Hood Heat Brackets!

[Voldemort]

HOOD LIFT BRACKETS

I know there is a lot of talk about the heat under the hood of the XJ so I decided to do this cheap mod a friend thought may work and give it a try. What I'm doing is making bracket that go between the hood and the hood brackets that hold it on, thus making a cowl like gap at the rear of the hood. This will in turn let heat out and cool air in like a cowl hood minus the $500 cost and you can just unbolt them and scarp it if you don't like it unlike hood vents where you are left with big holes in your hood if you do not like them!
So I started today but it rained and I have no Garage so here is what I have so far.
Here is the piece of scrap I'm using for the project I cut into 3" pieces
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2604.jpg
Here are the sides being grinded down so they are straight
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2605.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2606.jpg
next is to drill two holes in each 0.5" from the ends and 2" apart and then comes the install!?!?!
OK here we are got them drilled painted and on and here is the PICS!! Went on easy(expect for me slicing my thumb ope on the side of the hood) had to get new longer bolts and this is just 1" and it closes just like they were not there
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2618.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2619.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2620.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2621.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s17/biggdaddy2/100_2623.jpg
I will not be able to tell you how much it helps till I get it back on the road and that will be with the 6.5" lift Heheheheeheh!
http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/images/smilies/bling.gif

[BlueXJ]

That has to be a start to keeping a 4.0L cool.









OK what you hidin' under that tarp. Is that Jimmy Hoffa?

[cher96]

Great work!

With the angle of your hood...
Are you having any trouble with the Hood Latches?

[2000XJ]

That's much prettier than what I did (a bunch of washers is what I used).

Mine is up about an inch, and I don't run into any issues with the hood latches.

[muddeprived]

I have to be the first one to say this: Your hood is broken. :cheerleader:

Whatever works for you works for me :) I got two big holes in my hood. :D

[BlueXJ]

OK what you hidin' under that tarp. Is that Jimmy Hoffa?


You are AVOIDING the question Bigbadxj!!!!

[Voldemort]

You are AVOIDING the question Bigbadxj!!!!

Yes I am HAHHAHAHAH! It is a secret that will be unleashed(as soon as I can get the redX up high enough for them)

[Voldemort]

Great work!

With the angle of your hood...
Are you having any trouble with the Hood Latches?

No closing probs. Just less heat under the hood for cheap. The good thing is if you don't like it take them off and throw them back in the scrap metal pile.:beavis:

[lowrider]

I used washers on mine no scrap pipe around. Every once in awhile mine will stick small tap on the back and it opens

[TheWeiss]

What happened to the pictures? I think this is something that I'd like to try.

Also and issue with Water getting into places it shouldn't? Having an open gap right next to the firewall worries me.

[xj4life2]

I did this a while back and have run it now for about a year or so ago. I used some 1/2 steel and drilled them useing the shims that are already in there. Bolted them in with the stock shims and all is good dropped about 10 degrees when pulling the 2200 feet up to my house. I put a "ribbon" on the back to test functionality and at low speeds it will push hot air out and at higher speeds acts as cowel induction and sucks cool air in. Its a excellent low $$ mod that actually works. No latch issues at all, thought it might when twisted up but has held tight.

[Indiana Jeep]

I did the same thing to mine about a week ago, maybe 2, I have not seen much of a difference on the temp gauge, but I can definitely tell it's working. Before the spacers, whenever it would rain and I was stopped you could see a lot of steam coming off of the hood. Now, when it rains, not a bit of steam. Also the hood feels a little cooler to touch after driving. The temp still stays about 210, sometimes dropping slightly.

[toebee97]

A guy I know put spacers between his hood and brackets too, I thought it looked kinda cool as well as being functional.

[MonicaBang]

i can't see the pictures!

[Mudderoy]

i can't see the pictures!

Yeah that can happen. The pictures are from photobucket and they may have been renamed or removed by the person that posted them.

[thetinman857]

...no photos. ???

[Gabriel J]

Some washers and longer bolts work just fine also... Hope you dont have alot of leaky oil.. if your jeep does, get use to washing your windshield ALOT:rotfl2:

[dagr8tim]

Why not do hood pins and not have to worry about the latch being misaligned.

[Carves]

Why not do hood pins and not have to worry about the latch being misaligned.

If the latches are badly misaligned ... then most likely the spacer sizing is just overkill ....

Like Payless .. Ive just had 1/2" spacers for years - and they are adequate ... 3/4" would probably be the most needed.

Only difference is ... Ive got a bigger firewall seal between the hinges to prevent unwanted induction air ... and the engine bay vents from the hood corners at slow & highway speeds.

[SteveMongr]

With the rear of the hood lifted, during an accident the hood can come through the windshield.

[xj4life2]

That was covered earlier in this thread (thread is 4 years old), I will state that anything from a lifted rear of the hood to a cowl induction hood to a bolt on hood scoop can come through the window in an accident. But then so can a Deer or a raccoon or any of Gods creatures that wonder onto the Highway. Bottom line is with 4 grade 8 bolts holding 1" solid steel plates in place I don't think there is a lot to worry about.

[4.3LXJ]

I agree

[Mudderoy]

With the rear of the hood lifted, during an accident the hood can come through the windshield.

Thanks I think this is a good thing to remind people. You never know it might be the first time they've hear about it.

[Carves]

I agree

X 2.

Bolts and stacked washers may allow some movement and subsequent shearing in a collision ... but a one piece/two hole spacer should be as secure as original ... as long as the spacer gap is not excessive.

... and lets face it - If the 3 latches at the front and the hood hinge bolts fail ... theres nothing stopping the hood coming rearward, even if it was in the factory position.

... Much more likely the whole thing will just look like a piano accordion once the front gets a good bump ... regardless of raised/stock hood lines.

[silver_xj]

I'm thinking about getting the kit off ebay. Anyone running it?

[Brasscatz]

The other thing I've heard about this modification is that it doesn't work as well as people would hope because the ideal place for hood ventilation is at the front of the hood

[SteveMongr]

I'm thinking about getting the kit off ebay. Anyone running it?

I used this for driving in soft sand , but did not notice any benifits.
The best thing for cooling I have found is the V8 Grand Cherokee fan clutch.
Now I can sometimes run AC on the beach.
Also I use a fan override switch. Works great when crawling through sand that is 120 degrees from the sun.
And of course a well functioning cooling system.
I would not buy the kit. Remove one bolt and match it at NAPA or somewhere (Grade 8) with extra length. Then use washers, shims or blocks. I have found you only need to go up 1/4" to create a gap across the hood.

[SteveMongr]

The other thing I've heard about this modification is that it doesn't work as well as people would hope because the ideal place for hood ventilation is at the front of the hood

I wondred aboutt the effectivness of this too.
Maybe at low speed it would help. But that air is supposed to flow across the motor and through the trans tunnel,giving the trans airflow.
Wind tunnel test please. NASA, anybody?

[4.3LXJ]

Aside from safety issues, which I generally raise with this mod, it only works at low speeds. That area by the windshield is a high pressure area at high speeds and will force air in, not draw it out. As stated the most effective place for vents is right behind the radiator. This is an area of vacuum at high speeds and near the fan so it works well at low speeds too

[silver_xj]

I used this for driving in soft sand , but did not notice any benifits.
The best thing for cooling I have found is the V8 Grand Cherokee fan clutch.
Now I can sometimes run AC on the beach.
Also I use a fan override switch. Works great when crawling through sand that is 120 degrees from the sun.
And of course a well functioning cooling system.
I would not buy the kit. Remove one bolt and match it at NAPA or somewhere (Grade 8) with extra length. Then use washers, shims or blocks. I have found you only need to go up 1/4" to create a gap across the hood.

What year v8 GC fan clutch. I think mine may be on its way out.