Hood Vents

[Darksyde]

Ok this question may be retarded. But the hood vents on the Z34...what are their actual function. I mean i can see it directs are to the edges of the engine compartmant maybe towards brakes..... I was just thinking of making a air box and using them as my inlets.....just wondering if this will diminish any important function they have

[Prospeeder]

arnt they the same as the TGP hood vents, as i mean the same purpose, to allow heat form the engine out? U can tell they let out alot of heat, when there clogged with snow, they melt fast, the whole hood could be coverd and have the luvers compleltly snow free

[Darksyde]

well i figured heat would escape yes but it looks as if the channels are directed towards the wheel wells....

[Prospeeder]

i would think then its just for looks, they do look cool IMO, cause i dont think heat escapes at high speeds, so it wouldnt go far anyway, so i wouldnt worry about it, 3.4 w/o the vents do just fine so...

[Aaron]

They are heat extractors. Custom fabricating an airbox out of them will due you no good, since they are exits for air, not entrances. As air pushes into your bay, through the radiator, it is a place for it to escape. They actually work really well. They also serve as pressure relievers. If you are familiar with the Fiero, their headlights tend to pop up unexpectently at higher speeds. This is as a result of rpessure buildup in the forward compartment. Although our headlights won't "pop up", same concept applies.

[GTPrix]

To respond to your question about air gettinng to the brakes / wheels : Thats not even possible, since hot air is less dense than cool air and will rise. Therefore, any cool air going to your brakes will never come through those vents. The vents are extractors, as warm air rises through them.

 

Drew

[Darksyde]

ya know common sense would have told me it was a release of air/pressure....

 

 

ah well my second idea (which would probably work better) was getting a nascar intake duct($17) and mount it in the center of the ground effects up front and run a hose to the intake i have.....

[Prospeeder]

well, dont the 3.4's w/o the Vents get along just fine too?

[Aaron]

well, dont the 3.4's w/o the Vents get along just fine too?

 

Yes they do. Mostly it was appearence, but they also serve a purpose. And with the under plates removed, they keep enderhood temps down quite a bit. But they are not essential by any means, therefor they were installed primarily for cosmetic reasons.

[Crimson Fury Z]

they must be ok, haven't seen any postings from the euro 3.4 owners complaining of any thing like that.........yet :shock: !

[Prospeeder]

yea, im gonna take the underplates off my TGP, but be sure to put them back on in the winter

[mfewtrail]

Here's one site with a little blurb about hood louvers and an illustration of how they function.

 

http://www.greenwoodcorvettes.net/gc4/louvers.htm

[Aaron]

I've never replaced the baffles on my Z34 in the winter, and so far over 4 years with no problems.

[slick]

I thought i read somewhere that the vents actually help with the aerodynamics?

[GutlessSupreme]

I thought i read somewhere that the vents actually help with the aerodynamics?

 

Probably somewhat. As said, they relieve underhood air pressure, which I think at higher speeds would want to lift the front end (very slightly). With vents, the upward and backward force of the air has a much quicker escape, possibly decreasing and slight lift effect. Hell, if I'm looking at it right, they may even help slightly with gas mileage, because a lot of the air the car's taking into the engine compartant as it moves now has a place to flow quickly from instead of trying to find other escape routes.

 

Picture a parachute.

Put some louvers in the chute.

What just happened

[Heza]

well, dont the 3.4's w/o the Vents get along just fine too?

 

Yes they do. Mostly it was appearence, but they also serve a purpose. And with the under plates removed, they keep enderhood temps down quite a bit. But they are not essential by any means, therefor they were installed primarily for cosmetic reasons.

 

bullshit flag. they dont keep underhood temps down quite a bit. ive had a computer reading coolant temps and there wasnt that much of a difference between open louvers and drip-panned louvers.

[Prospeeder]

what where you mesuring with, ur stock gauge, thats no accurate

[Heza]

what where you mesuring with, ur stock gauge, thats no accurate

 

with a scan program that my friend has plugged directly into my OBD-II port.

[Prospeeder]

oh thats cool, how much did that cost him

[Aaron]

I didn't say coolant temp, I said underhood temp

[Aaron]

And actually they would keep coolant temps down, you can get like quadruple the air flow through the radiator. But you would have to be driving in order for them to be noticed.

[Heza]

And actually they would keep coolant temps down, you can get like quadruple the air flow through the radiator. But you would have to be driving in order for them to be noticed.

 

...you dont say. just for shits and giggles, i will hook up the computer again and monitor air intake temps with open louvers and with closed louvers then. because im pretty damn sure underhood temps between both may vary a whopping 2*.

[Darksyde]

Ok anyway back to my original point and question. Do you think it would work? Would enough air get into that duct? If not i was thinking of making some sort of duct or intake on the hood to deflect the air in..... Any opinions on if this is just dumb or would work?

[Heza]

typically, the fresher air comes from the front of the car. if you had a duct that was matched to your louver, you would get air from it. however, it would probably be best to just duct from behind your bumper.

[Aaron]

No it would not work. That is an air release, not an inlet. Doing so would disrupt underhood airflow, and not provide any benefits. You'd be best off just running a true cold air intake.