APEX MPI hood screen options? what have you used?

[NHBoy]

Got a Stage 1 MPI S/C in my 07 Apex. Intercooler might as well have neon lights! Looks good but too much exposed. Worried about getting ice chunks thrown at it and damaging the intercooler. What have you used? Pictures would be great.

Thanks for sharing!

Marco

 

[SRXSRULE]

The screen material you want to use is "pet proof" screen door screen. Can be bought at lowes, home depot etc.. You might be able to attach it to the hood with 3M spray glue (works awesome) or you might have to make some kind of lite weight aluminum frame work. Eric

 

[mbarryracing]

Got a Stage 1 MPI S/C in my 07 Apex. Intercooler might as well have neon lights! Looks good but too much exposed. Worried about getting ice chunks thrown at it and damaging the intercooler. What have you used? Pictures would be great.

Thanks for sharing!

Marco

Marco, you should know that with a MPI stage1 you should really be out front in clean air, being the one throwing ice junks and not in back receiving them...
Press the "blurr-lever" a little further and that should solve your worries. LOL! If a stage 1 isn't enough to get that accomplished, crank it up

 

[NHBoy]

Got a Stage 1 MPI S/C in my 07 Apex. Intercooler might as well have neon lights! Looks good but too much exposed. Worried about getting ice chunks thrown at it and damaging the intercooler. What have you used? Pictures would be great.

Thanks for sharing!

Marco

Marco, you should know that with a MPI stage1 you should really be out front in clean air, being the one throwing ice junks and not in back receiving them...
Press the "blurr-lever" a little further and that should solve your worries. LOL! If a stage 1 isn't enough to get that accomplished, crank it up

Man! Why didn't I think of that! Will Do. I'll get a different set of pulleys and Crank her up!..............still need to worry about the hammer heads and even my kids. Might try the screen idea.

I thought I remember seeing a picture of someone using a stock airbox lid somehow glued to the hood and cut is some venting. Looked pretty good.

 

[mbarryracing]

Marco,
In all seriousness, covering the IC to hide it even slightly with a screen or an Outerwear material does affect the temps. Especially since there is little airflow available thru the IC in an Apex to begin with...
At first I didn't believe this but then was shown data to support it, and now you won't find me covering or painting any intercooler ever.
Consider that using an airbox cover makes things even worse. You might as well not even have an IC, it just becomes a "charge air heater" as it absorbs the engine compartment heat that has no where to dissipate out to (exposed to ambient air).
You really need to decide if you are after looks /cosmetics over functionality to gain HP and reliability (detonation supression).
But then again, if you drive like an old lady then it is irrelevant.

 

[tjc]

I didnt get the impression it was for looks but protection. Would screen really affect temps that much?

Im curious. Maybe if it was plugged up with snow/ice?

 

[mbarryracing]

You wouldn't think it would but it does. Not when moving slow or stopped, but when clipping down the trail under boost (and when the charge temps are up) it literally deflects the airflow that would normally get swirled over the surface thru the openings in the hood.
Keep in mind because of the location and orientation of an IC on an Apex (parallel to any airflow and butted up against the battery and block), there is very little to no air getting thru the core anyhow. You are relying on convection and dissipation,so in reality every little bit of fresh air exposure helps.
If you have snow or ice actually laying on the IC core, it's actually helping by wicking heat away and not adding heat like being baked in hot air from the engine compartment does.

 

[machz69]

I have one of the hood scoops from Ulmer, Not too sure how it will work but I'm going to find out pretty soon.

 

[kinger]

I used to use the Ulmer scoop as well. If you have the stock hood no better solution IMO.

 

[shawnmcgr]

I used a stock air box top and cut it down to fit on top of the intercooler then drilled it full of holes and covered it with pet screen. This worked at 5 psi and I would occasionally pull the front vent covers to get the air flow up. But at 8psi with deep powder often sitting on the hood there is not enough air flow.

I'm looking for a way to keep snow out of the engine compartment. It keeps the intercooler nice and cool but it can't be good for the electrical.

 

[TurboJamie]

I used a very pourous piece of foam to let the air in no problem but keep ice and snow out. Looked very stock no one even noticed it.