Pontiac Hood Louvers

[John3seventeen]

Compiled from info from Tom Mudd, TJKJ2002, and other sources. I take no responsibility for you cutting holes in your hood and ruining it.:icon_twisted:

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First tape and cover the entire Hood & make yourself some accurate templates, and cover your windshield & roof with a blanket or something.
I didn't cover mine and spent hours polishing out little rusted bits of metal which had melted itself fast.
Also cover the engine with something that won't catch fire and that you don't care if you get paint on. And remove the under hood insulation.
Then locate your templates under your hood to the best position to clear the under hood structure.
Next using these measurements as a guide and decide on the final position on top of the hood. Tape them in place.

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Mark the template outline on the tape on the hood and remove templates.
Drill your small holes and test fit the louver.
Cut large holes using tools of your choice.
I used a Dremel with cut off discs and a jigsaw with a metal blade. BE CAREFUL I cut into my bracing on the one side before I knew it.

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Drill holes in bracing

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Paint all cut metal

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Attach hood louvers.
I used a small amount of roof cement on the hood side. Make sure to have plenty of washers for under the hood.

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[tommudd]

I'll throw up some of my old pictures. I did mine in 06 or so I think, also are more forward than Johns. I used a jigsaw on mine, Larry ( wildmans) and Daryls ( 501) to cut them out
mine

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Larrys

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Upload Daryls later

 

[CactusJacked]

Do those take in any rain water through the louvers?

 

[CzarKJ]

I really like them but with the snow and ice around here... it could become a issue fast!

 

[ftaa]

im assuming this is just looks? or because racetruck?

 

[tommudd]

Do those take in any rain water through the louvers?

Mine never have, now my friend Chris has the larger ones like TJKJ has and he has to cover his engine when he knows its going to rain

Now of course the ones on Larrys where he had that dual hot air intake on, it was right above his. he of course blew his a year afterwards

 

[tommudd]

I really like them but with the snow and ice around here... it could become a issue fast!

Not at all, I've had a foot of snow on my hood and every amount below and never caused any issues. Get in fire it up and have nice warm/ melted areas / places on your hood in a few minutes.
Would I do it again...............sure in a heartbeat

 

[tommudd]

im assuming this is just looks? or because racetruck?

I never do anything for looks, its all about getting heat out of the engine compartment. Be it driving slow while wheeling or in stop and go traffic when cooler you can see the heat rising up through the louvers.
Heard lots of people replacing hoses etc that are brittle, mines still like new very pliable over 10 years old and 213,000 miles. I'd like to think part of that was getting that heat out of the engine bay and not cooking everything

 

[ftaa]

I never do anything for looks, its all about getting heat out of the engine compartment. Be it driving slow while wheeling or in stop and go traffic when cooler you can see the heat rising up through the louvers.
Heard lots of people replacing hoses etc that are brittle, mines still like new very pliable over 10 years old and 213,000 miles. I'd like to think part of that was getting that heat out of the engine bay and not cooking everything

well arent you just a wealth of information and i suppose its cheaper than a new hood.

 

[tommudd]

well arent you just a wealth of information and i suppose its cheaper than a new hood.

After 3 XJs you learn how to cool the engine compartment off. They were bad for that . I had GTP hood lovers on two of them. Won't say what we used to use on the CJs :happy175::happy175:

 

[ftaa]

this is my first jeep always ran suzukis in the past ... and dont tell the local jeep guy at redrock customs he'll tell you i still dont have a jeep ... he says i drive an underated mercedes.. he refuses to help with anything unless its a 4 door wrangler

 

[tommudd]

this is my first jeep always ran suzukis in the past ... and dont tell the local jeep guy at redrock customs he'll tell you i still dont have a jeep ... he says i drive an underated mercedes.. he refuses to help with anything unless its a 4 door wrangler

Lot of so called " 4 Wheel Drive Shops are like that. Local shop where i used to live was always advertising how many Jeeps they had lifted etc. I had to go in one day for a part ( last resort:emotions34 came back out to all of the techs, most of the sales staff under and around my KJ. In 10 years they had tried to lift one KJ with a spacer lift, at that time we'd already done over 25 at my place.
Of course I got the " well TJs and JKs are so much easier. I challenged them to a race lifting them but they declined :happy175: I knew my buddy Chris and i could do a 4 inch on a KJ faster than what they could do a TJ or JK

 

[ftaa]

well i am thinking maybe one of these guys with a sfa could show him that these are jeeps too haha! he is the one that also told me that you cant put gears in a liberty because "they just wont work" i'm starting a small helper shop in my garage for some local guys since there is a tonne of these kj's in town ... and nowhere to go for parts unless i drive 3 hours north ... frutrating as piss... since everything has to come from the us and extra duty and crap ... anyway i digress

nice louvers! any louvers work or ? another thing i thought about was getting them stamped in at a local machine shop

 

[John3seventeen]

Do those take in any rain water through the louvers?

Yes, mine are positioned to the outside of the valve covers. It all goes to the ground.

 

[CactusJacked]

Yes, mine are positioned to the outside of the valve covers. It all goes to the ground.

This type of louver might be better then, where you can close it off in bad weather. :happy175:

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[tommudd]

well i am thinking maybe one of these guys with a sfa could show him that these are jeeps too haha! he is the one that also told me that you cant put gears in a liberty because "they just wont work" i'm starting a small helper shop in my garage for some local guys since there is a tonne of these kj's in town ... and nowhere to go for parts unless i drive 3 hours north ... frutrating as piss... since everything has to come from the us and extra duty and crap ... anyway i digress

nice louvers! any louvers work or ? another thing i thought about was getting them stamped in at a local machine shop

:happy175::happy175:Some people he'd be speechless if he could see just some of the KJs that we've worked on at my place.
Sounds like a good idea on the shop there at your place. My old garage had KJs/ KKs from 6 different states having work done on them from louvers/ tuneups/ fluid changes/ lifts/ swapping in 4 cylinder diffs etc Always something going on.
Typical weekend at my place

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Everything from new to old, my buddies new toy that works building Wranglers everyday to my KJ in the background

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[ftaa]

when i head to ohio for my next browns game ima have to look you up! that willys is awesome

 

[tommudd]

This type of louver might be better then, where you can close it off in bad weather. :happy175:

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:happy175::happy175::happy175:
Maybe funny but I have actually seen those on a TJ at the Bantum Jeep Fest :thumbsdown:

 

[John3seventeen]

This type of louver might be better then, where you can close it off in bad weather. :happy175:

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:thumbsdown:

You put em on yours first! Mine work fine.:whip:

And I want to see pics on here not on "Its a KJ Thing":happy107:

 

[twowings]

This guy apparently makes a living from them:

JEEPS - Hood Louvers | RunCool | Hood Vents For Your Vehicle -Hood Louvers | RunCool | Hood Vents For Your Vehicle -


This guy has good prices:

http://rodlouvers.com/Jeep-Panels-C211359.aspx?sid=17127


IIRC, the Pontiac louvers actually had drip trays with them just in case you were worried about the rain ruining your sweet engine detailing....LOL