Hood insulation - keep it or remove it

[bunits19714]

Anyone remove their factory hood insulation on a coyote, I have heard this could cause some discoloring from heat to the aluminum hood? The car never sees foul weather and never really started below 20f' - any thoughts on this- i am thinking the engine will cool faster without the insulation when the hood is closed- for example for a event like the "true street" series that restricts you from opening your hood after the cruise and between rounds?

 

[irishpwr46]

its more of a fire blanket than a hood insulator. theres no real benefit to removing it, and plenty of people have removed it with no ill effects. your underhood temperatures arent going to get that high that they will affect your paint. if they do get that high, you have a more serious concern than what your paint is going to be doing. youll be in the market for a motor soon after

 

[Department Of Boost]

its more of a fire blanket than a hood insulator.

This, ditch it. It's just extra weight.

 

[Grabber Blue 5.0]

I ditched mine.

 

[eighty6gt]

It's for NVH, as far as I can tell. Gone on my car - was starting to look bad.

 

[AndrewS197]

Ditch it.

 

[Department Of Boost]

It's for NVH, as far as I can tell. Gone on my car - was starting to look bad.

It's a fire blanket first and foremost.

It helps with external noise emissions second.

 

[eighty6gt]

I don't think it's a fire blanket, you should look into that further... I'm going to try to burn mine tonight.

 

[Department Of Boost]

I don't think it's a fire blanket, you should look into that further... I'm going to try to burn mine tonight.

It is exactly a fire blanket. In case of an engine fire the plastic push pins melt and it drops on to the motor in theory smothering it.

It's science.

 

[eighty6gt]

Nothing on snopes... I'll do some digging around.

 

[bunits19714]

Thanks for the insights- going to ditch the hood insulation and install a fire extinguisher in the car. I just think it will let the heat out of the engine compartment quicker when it is parked and forced to keep hood closed per a event-

 

[eighty6gt]

Went and checked with a few auto engineers, primarily for NVH, especially on a quiet car. It will interface with the cowl seal which is important.

Also this anecdote from one of them, hehe: "In the case of my old Omni, it was almost a fire causing blanket. I had a fuel line clamp fail, and it was spraying gas up into the blanket. I could smell gas and was watching the needle on the fuel gauge drop. Popped the hood and the blanket was dripping with gas like a gigantic sponge."

Carrying an extinguisher is always a good idea.

 

[302GT]

Mine's been off for a few months. Only took it off because it looked like hell from oil that was sprayed up on it (crank seal leak). Just a tad noiser. No plan on putting a new one on either. I've heard all the talk about the plastic pins are suppose to melt and let it fall down as a blanket for fires. Not sure I buy into that since I've seen no definitive proof of such claims. Plenty of cars are made without them. I believe it has more to do with noise than anything. I've had plenty of cars that didn't have them. If it REALLY helped with fires don't you think it would be mandatory on ALL vehicles?

 

[hunter1022]

Ditch it. Mine has been gone for years no problems. Much cleaner look.

 

[JimC]

It is a noise insulator, nothing to do with fires. Why do you think that when there is a fire in the engine bay the car gets destroyed? It doesn't do anything and the "fire suppression" theory is just an urban myth.

Like was said above, if it really was for fire suppression, then every car would have one or the manufacturers would be faced with lawsuits over the fires that happen from time to time that "destroyed my Focus all because the bean counters wouldn't spend the $2 to put the fire suppression blanket on the hood".

But take it off and you will hear the injectors ticking and other noises. Why is it on some cars and not others? Because Ford knows we like to play with our Mustangs and will notice every little noise otherwise. But on your Focus or Escape, you won't obsess over the injector ticks that you hear driving.

 

[Mystickeith50]

Soooo it's for sound?.....they put a tube from the engine bay to the interior to bring noise in but they put a blanket on it for sound deadening? I was always told it was a fire blanket....that's not to say it will supress any fire.

 

[JimC]

The tube is bringing sounds other than the injectors ticking - sounds that Ford thinks we would like to hear and the insulation is to mask the sound we don't want to hear. Take it off and you will notice increased noise.

 

[GallopingFord]

Removed mine in my 09 to clear the engine. Had it painted on the bottom to finish it up and it has been fine with no issue.

 

[Mystickeith50]

OK so I lit my car on fire last night. Blanket worked.....myth proven.







Lol.

 

[hunter1022]

I love to hear the super charger sing and with out the blanket the song is so sweet. lol