Weather Stripping Removal Side Effects.....

[Maestrokneer]

OK...so I removed the weather stripping at the top of the engine compartment about a week ago, and have definitely noticed that my engine compartment is A LOT cooler after a recent drive.

So here's what I'm wondering:

I live in California, so rain isn't much of an issue, but what about washing my car? Do I have to put my weather stripping back on every time I wash my car to avoid water getting down my firewall and in the engine bay?

What are the consequences of this? Please help enlighten me, as I plan on washing my car tomorrow. Thanks.

[2K3 MSP]

I asked kwiktsi(joe) about this and he pointed out that it is not there only to prevent water from entering the engine compartment, but to keep engine noise in as well. If you look at the plastic at the bottom of the windsheild, it is shaped/angled to help keep water away from the engine compartment anyways. If any water happend to get inside anyways, the wires should be protected just fine anyways. stick your head down there and lok at how small of an opening it is with the hood closed. Not too bad...:)
EDIT: WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH ME AND SAYING "ANYWAYS" IN THAT POST??? (LOL) didn't feel like editing it all though.

[Dexter]

i took mine off last night, just cuz i was changing my oil at the same time, and figured, hey i have the hood open, might as well. i havent checked if the temps seem lower, but ill just trust you guys :p

[Maestrokneer]

Originally posted by 2K3 Mazdaspeed
I asked kwiktsi(joe) about this and he pointed out that it is not there only to prevent water from entering the engine compartment, but to keep engine noise in as well. If you look at the plastic at the bottom of the windsheild, it is shaped/angled to help keep water away from the engine compartment anyways. If any water happend to get inside anyways, the wires should be protected just fine anyways. stick your head down there and lok at how small of an opening it is with the hood closed. Not too bad...:)
EDIT: WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH ME AND SAYING "ANYWAYS" IN THAT POST??? (LOL) didn't feel like editing it all though.

Yeah...that was a hell of a lot of "anyways" 2K3. :wtf: :D

So has anyone washed their car with the stripping off and looked under their hood to see if any got in there?

[jonnydoe48]

i washed my car, no water went in. but its not like i was pointing the hose at the went, just put the water on the windshield only to be cautious, everything should drain through the vent.

[2K3 MSP]

Well, I washed my car since taking it off, but didn't look for water. It's still running though!!

[unwrittenLaw]

I've washed my car a few times since taking the weather stripping off..and I haven't noticed any ill side affects. It seems to drain ok..as long as you dont wash your car with a fire hose, you should be fine.

[Dexter]

Originally posted by unwrittenLaw
..as long as you dont wash your car with a fire hose, you should be fine.

...ahh ... crap.....

[Ryan]

took it off haven't tested it yet.

[Maestrokneer]

Originally posted by unwrittenLaw
..as long as you dont wash your car with a fire hose, you should be fine.

Dammit....there goes my plan to re-create Warrant's "Cherry Pie" video! :mad:

[unwrittenLaw]

(lol)

[Tex]

Took mine off weeks ago, drove up to Austin in a thunderstorm, drove around there in a heavy downpour, have washed my car at a car wash place, and have checked under the hood. No water.

What does happen though, is the air conditioner will be less cold when you have it on outside air, because some of the hot air from under the hood is now being mixed with the A/C air. It's only noticeable on very hot days, and I just set the control to recirculate and all is well.

The thing I'm still checking out is whether the hood loses some support on the back side. Sometimes I think I can see it flexing in the middle of the trailing edge as I go over rough roads, and other times it seems as though it's just my imagination. If I become too worried about it, I'll just cut a one foot section off the weatherstripping and install it in the middle of the weatherstripping plate to support the center of the hood's back edge.

[Dr.Sound]

hmm, who has AC on with venting open???
kinda beats the purpose........

but yeah......... washed my car a few time and checked right after the wash - no water in engine compartment at all, even after a "carwash" wash.
just remember to clean up the leaves that might clog up the drains and u should be fine.

[tddelsol]

um don't any of yall wash your engine??????????

[Dr.Sound]

they washed it when i got my car, it's still very clean.
eventually i will wash it, i usually just wipe it down when i wash my car

[tddelsol]

i always just cover the filter and spray her down no problems so far

[InsidiousMSP]

Damn guys, I can't imagine the paranoia you'd face with a vented hood. :p Worrying about weather stripping?... Imagine having an Evo hood.

[I-Am-Chris]

Originally posted by tddelsol
um don't any of yall wash your engine??????????

no its an engine

[jonnydoe48]

seriously, wrx and evo people and even mustang people have holes in their hood and we are complaining about a finger sized hole.

[Dexter]

Originally posted by tddelsol
um don't any of yall wash your engine??????????

nah i dont need any water in my engine bay. i just wipe off the crap with an old rag. im not gonna soak and soap the damn thing.

[Ryan]

lol.. i cop out the easy way, though some mean green or spray it down with tire foam, close the hood and when i get to show i pop it open wipe down whatever is left if anything usually nothing is left. and all the parts are nice and shiny free of dirt.

[03SOMSP]

This is such a dumb topic!!! So you worry about a lil weather stripping that does close to nothing, but have a cold air intake that could actually blow your engine?

I removed the weather stripping, front and back, when I had my DX and drove like that for 3 years with NO problems, but a cooler engine bay and cooler air for my air intake. Like someone pointed out, what would you do if you have a cold induction hood?

Is there weather stripping on the sides of the hood where the battery and fuse box is? NO!

Finally, when it rains and the roads are flooded, water splashes everywhere in the engine bay coming from under the hood? What do you do there?

Also, do carbon fiber hoods come with weather stripping?


Please, someone lock this thread!!

[Ryan]

lol... pls...... your a moron look at the date this thread has been dead long enuf.

[03SOMSP]

8 days? it's that long?
ASSHOLE

[Ryan]

long than 8 days. man ;op try 12 days learn to count

[03SOMSP]

when I went for my Master's in Electrical Engineering they did not teach me how to count.....

I am glad you can count. Now go and learn some manners.

[Ryan]

no need for manners when i own a mazda and i drive a msp its a double negative read the sig ;op and it you take it that personal maybe a forum isn't for you :)

[KyRaceFan]

did i see that mustangs have open hood scoops?
Its actually plastic, and not at all open, at least on the many many many mustangs ive seen up close.
Wrx scoops flow right to the intercooler, and well im not sure about the evo, its a FMIC, so im not even sure if theyre open vented hoods or not.

Oh yea
its safe to goto a car wash and spray your engine, as long as you dont soak the filter or battery too bad.

[Ryan]

well i'll have you know i can soak my hood completely everywhere and have no problems ;ops and the evo does have a open hood very similar to the ww evo hood.

[DaKidd]

Speaking of the WW Evo hood. I was thinking of getting that for my msp, and geting it painted to match the rest of the car (NO I dont want to floss my CF hood!). but I was a lil conserned about water from a heavy rain getting in there while stopped at a stop light. I thought it was bad for an engine to get wet if it was hot. wouldnt that cause it to crack the block because of the rapid cooling?

FYI, the WW Evo hood IS vented at the top. Its like a wide open screened opening just waiting for rain, dirt, dust, & bird shit to fall onto ur engine...

[Maestrokneer]

Originally posted by Ryan
lol... pls...... your a moron look at the date this thread has been dead long enuf.

So much for this thread being dead......:D

030MSP just managed to accomplish exactly what he was bitching about: keeping this thread alive. Way to go dude! :rolleyes:

(guns) DIE THREAD DIE!!! (smash) WHY WON'T YOU DIE!!???

[03SOMSP]

Originally posted by Maestrokneer


So much for this thread being dead......:D

030MSP just managed to accomplish exactly what he was bitching about: keeping this thread alive. Way to go dude! :rolleyes:

(guns) DIE THREAD DIE!!! (smash) WHY WON'T YOU DIE!!???

this response actually made me laugh!!! :)
There are no hard feelings

[03SOMSP]

Originally posted by Ryan
no need for manners when i own a mazda and i drive a msp its a double negative read the sig ;op and it you take it that personal maybe a forum isn't for you :)

dude, how would behave if you owned a BMW, Lexus or Mercedez? :)

[03SOMSP]

Originally posted by DaKidd
I thought it was bad for an engine to get wet if it was hot. wouldnt that cause it to crack the block because of the rapid cooling?



so what do you do when your engine is hot and its raining and you hit a pot hole and LOTS of water splashes on the engine? or when you go to the car wash and it sprays under the car hitting the engine? how you seen the steam when that happens?

[Ryan]

it'll be years b4 u ever get that evo hood with the waiting list

[Ryan]

Originally posted by 03SOMSP


dude, how would behave if you owned a BMW, Lexus or Mercedez? :)

with my nose in the fucking air and thinking my shit doesn't stink ;op

[DaKidd]

Originally posted by Ryan
it'll be years b4 u ever get that evo hood with the waiting list



SHIT.... I didnt know that there was a waiting list.... well that just sux!

[Ryan]

yeah was supposed to release like febuary or sumfin of last year still hasn't been released supposidly like this month or sumfin and only 100 will be made and there are like 500 ppl that have paid for it.. lol and still not got one i dont think anyone has one yet.

[03SOMSP]

Originally posted by Ryan


with my nose in the fucking air and thinking my shit doesn't stink ;op

lol :cool:

[Bigg Tim]

There should be NO problems with water in the engine compartment. Everything is sealed and the only way to crack the block is if it EXTREMELY hot and you dump it into ice water, then maybe that would happen. I have a 67 bug with the deck lid propped open at the top about 2-3 inches and drove around like that for years with heavy rain and snow coming in the top, so water doesn't matter. Just as long as it doesn't get into the spark plug holes, it'll be cool.

I'm getting my turbo put on next friday and was considering taking the wheather stripping off to cool the engine compartment, since my turbo will be a little more than 2 inches from the hood. So does anyone have any before and after temps they could post to see what kind of benefits this will have? Maybe drive the car hard for a couple of miles, check the temp somehow and then remove the stripping and repeat.

[AGR]

No side effects; just cooler air flow.

[yashooa]

Originally posted by AGR#7
No side effects; just cooler air flow.

Preach it brutha man.
AGR is a man of moment, a man with a plan OF WORLD DOMINATION.
MUHAHA!

:eek: (flame) (fight) (getsome) :eek:

[AGR]

...well; actually - World domination was next!!!

(crazy) (gun) (blowup) (chair)

[Maestrokneer]

Awww....what the hell AGR? Why the smaller picture in your sig? I want to be able to count the number of stitches in their underwear dammit!

[t3ase]

127.

[Maestrokneer]

whew...that's a relief. Everytime I got to 78, I was distracted by their sweet interlocking lips and had to start all over again. :D

[AGR]

http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/ghtn/images/ph0136xx.jpg

[CruzinAltitude]

AGR that last post was great, Kiss now has a mini me! life cannot get much better than this (atleast, life, while Im at work and my girlfriend is asleep, cannot get much better than this).

[Maestrokneer]

Thanks AGR! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Nice new avatar as well. It's refreshing seeing someone stick up finally for the oppressed sect of female lovers.

Keep up the good work!

[Kooldino]

Anyone have pics of the weatherstripping before and/or after?

Also, I'd like to see someone with an OBD-II scanner log the IAT sensor on a drive before and after to see how much of a diff it makes.

[03SOMSP]

I can't believe this tread is still alive! I guess blame it on me!
And I can't believe people asking for pictures after removing a weather strip!!! Am I missing something here? Is there another meaning for weather stripping?