[tmrpro]

I discovered what the so-called heat problem was when removing the Sky hood vents:

The problem isn't from removing or replacing the hood vents with functional hood vents. It is from removing or modifying your hood insulator. This is a very important and crucial part to keeping your temps down under the hood of the Sky.

You should not elliminate the hood insulator or cut holes allowing any hood surface areas to receive direct radiant heat. The metal hood will retain the heat and it will cause heat to buildup under the hood.

I made some aluminum channels out of 10" flashing and shaped it to spring load under the hood in 4" x 21" rectangular holes cut in to the hood insulator carpet.

Here's what they look like installed:

Using the hood insulator carpet and adding the channels to block the radiant heat yet still allow air to disipate brought the under hood temp down by 70 degrees.

I'm now waiting for my Saturn Motor Sports functional hood vents to arrive to complete my installation.

 

[JohnWR]

GM has cautioned against opening the hood vents because it can allow water to soak the insulation blanket. Are you planning any kind of grommet, or seal, to keep the insulation dry ?

I like your idea, and I've thought about doing it myself, so I'm anxious to see how yours works out. It looks good !

 

[mikecronis]

Your installation is very good and similar to my Pontiac Firehawk setup, the only Trans/Am subtype that actually has GM heat extractors. I recommend to mirror your setup to take the aluminium runners and continue them slightly more towards the front of the car to allow rain to drain further forward, though where they dead-end is pretty decent, actually. Good job. How much would you like to make another set?

 

[tmrpro]

Your installation is very good and similar to my Pontiac Firehawk setup, the only Trans/Am subtype that actually has GM heat extractors. I recommend to mirror your setup to take the aluminium runners and continue them slightly more towards the front of the car to allow rain to drain further forward, though where they dead-end is pretty decent, actually. Good job. How much would you like to make another set?

It's real easy to do ... perhaps I'll make some real specific instructions on how I did it with pictures so others can do it.

With this design, water doesn't ever touch the insulator carpet. I've sprayed the car down with my pressure washer and not a single drop touched the carpet. The channel diverts the water to the front of the hood, where it exits on the engine side of the radiator.

 

[[email protected]]

Great! I'll take them! :thumbs:

 

[seal9]

Hood Heat

TMRPRO Be very, very careful ...we also tried some thing like what you have completed ..but the temp over in the battery and ECM area was much higher even when the motor temp showed the engine had dropped 35 degrees. You might pick up a wireless remote thermometer that is battery operated for microwaves and run some checks....we found that opening the hood changed the air flow and cooled the motor but trapped heat in the side pannels and the heat from the headder was trapped....we are looking at other air flows using the R/L grill for cooling the front brakes and to see if we can redirect that air into the motor compartment right now...Seal9:cheers:

 

[tmrpro]

TMRPRO Be very, very careful ...we also tried some thing like what you have completed ..but the temp over in the battery and ECM area was much higher even when the motor temp showed the engine had dropped 35 degrees. You might pick up a wireless remote thermometer that is battery operated for microwaves and run some checks....we found that opening the hood changed the air flow and cooled the motor but trapped heat in the side pannels and the heat from the headder was trapped....we are looking at other air flows using the R/L grill for cooling the front brakes and to see if we can redirect that air into the motor compartment right now...Seal9:cheers:

I've been using thermometers under the hood in my tests. I've also been monitoring the side panel temps and all is cooler, not hotter. Stock temps (non-vented) with turbo temps averaged around 270 ... I've yet to get over 200 with the new design.

 

[JohnWR]

It sounds like this may be another of the "warrantee risking" modifications. ECM failure ? "Sir, you changed the airflow underhood by opening those vents, and that caused the failure, due to excessive heat in that area, so, no warrantee repair for you." Whether it does cause a problem or not, the risk is certainly there. I would document your temperature readings with and without the change, and, preferably get a dealer tech, or professional mechanic to sign off on the accuracy of the tests. Just to cover all the bases.

 

[tmrpro]

It sounds like this may be another of the "warrantee risking" modifications. ECM failure ? "Sir, you changed the airflow underhood by opening those vents, and that caused the failure, due to excessive heat in that area, so, no warrantee repair for you." Whether it does cause a problem or not, the risk is certainly there. I would document your temperature readings with and without the change, and, preferably get a dealer tech, or professional mechanic to sign off on the accuracy of the tests. Just to cover all the bases.

That's a cool idea, thanks!

 

[snaponbob]

Over the summer there was a national Solstice meeting in the Kansas City suburbs for 2 1/2 days. A GM development engineer was there and STRONGLY cautioned AGAINST opening the hood or side vents as the air flow under the hood WILL be upset and the battery and ECM will get HOTTER, not cooler. What you have done is very interesting but it would be nice if you can REVERSE the openings, document the underhood/battery/ecm temps and document the temps AFTER opening the hood vents. If all three are lower I will look forward to doing it on my REDLINE when I get it. I know that there were some Solstice owners that had installed turbos and they were melting the plastic buttons that secure the hood mat!!! THAT is HOT.

 

[tmrpro]

Over the summer there was a national Solstice meeting in the Kansas City suburbs for 2 1/2 days. A GM development engineer was there and STRONGLY cautioned AGAINST opening the hood or side vents as the air flow under the hood WILL be upset and the battery and ECM will get HOTTER, not cooler. What you have done is very interesting but it would be nice if you can REVERSE the openings, document the underhood/battery/ecm temps and document the temps AFTER opening the hood vents. If all three are lower I will look forward to doing it on my REDLINE when I get it. I know that there were some Solstice owners that had installed turbos and they were melting the plastic buttons that secure the hood mat!!! THAT is HOT.

The melting plastic hood pins have only happened to one owner (Tweety) according to Brad at Hahn Racecraft ... With all of the Hahn Racecraft Stage 2 Turbo Kit users out there, I wonder why there was only one?

 

[mikecronis]

What about a closed-system instead of open holes, using a heat-dissipating metal, like copper?

 

[madmods]

Tweety also lives in hotter weather. I'm a member of the solstice forum, and been looking at the heat problem
closely. We need more input on the data, such as stop n go
traffic vs freeway vs red lights. I also heard that opening the holes adds lift. Heats always going to be a problem and might move me more to a s/c if rksports ever gets their kit figured out

 

[GaryH]

Why fix something that is not broke? I guess I'm missing something.

 

[madmods]

Why fix something that is not broke? I guess I'm missing something.

Well, the aftermarket turbos cause alot of heat, so they are trying to figure out how to properly remove heat and route it out. Theres just so much variables to it. If you don't plan on doing the aftermarket turbo, then its not a problem.