Should the SS have a hood insinulator
Senior Member
Joined: 07-05-2008
Posts: 5,464
From: Akron Ohio
I bought my SS preowned from a dealership with 6700 miles on it. The car had a hood insulator installed, perhaps from the previous owner (I understand that the party owned a dealer). I crafted the SS logo, but if you look closely, the insulator is embossed with the stock air cleaner shape (kind of like a sideways teardrop).
To date, my temp runs an avg of about 190F and I have no clearance problems, so I attribute it to the concave recess for the stock air cleaner. Only speculation on my part, but maybe GM didn't want to make a square recess for the LNF airbox, so eliminated the insulator for the SS entirely. The Cobalt SS uses them.
To date, my temp runs an avg of about 190F and I have no clearance problems, so I attribute it to the concave recess for the stock air cleaner. Only speculation on my part, but maybe GM didn't want to make a square recess for the LNF airbox, so eliminated the insulator for the SS entirely. The Cobalt SS uses them.
I notice the snow on my melt off the hood and fenders of this vehicle like no other car I have ever owned. Under hood temps are very high.
I do think you are correct on the hood clearance. Bit did they make it higher since they were leaving out the insulation? It is kind of like the chicken and the egg.
FYI I have an 08 SS with out and have never seen an SS with it.
Last edited by ChevyMgr; Jun 5, 2010 at 12:27 PM. Reason: admin edit
Senior Member
Joined: 11-15-2008
Posts: 1,599
From: Newburgh, NY
I measured my hood surface temp today with an infrared thermometer (I use it to statically measure hot spots and airflow characteristics in mission critical facilities).
Ambient air temp was about 88F. After some hard rocking with the SS down the rural route that I live on, the coolant temp rose to about 198F as per the DIC. The hood surface was measured at 135F at the highest point. The surface of the airbox when I opened the hood was 121F. As the car idled in the driveway with the hood open, the surface temp of the airbox rose to about 131F. I'm not making any claims here, but providing more basis for theories. I have to wonder what it would have been with the insulation removed? I would think that a greater amount of heat transfer would have taken place from the outer surface of the hood to the inner surface, radiating higher temps to the airbox surface.
But I really think that either way, having a hood insulator or not will not cause long term adversity to the components under the hood of this particuar vehicle.
My theory of why the SS models have no hood insulation has nothing to do with thermodynamics. Upon a closer look, because the hood insulation recess is made for the 2.2/2.4 air cleaner (look at one, really), GM probably didn't want to make a different one with a square recess for the SS. More engineering, more testing, more $$$. They didn't make a cover for the BCM either. Cut a little here and there and you can spend more in other places. It's not a Mercedes, afterall.
My 2 S10's have hood insulators; My Silverado has a hood insulator; My Suzuki Samurai (1.3L 65hp) doesn't have a hood insulator; My V10 E450 motorhome doesn't have a hood insulator; What about the Cobalt SS? It has one. I really doubt that there is much science in regard to this with the HHR. It's not really a rocket ship (although we all like to think of it that way).
Ambient air temp was about 88F. After some hard rocking with the SS down the rural route that I live on, the coolant temp rose to about 198F as per the DIC. The hood surface was measured at 135F at the highest point. The surface of the airbox when I opened the hood was 121F. As the car idled in the driveway with the hood open, the surface temp of the airbox rose to about 131F. I'm not making any claims here, but providing more basis for theories. I have to wonder what it would have been with the insulation removed? I would think that a greater amount of heat transfer would have taken place from the outer surface of the hood to the inner surface, radiating higher temps to the airbox surface.
But I really think that either way, having a hood insulator or not will not cause long term adversity to the components under the hood of this particuar vehicle.
My theory of why the SS models have no hood insulation has nothing to do with thermodynamics. Upon a closer look, because the hood insulation recess is made for the 2.2/2.4 air cleaner (look at one, really), GM probably didn't want to make a different one with a square recess for the SS. More engineering, more testing, more $$$. They didn't make a cover for the BCM either. Cut a little here and there and you can spend more in other places. It's not a Mercedes, afterall.
My 2 S10's have hood insulators; My Silverado has a hood insulator; My Suzuki Samurai (1.3L 65hp) doesn't have a hood insulator; My V10 E450 motorhome doesn't have a hood insulator; What about the Cobalt SS? It has one. I really doubt that there is much science in regard to this with the HHR. It's not really a rocket ship (although we all like to think of it that way).
Senior Member
Joined: 01-28-2008
Posts: 357
From: INDIANA
I put the hood insulator on my '08 HHRSS in April or so of '08. It did a lot to quiet down the clatter of the high pressure fuel injectors on this engine. It does NOT touch the air cleaner, there are no marks on mine from rubbing anything under the hood after 27,000 miles. They left it off the HHRSS's on purpose so you could hear the turbo and blow off noise. This was alluded to in several articles about the SS when it came out, referencing the performance sound and tuner people who would be attracted to the SS.
Saying a hood insulator is detrimental to the cooling of the engine is like saying it is worthwhile to insulate the attic of a garage that has the door wide open and no glass in the windows. How can you hold heat in an area that is open on the bottom and front, and pretty much the sides too? If holding in heat was a problem, they would not have sealed the edges of the hood with weatherstripping.
Of course none insulated hoods will melt snow or ice of quicker,but that is because the hood is insulated from the heat, not the other way around. As a matter of fact, certain turbo cars which had the turbo mounted high in the engine bay used to have special hood insulation to protect the paint on the hood of the car.
Saying a hood insulator is detrimental to the cooling of the engine is like saying it is worthwhile to insulate the attic of a garage that has the door wide open and no glass in the windows. How can you hold heat in an area that is open on the bottom and front, and pretty much the sides too? If holding in heat was a problem, they would not have sealed the edges of the hood with weatherstripping.
Of course none insulated hoods will melt snow or ice of quicker,but that is because the hood is insulated from the heat, not the other way around. As a matter of fact, certain turbo cars which had the turbo mounted high in the engine bay used to have special hood insulation to protect the paint on the hood of the car.
Senior Member
Joined: 07-05-2008
Posts: 5,464
From: Akron Ohio
The bottom line is GM left it off for a reason. It was not cost as that is not a factor on the SS and they install it on the cheapest LS.
It still think it is for long term effects on the electronics and letting the hood transfer the heat helps. I own a Fiero and the under hood temps are as high or higher than the average car. The guys who installed turbo engines had even more heat.
The high temps kill the electronic and often can do damage to other hood items. The cars with the added turbo's felt the effects even more.
While the insulating may not do much a little bit may be enought to help.
Either way it is not there for a reason other than money.
It still think it is for long term effects on the electronics and letting the hood transfer the heat helps. I own a Fiero and the under hood temps are as high or higher than the average car. The guys who installed turbo engines had even more heat.
The high temps kill the electronic and often can do damage to other hood items. The cars with the added turbo's felt the effects even more.
While the insulating may not do much a little bit may be enought to help.
Either way it is not there for a reason other than money.
Member
Joined: 02-15-2009
Posts: 59
From: auberry,ca by shaver lake,by yosemite
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
American & Proud
Mods - Exterior
60
Jun 26, 2012 08:13 AM
09_SS
Appearance/Modifications Discussions
24
Sep 7, 2009 11:51 PM