking of abandoning my cowl induction approach and incorporating the modified TPI arrangement. Cold air. Ram air. Plus the hood is open in the back for whatever benefit that might provide taking into consideration what I said earlier about the high pressure area.
Cold air first Mr No! I love the ram air aspect of it too. Then deal with the heat under the hood if that's needed.
You Firebird guys are kind of left out when it comes to the Camaro TPI filter housing but after seeing what Speier has accomplished with his, I'm thinking of abandoning my cowl induction approach and incorporating the modified TPI arrangement. Cold air. Ram air. Plus the hood is open in the back for whatever benefit that might provide taking into consideration what I said earlier about the high pressure area.
I have heard about the high pressure area but the amount of heat coming out of the hood when my car was just idling was considerable. It felt like it was billowing out. I imagine it would be even more when driving, considering I have a clutch fan.
My car is the same as yours, and I agree with you.
I don't want that much heat under the hood, even if the engine is not overheating.
But whatever you do, you don't want to feed the carb that hot, underhood air.
In other words, no open element air cleaner!
So maybe I should replace the lid of my air cleaner which has the inlet that attaches to the air induction system with a standard closed lid?
So maybe I should replace the lid of my air cleaner which has the inlet that attaches to the air induction system with a standard closed lid?
If that's workable, then absolutely. As mentioned, if there's no overheating issue, as in engine temps beyond acceptable, and you can supply outside air to the induction system, then that's the approach to take.
No sarcasm intended although I see what you mean. By excellent looking I was referring to it's apparent functionality rather than the execution. Looks to be effective doesn't it?
EDIT: What I'd like to see is how and what it seals to.
So maybe I should replace the lid of my air cleaner which has the inlet that attaches to the air induction system with a standard closed lid?
Do you have the single or dual snorkel air cleaner base?
See this: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...ml#post6350187
Firebirds have a lower hood line than Camaros. Therefore, you probably can't fit the taller lid. But standard height versions are available.
Last edited by NoEmissions84TA; 07-10-2020 at 04:04 PM.
By excellent looking I was referring to it's apparent functionality rather than the execution. Looks to be effective doesn't it?
EDIT: What I'd like to see is how and what it seals to.
Do you have the single or dual snorkel air cleaner base?
See this: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...ml#post6350187
Firebirds have a lower hood line than Camaros. Therefore, you probably can't fit the taller lid. But standard height versions are available.
I have the single with the open lid. With the single snorkel, would a taller lid help?
I have the single with the open lid. With the single snorkel, would a taller lid help?
The restriction is the single snorkel itself. Each snorkel of the dual snorkel base is at least two times the size of the single. If your engine is stock, then it's not an issue. The extra inch in added height of the taller lid might not let your hood close.
The taller lid lets you use a 1" taller air filter element. If stock is 2", then you get a 50% increase in filtering capacity.
Last edited by NoEmissions84TA; 07-10-2020 at 06:07 PM.
The restriction is the single snorkel itself. Each snorkel of the dual snorkel base is at least two times the size of the single. If your engine is stock, then it's not an issue. The extra inch in added height of the taller lid might not let your hood close.
The taller lid lets you use a 1" taller air filter element. If stock is 2", then you get a 50% increase in filtering capacity.
I never paid much attention to the snorkel. It’s not only small, I don’t see how it gets cool air. The inlet’s location doesn’t have access to outside air. That area appears all blocked off.
I never paid much attention to the snorkel. It’s not only small, I don’t see how it gets cool air. The inlet’s location doesn’t have access to outside air. That area appears all blocked off.
It does look that way, but the idea is to get the "cooler" air in front of the radiator, and not from the hot engine compartment.
Look at how much larger the snorkel(s) are on the dual snorkel base.
Does that gasket on the top of the filter housing couple to a source of outside air? FWIW, although I've been around these 3rd gens for a while and I've seen that style of air cleaner in pictures, I've never seen one in person.
It does look that way, but the idea is to get the "cooler" air in front of the radiator, and not from the hot engine compartment.
Look at how much larger the snorkel(s) are on the dual snorkel base.
I actually have a late 70s Corvette air lid that is nearly identical to the 80s Monte Carlo lid. It can fit the taller filter. I also have an IROC air cleaner. Unfortunately I don’t have the ducts.
Yes it attaches to a unit that attaches to the hood. During WOT the solenoid open a directs outside air from the hood bulge.
Maybe I'm missing something in the translation but if you have a source of outside air through the bulge in the hood, then why not use it on a full time basis? Bypass the WOT solenoid.
That would take care of the CAI part. As for under hood heat, as I mentioned, if the engine's air supply is satisfied temperature-wise and there's no overheating issue, then it doesn't really matter.
Last edited by skinny z; 07-12-2020 at 01:28 PM.
Reason: Spelling and grammar
When I bought my car it had the cold air induction deal with the donut atop the air cleaner and all that. Wasn't impressed so I removed it for an open element nd the car seems to run cooler as certainly the hot air exits the cowl. I do like the idea of the side vents mentioned above . Getting air under the hood of these birds and keeping a stock look has always been a problem
You can also pull off the rubber seal on the rear bottom of the hood. Just know that it will suck a bit of the under hood heat into the interior fresh air vents on the cowl area. Also, whatever other smells and fumes coming from under the hood will enter as well..
Also a trick used by the top speed guys to drop under hood air psi build up.
When I bought my car it had the cold air induction deal with the donut atop the air cleaner and all that. Wasn't impressed so I removed it for an open element nd the car seems to run cooler as certainly the hot air exits the cowl. I do like the idea of the side vents mentioned above . Getting air under the hood of these birds and keeping a stock look has always been a problem
Based on the evidence I've seen, the cowl hood would work in two different ways. At idle, or when the car is moving slowly, there's no high pressure built up at the base of the windshield and the cowl opening would serve as an exit for the air passing through or being drawn through the rad by the fans. However as the vehicle speed increases, the high pressure builds and the exit, based on pressure differential, just isn't there. If the cowl is sealed to the air filter case, then you have your classic cowl induction hood. This is like NASCAR uses today although they cut their intake stream into the firewall where the cabin fresh air would normally be drawn from. (This way they can maintain the flat hood).
Maybe I'm missing something in the translation but if you have a source of outside air through the bulge in the hood, then why not use it on a full time basis? Bypass the WOT solenoid.
That would take care of the CAI part. As for under hood heat, as I mentioned, if the engine's air supply is satisfied temperature-wise and there's no overheating issue, then it doesn't really matter.
I suppose I can figure a way to manually keep the solenoid open. Just liked the idea of easily venting the hot air.
Just liked the idea of easily venting the hot air.
I can see that's a tough one. Probably the only way to accomplish that is to cut vents. One in the hood grill posted earlier. The other, and I'm not entirely sure how it all fits together, but might be to use the fender grills that came as an option on the Firebirds. At least I think it did on some model years.
Found this link. Item number 8 labelled as "extractor". https://www.wholesalegmpartsonline.c...roduct=2531338
I suppose I can figure a way to manually keep the solenoid open. Just liked the idea of easily venting the hot air.
If you were to do this, then do not energize the solenoid full time, or IGN powered. It will burn out in a short time. Instead, mechanically override the solenoid's linkage to keep the flap open. Also, I read somewhere about heavy rain being able to enter the intake tract and warranty issues for GM. Maybe that is why they discontinued the actual functional system and just kept the look in the later years. My 84 also had a drip tray which is supposed to direct any water entering away from entering the air cleaner housing.
Last edited by NoEmissions84TA; 07-12-2020 at 03:52 PM.
I can see that's a tough one. Probably the only way to accomplish that is to cut vents. One in the hood grill posted earlier. The other, and I'm not entirely sure how it all fits together, but might be to use the fender grills that came as an option on the Firebirds. At least I think it did on some model years.
Found this link. Item number 8 labelled as "extractor". https://www.wholesalegmpartsonline.c...roduct=2531338
Thanks. Mine has the extractors but they look to be more decorative than functional. Maybe they help with brake cooling.
07-09-2020, 06:20 PM
