What creative ways are you guys coming up with to divert rainwater that gets into HOOD louvers? I will drive my car in the rain, and need some inspiration. The louvers are already in the hood, so I need come up with something to divert rain should it be outside when it rains/ driving in the rain. I was thinking just something as simple as a sheet metal channel that encompasses all the louvers and brings the water forward following the the slope of the hood to the grille area. Ideas? Pictures? On the other hand, would it no be worth the effort, and just use some king of air cleaner housing that is less likely to get wet? Brian
When I had my 39 Deluxe Ford Coupe, I had 108 louvers in the hood, and never worried about diverting the rain water. I sealed all the plug wires going into the dist cap, and never worried about it. I never had a problem with the engine drowning from water.
My pals '55 Ford Y Block sedan he had back in high school had metal channels epoxied to the underside of the hood panel. We would slide a pair of galvanized sheet metal panels in the slots when it got crummy outside. That little tri power 272" never let us down, rain, snow or shine. Did the same drill to another Ford we drove that ran 4 oval shapped Buick portholes in the hood. Sealed it up just fine.
Go to your local sign maker and get a large sheet of the magnetic sign material that they use for the sides of vans and cars. Trim to fit. No more water. Keep them in your trunk for when it rains Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
the handyman in my avatar has 144 punched in the hood i drove it every day for 2 years in northern il never had a moisture problem
I had a louvered hood on my old 79 Chevy daily driver pickup. I was suprised that there was more water coming out of the louvers driving in the rain than there was going in. I guess it came through the radiator and up off the road. I guess it let lots of water in while it was parked, but I never had any trouble with it starting and running.
truly the magnetic sign material is the way to go. I do recomend that you trim it into strips just wide enough to cover each row of louvers, 'cause I have seen situations where the weight of the sheet + engine heat have made it unhappy about staying stuck up side down. That said, my Plymouth has been proudly wearing it's 168 louvers in it's hood for over 19 yeras and about 200,000 miles now, and I have never bothered to divert water in any way. I do paint detail engines instead of chrome and polish though. Some might be saying "just great for a guy that lives in the desert" But you have to remember that my car has been in every state at some point or another, including five summers spent on the Washington coast getting rained on and drivin hundreds of miles everyday. My ignition system is a M.S.D. setup with a couple of the recomended vent holes drilled in the sides of the cap. NEVER has my car not started due to moisture in the ignition system, period. I just flat wouldn't worry about it.
That's why industrial air compressors, stationary power generators, and portable welders have louvers on the side instead of the top.
Little water doesn't usually hurt anything.... on my other hot rods and my current one i don't have a hood....drove them in the rain just fine....the only PIA is cleaning the nooks and crannies in the engine when the rain stops.... But if you would really need to block it off, the magnetic sign material would be the ticket... just put it on the inside only when it rains... Tom
I have 130 louvers in my hood. I've driven in rain, heavy rain, driving rain, hail, sleet..... never had any problems at all.
I had a louvered hood on my daily driver '65 El Camino and the only problem I ever had was the heads of the intake bolts rusting from the moisture.
I have several friends who run louvered hood tops with -0- problems. If it makes you feel any better I have been caught 50 miles from home blastin down the freeway in a torrential downpour many times. Lightening & all. Do I try to get eveything wet? nah but it does happen from time to time and when it does -0- problems. (except a dirty engine compartment) vehicles are suppose to be driven right?
No problem with either of these in heavy rain, (except for ocupant issues if I dont have the top on the roadster). Gary
"Rainwater blowin' all under my hood, knew that it was doin' my motor good",,, Mabellene, Chuck Berry.
120 louvers and a couple hundred thousand miles with no problems except keeping the engine clean. Make sure your air cleaner top doesn't have a low spot around the hold down nut or it isn't dished so it can catch water. The one on my daily wouldn't work on my 48 as the top of it is dished in so that it catches anything that get on it. If you like to show off a shiny engine plan on lots of hours of engine and engine compartment cleaning. With that said, louvered hoods always look best closed rather than gapping open. I looked and saw that you have Ford ohv engines most likely and their distributor caps hate moisture with a passion unless you do some real sealing. Carry a roll of paper towels and a big can of WD40 in the car all the time if you punch the hood. I used to have to go out and dry out one customer's Ford distributor every time it rained when I worked in a shop in Waco in the 70's
I've got six rows of them in my hood and run no hood sides. Been caught in downpours many times and have not had any issues with the engine. I would not worry about it.
Which way is which, Mine have the opening toward the windshield. PS don't use that term in my suicide hood thread
Use to have a 47 Plymouth I installed a 400 SBC with around 100 louvers in the hood. With the engine running they where not a problem. Parked the car out side one night in a thunder storm. Water went down the air cleaner stud hole, down the carb, into the engine. # 7 intake valve must have been open. Filled # 7 cyl up with water. Water doesn't compress so it bent # 7 connecting rod when I went to start it.
I'm running a hood with 3 rows of 20 on my 34. The only time I had a problem was a huge driving rain horizontal with 40mph gusts(shouldn't have been driving anyways) following another open wheeled car a little to close. It didn't kill the motor, but you could tell it wasn't happy. Plus I was running open elements on my carbs. Sitting still I've never had a problem, even in heavy rains it hasn't ever failed to start.
my 34 has 6 rows and my 29 roadster has no hood, i run 351 windsors and never had a problem, i have been in hard rains, i might get wet but the engines keep running just fine
I think you're worryin' about nuthin'. More moisture will come through the radiator than through the louvers. Case in point, my A's engine with hood top (no louvers) and sides removed got equally as dirty as my daily driver when running in rain. Has your experience been different? Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
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