• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Hood cowl rubber

morbid

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Feb 10, 2003
Messages
1,750
Location
Phoenix, AZ
In regards to this topic in the "old" forums... debating the removal of the cowl rubber and also "lifting" the rear of the hood.

http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=genmods&Number=969875

Living in wicked hot Phoenix, I have been trying to make my car run cooler. I have had the rubber removed for a while now, with the hood lifted about 1/4". I've been planning to take RogerB's advice and tape some string to the hood exit to see if I needed some rubber somewhere back there (I was thinking it would be needed in the middle section) to seal off the reverse airflow from the cowl.

I FINALLY got around to doing this. I taped 3" pieces of string 2" apart from each other. My tests were conducted at 80-90mph while the engine was not warm enough for the fans to kick in. The results were that all but 1 string was sucked back into the engine bay.

That 1 string never really moved. I replaced it and it still wouldn't move. It was located behind the booster, so I'm guessing that area was void of any air movement in either direction. The only time I saw any strings "flying" towards the windshield was when the a/c was on (high speed fans) and when I was going below 30mph. Even with the high speed fans on, as soon as I passed 30mph.. all but that 1 string was sucked into the engine bay. So... if when you're going over 30mph, the flow of air entering the engine bay from the rear of the hood would theoretically reduce the efficiency of the cooling system, as it would increase pressure in the engine bay (behind the radiator) as well as adding turbulent air in the bay. I'm aware there are at least several "seasoned" CEG'ers who have the hood lift... but I seriously doubt anyone has done any air flow tests.

Needless to say more, this "myth" of hot air being released through an opened cowl is crap... and I'll be realigning my hood and reinstalling the cowl rubber. Just thought I would reply to this old topic and put this ancient debate to sleep.
 
Last edited:
If anyone remembers the "hood scoop" on a approximately 1970 Chevelle SS396, you might realize the the opening is at the base of the windshield, not the front of the hood. Some Corvettes had the same style scoop. There is a high pressure spot at the base of the windshield.

I agree with your research.
 
yeah its called a cowl induction hood cause it sucks the air into the engine bay from the cowl.
 
Well, more specifically, it fed air into the engine air intake, not the engine bay. At speed, it was supposed to provide a very mild boost (very mild though). Also, air isn't "sucked" in, atmosphere pressure "pushes" it in. With cowl induction, it is a little more than atmosphere pressure.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top