Louvers for Engine Compartment

[Kwajdiver]

Here's what I did this weekend.

Installed 4 louvers. 

Went to West Marine, they had a selection of both Plastic and SS.

Bought two SS 3"X 14" for the side engine compartment door.  After cutting the door, these fit flush with the door panel.

Install the two plastic vents, one on each engine rear door.  These are chome and black, and stand out an inch or inch and a half.

Took about 90 minutes to install all four.

Total cost, $90.00

Bill

[Chaz]

Hey thanx for thinking of me WVAnative!! That is very nice and cool of you!!!!! I'm humbled.

  I can help in that regards but only in the arena of being able to hook you up with a fellow HotRodder that has a louver press. I have several big tools to form panels but not a louver press.
  But I am VERY interested in this topic as I would like to do the same. As a matter of fact, I just happen to have a couple questions in regards to this topic!! Go figure! LOLOL  (Hope this isn't hijacking!!)
  What is the best configuration for the louvers? (the low pressure area that the flaps create seems to work as stock so I don't want to counter that) Would you just put them on the radiator side and then on the back above the engine or ??.
  Hopefully someone here has some good solid knowledge before some of us go cutting up the skin of our bus's.   

   Hope to be helpful one day,
             Chaz
 

[TomC]

Saturday, I finished the mister system on the bus (haven't road tested yet).  While testing the misters, I put the engine up to about 1600 rpm with the King Cruise control so I had lots of radiator fan pressure.  My right outside transmission door hinges from the top (unlike GMC that swings like a door).  With the rear big door open, the right side door just hung there.  But when I closed the big rear door, the fan pressure caused the door to be elevated up about 6 inches.  I could push on the door and feel the pressure from the big fan, so that convinced me that installing two 24" wide x 16" tall louvers high on the back door will help.  I have found an A/C company that makes their own vents near to my bus.  I drafted up the design I want and am going to send it into them.  I will probably buy some of the West Marine stainless engine louvers for the auxiliary trans cooler I'll later install on the transmission door. Having a transit that wasn't designed for continuous high speed travel is one more obstacle to overcome.
Thanks to all that contributed to the louver problem.  Good Luck, TomC

[Kwajdiver]

I was behind a school bus yesterday that was a pusher.  Notice that instead of louver, part of it's double doors was a thin plate with a thousand hole in it.   This would be easy to install, just cut a hole in your engine compartment doors and bolt this in.  Seaching the web for metal supplies will bring up many such metals that could be used for venting.

Bill
In Phoenix till July 1st.

[belfert]

I was behind a school bus yesterday that was a pusher.  Notice that instead of louver, part of it's double doors was a thin plate with a thousand hole in it.   This would be easy to install, just cut a hole in your engine compartment doors and bolt this in.  Seaching the web for metal supplies will bring up many such metals that could be used for venting.

Will using a metal plate such as this cause problems with moisture intrusion into the engine compartment?

Louvers would at least deflect most water, but a metal plate would be easier to fabricate.

[Kwajdiver]

Not sure, say if it pours down rain.  Of course looking at my engine, not sure what a little water would hurt.

Let's see what others have to say.

Bill

[skipn]

 
Probably not what you are considering but on mine this is what they did to
the side rear doors. By the looks this was hand done (by the grinder marks on the
inside. I plan on doing the same to the back doors  plus the top part of the
lic. plate holder.   The pattern is the same as the cabin heater/ac intake on the
side of the bus towards the front.

Just a thought
Skip
   

[belfert]

Probably not what you are considering but on mine this is what they did to
the side rear doors. By the looks this was hand done (by the grinder marks on the

This wouldn't really work on my Dina as the engine door is a huge one piece fiberglass affair.  No metal to cut through.

[Chaz]

You could drill it -or- cut out a section and replace it with a louvered piece of stainless. Glue it or pop-rivet it in.

  Where there is a will there is a way! Just think HotRods.
    Chaz

[JackConrad]

This wouldn't really work on my Dina as the engine door is a huge one piece fiberglass affair.  No metal to cut through.

Several companies, such as Moore Industrial Hardware and McMaster&Carr sell stainless steel louvered panels in various sizes. I have used these on our bus.  Jack

[Dallas]

This wouldn't really work on my Dina as the engine door is a huge one piece fiberglass affair.  No metal to cut through.

Brian,

As Jack says, there are companies that specialize in louvered vents and other doodads.

Another option is to make a jig and use a router with a 1/2" rabbeting bit to cut through you fiberglass.

Good Luck,

Dallas

GO BUSING!

[belfert]

You could drill it -or- cut out a section and replace it with a louvered piece of stainless. Glue it or pop-rivet it in.

I can certainly do louvers.  I'm saying I can't just cut holes in the doors like an MCI with the stainless skin.

My plan is to install louvers, but I would rather have aluminum since the bus is aluminum and fiberglass.  I would most likely pain the lovers so stainless makes no sense.

[Kwajdiver]

After cleaning my blower blades today, (thanks to another post on cooling systems) I'm rethinking the louvers on the rear doors.  A solid door, seems to help guild the force of air  down across the engine.  What if by installing louvers not all the air goes down, but out the back door.  Thus lowering the amount of air, design to blow down across the motor.


Hummmmm,

Bill

[JackConrad]

Bill,
  We have the IBP louvered panels on our bus, but they were installed before we added the engine compartment air temp monitor, so I can't say how much, if any differenence they make. A few years ago Fred Hobe was heading north through South Georgia in August, towing his toad. He was experiencing overheated problems, so he stoped and bungie strapped the rear engine compartment doors open. He said this made a big difference, no more over heating problems.  Jack

[Brian Diehl]

I've also done the bungie strap thing with my doors.  Last summer I was driving in 100+ degree heat in SD and had excess heat problems.  Opening the doors was worth a 5 degree drop on the temp gauge...