Cascade Crew

[d00012]

Is it just for sound dampening? What's its purpose? Does it really need to be in there?

Stupid questions, I know, would think with my general knowledge about cars I would know these ones...but alas, that hood insulator baffles me.

[d00012]

Bad joke, I know...I'm unemployed and VERY bored, spent the morning applying to jobs. I won't post useless nonsense again...

[chevymad]

It's for sound and heat, it also works as a fire extinguisher. You don't really need it though. I'm running a sheet of aluminum inside my hood(made the cowl functional)

[aaron_sK]

I've left it in some cars (including my IROC) and pulled it in others. No rhyme nor reason, just my usual craziness.

You shouldn't be running your car as hot as GM did, nor should you be as worried about noise reduction as they thought there customers were.

[Schultzy89GTA]

imho it is to hold bits of mass air flow sensor from pushing through the hood during violent nitrous 'splosions. Quite effective too!



-Schultzy

[d00012]

Yeah, I have no idea what I was thinking when I asked that...I answered my own questions right after I hit "post."

My back/hip went out the other day...trying to put my socks on! For F**ks sake! So, with unemployment, and that...and the rain. Ughh...times suck. I want a job, and I want my 'bird running...

Back on topic, GM could have saved money when they made the V6s by just omitting the insulation. Or just omitting it on all vehicles, I mean, how much dB reduction do they provide? I'm tearing it out because it just looks hideous and collects loads of dirt. I get fiberglass and dirt in my hair everytime I go under the hood.

[d00012]

[Schultzy89GTA]

hehe. Nitrous solenoid stuck in the 'open' position. If I would have been smart enough to figure out what was going on I could have just shut her down and then purged it out of the engine. Not quite that lucky.

On the up side, I do have an 11 second timeslip

While a real situation, was kind of a joke on the topic. the insulation helps with heat and sound but not a critical element by any stretch.

-Schultzy

[d00012]

I know it's for sound, but what does it do for heat? It can't possible be hot enough under there to burn off the paint. My dad's 72 Jimmy has caught on fire and the hood is fine. Or is it an attempt to keep heat in to degrade the engine so people would take it to their local dealer to pay for repairs?

Broken MAF for an 11 second 1/4? I would say it was worth it.

[aaron_sK]

Stock smallblock runs 215-235, and if you run TPI the TB coolant crossover is inches from the hood.

Plus the fact that all thirdgens built after '87 were built (and painted) in Van Nuys.

[IROCDave]

The main reason to run the insulation is for sound cancelation. GM didnt engineer "what if's" so fire ( paint bubbling) cannot be a consideration. I do know that the insulation used to be cheap ( 40.00) several years ago, and really added that new feeling to the engine compartment when it was new. I replaced mine with OEM stuff along with the hood louvres and washers.

I guess it just comes down to what is important to you. Not sure what they cost now, but they used to be pretty cheap and will cut down on the engine clatter.

[chevymad]

The fire extinguisher part, i've been told the plastic hold downs will melt and drop the hood insulation as a blanket over the motor. As for heat, i think the crappy original paint needed all the help it could get to stay on.

My car is a norwood car and by the time we got it in 91 it had allready had a repaint.

[d00012]

Mine needs a new paint job anyways. That and it doesn't get very hot under there, after a good long drive to Seattle and back (close to 100 miles) I can still touch the UIM. That and I hate having fiberglass in my scalp...