I asked the best mechanic at the dealer I use for service if he thought that removing the "HEMI" engine cover and exposing more of the engine would be beneficial to take advantange of the hood vented cool air. He told me no, due to the fact that the air from the hood vents routes directly over the exhaust manifolds and that is what the vents are designed to do. Anyone have another opinion?...............Anyone?

 

Well, you gotta figure that someone, somewhere in Dodge's engineering sector determined for whatever reason that the airflow should be directed over the exhaust manifolds, hence the vents are doing exactly what they're designed to do.

Jeremiah, notice I always put "functional" in quote marks, because, like you, prefer using the Old School definition. However, the modern vents indeed ARE functional but, as Paladin says, for a different reason.

 

Yes Paladin06, but back in the day when you had a scoop on the car it was for performance and that was the original intent of a scoop and why they existed to begin with.

Yes I am old school and a scoop should be for performance and not just looks only. I do not like fake scoops on a Mustang and so many are. Just a piece of plastic on a hood with no hole in it.

I never said they that Chrysler designed it for any other purpose than for cooling a car. But from the beginning I never agreed with their use of the term "functional scoop".

 

They certainly tried to get the scoops "functional" but just too many engineering issues regarding the way the air would flow in the throttle body.

The aftermarket scoop form HXC might work since it is directly over the hood.

 

My friend the hood scoops on the new Challenger do allow for a performance gain. By increasing cool outside air flow into the engine compartment, they lower the engine compartment temperature (heat soak), thus increasing performance. There's nothing fake about the scoops or their design. Just because they don't force air into TB does not make them fake. Sometimes you got to let the past go. I, like you love the old Challenger but this car is technically so much better in every way and faster as well.

 

One of the biggest misunderstanding in the performance engine world is Ram Air. The average supercharger works pretty hard to generate just 3 to 8 pounds of boost. A ram air hood isn't producing measurable boost until 70+ mph but we aren't talking even 3lbs. Below that mark the biggest benefit is to cool the air charge.

During the 4 stroke process there is a brief time when both the exhaust and intake valves are open. At low boost like a scoop would supply most of the added pressure (if any is produced at all) would simply be wasted out the exhaust port during this overlap. The exhaust valve does eventually close while the intake is still open but not long enough to let a meaningful amount of additional cylinder filling. So the "functional" scoops help by dropping the under-hood temps which helps right where the most heat is being created, the exhaust manifolds. Forcing that hot air downwards under the car keeps the cool air coming in the front grill that much cooler. It also drops the temp of the intake manifold and runners.

 

Yes, I agree but I would really like to see if performance gain is even measurable on a dyno or even felt by an individual.

I never said they were fake especially like the one on some Mustangs that are just for show, but they are just not functional in the old traditional sense.

As for letting for for the past, I do not have a problem with that. I work in a very high tech industry that is not just leading but bleeding edge as we have to provide equipment
to the slower leading edge companies. What is leading the pack for 6 months won't be soon. I just do not like add ons or bolts ons just for looks but also for performance gain.

I totally agree that the hood scoops do provide some gains by the cooler air even it is minor. However for those of us that would like to take it on the track having a scoop that is
high enough over the hood (3-4") to take advantage of the air pressure at the higher speeds where there is a RAM effect for this beautiful 150+ MPH car would be great.

 

wow Jeremiah.... The performance gain is in the fact that you could run the Challenger longer and harder, without worrying about it over-heating as easily... You keep associating a hood scoop with Horsepower, in this case and in newer cars that's not what they've been designed for APPARENTLY... A hood scoop and a so to speak "forced air induction" are to me at least two very differnt things, I think you should try and veiw it from that angle.

 

Cooler external air with a RAM air effect does provide more horsepower.

As for the "APPARENTLY", they could not get the forced air design to work because the throttle body was in the front and scoops in the back hence the problem so they abandoned the idea.




If you do not to run a turbo or super charger on your engine a hood scoop is your only choice for forced air. I not a fan of NOX.

The scoop in this picture is my favorite can really be "functional" since it is several inches above the hood to get the right air pressure for the ram air affect.

It is also not too large and obnoxious.

[IMG]local://upfiles/17/337735CF3DC24AD4AF9F0374BE26B242.jpg[/IMG]

 

I understand that... I don't care for that particular hood... I guess the T/A hood, right? If I did anyting to the hood I'd go with the shaker option, because I do agree with your point of veiw on function over form. But I'd also like to see one on a dyno before I ever actually bought it.
On another not I love the side exhuast on that pic, I wanted to that with my truck when I first bought it, but was told the gas tank was in the way... If and/or when I get my Challenger that would be my first mod, dual side exhuast[:-]