MORE HOOD LOUVER QUESTIONS

[Michael Martin]

Hood louvers would appear to give much needed relief to hot running characteristics of the Viper especially in the south during the summer's high heat and humidity. With the advantage of increased air flow in the engine comparment and minimizing lift created by the current configuration, it seems odd that very few owners utilize this set up. You see them on the some of the all out race cars and the 3rd generation concept Viper, but how practical are they in normal driving conditions... i.e. daily drivers, road trips, etc.

 

[luc]

I don't know if you remember but all XKE (E TYPE) Jaguar from 1961 until the last V12 in 74/75 had hood louvers.
The main reason for it was to help get rid of the hot underhood air and cool the engine.
They are very practical for a daily or street car and work very well.
Luc.

 

[GTS Dean]

The two primary reasons that many GT racecars have louvered hoods are because most don't have fans and the louvers keep air from stacking up in the engine compartment causing front end lift at high speed.

Not running a fan is the main reason that so many racecars boil over during prolonged pit stops.

 

[C O D Y]

The fan was a running change..... so Oct '98 and earlier build dates should think about upgrading to the '99 fan.

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

Do I have the upgraded fan module housing? Changed mine early last year and the new one I bolted up had rubber flaps in the shrouding, not the plastic venting like the old one?

 

[GTS Dean]

That's the one!

 

[Guyver1]

Actually, the hood louvers on most GT race cars aren't for cooling. The Dodge engineers discovered that at speeds approaching 200mph, the normal Viper hood tends to be rather unstable, and several hoods flew-off during the testing process for the GTS/R. The Louvers were simply a manner to keep the air from blowing the hood off of the car after 5 hours of high-speed laps.

 

[Jay Herbert]

If you want to move a little more air through the engine compartment W/O adding holes in the hood, Autoform offers vented cowls.