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Radiator flap removal
Topic Started: Oct 13 2006, 12:30 PM (994 Views)
Alta Boy
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Quad Squad site owner

This is about the simpliest mod you can do. It involves removing the rubber flap on the passenger side of your radiator. By doing this you can supply your engine with cooler air to breathe and it should help keep the under hood air temperature down a bit. The flap itself is held on by "Christmas tree" type push plugs and can be removed with a flat bladed screwdriver and a little prying.

This is the rad flap to be removed circled in red *This pic was taken while doing the body lift on my 4x4 so that's why it looks all torn apart.
Posted Image

With the flap removed - A wide open hole to feed the engine some cooler air to breathe. If your running a CAI it's right in line with the hole which is the perfect situation. This is on my other Quadcab BTW.
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Peter

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Sully..............................................The 4x4
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saxnbass
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Post whore
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Does this help any with performance? Does it have any cons to it?
Eric

Real convo with my friend:
Me:"You don't slam trucks" (slam as in lowering to the max)(I don't like slamed trucks)
Friend:"You do some trucks"
Me:"Name me on truck you slam"
Friend:"A Ford Ranger"
Me:"Yeah, you slam a Ranger.......into a brick wall"

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Alta Boy
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It helps with performance and there are no cons to it.
Peter

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Sully..............................................The 4x4
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saxnbass
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Post whore
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Just pop the hood and pry the flap off? that easy?
Eric

Real convo with my friend:
Me:"You don't slam trucks" (slam as in lowering to the max)(I don't like slamed trucks)
Friend:"You do some trucks"
Me:"Name me on truck you slam"
Friend:"A Ford Ranger"
Me:"Yeah, you slam a Ranger.......into a brick wall"

Posted Image
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Alta Boy
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Quad Squad site owner

Yup!
Peter

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Sully..............................................The 4x4
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saxnbass
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Post whore
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Sweet. I'll have to work on that this weekend. Oh, by the way, why is it there in the first place?
Eric

Real convo with my friend:
Me:"You don't slam trucks" (slam as in lowering to the max)(I don't like slamed trucks)
Friend:"You do some trucks"
Me:"Name me on truck you slam"
Friend:"A Ford Ranger"
Me:"Yeah, you slam a Ranger.......into a brick wall"

Posted Image
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y2kota
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Just an old fart.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I'll reply the cons to this later when I have the time.
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Don Mallett, Fort Worth, TX
Home of the Y2KOTA
Modifications listed here.<a href='http://eapr-1/@3@2000@4@SLT%20Plus@5@2WD@6@4.7L@7@Link%20in%20sig.@-2@@' target='_blank'></a>
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saxnbass
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Post whore
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OK, I'll wait to read your cons before taking off my flap. Please don't have me waiting too long though. Thanks
Eric

Real convo with my friend:
Me:"You don't slam trucks" (slam as in lowering to the max)(I don't like slamed trucks)
Friend:"You do some trucks"
Me:"Name me on truck you slam"
Friend:"A Ford Ranger"
Me:"Yeah, you slam a Ranger.......into a brick wall"

Posted Image
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y2kota
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Just an old fart.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Unless you have a air filter right behind the opening with FULL shielding around. What I mean by full shielding mean that no engine compartment can reach your filter. By letting the hot engine compartment air to get to the filter, it wipes out any pro to trying to get that cold air intake to work. The CIA "cold air intakes" do 2 things that help. 1, allow the engine to pull in more air while working less to do so. 2, Draw in "cold" air to produce more power.

OK lets get back to why should I NOT remove the flap. It helps to protect parts of the A/C lines. When the Dakota is moving, Air is forced into the front grill. Cars and trucks are designed for this. By having everything blocked around the radiator, this forces more air to flow thru the radiator. And not around it Under many cars and trucks have a air dam that hangs below much of everything else just below the front bumper. This helps to create a negative pressure in the engine compartment to help create more pull thru the radiator.

Many CIA are thin plastic. this allows the heat from the engine compartment to be absorbed thur the thin plastic. People say that not true because after driving there CIA pipe is cool. That's due to the fact the in coming air is absorbing the heat and carrying in to the engine. This piping should be insulted to help to stop the transfer of heat. I have me sered the air at the TB and found it only had a 1 to 2 degrees rise from the outside air.

I hope this rambling makes sense to at least one of you out there!

[blah]
Posted Image

Don Mallett, Fort Worth, TX
Home of the Y2KOTA
Modifications listed here.<a href='http://eapr-1/@3@2000@4@SLT%20Plus@5@2WD@6@4.7L@7@Link%20in%20sig.@-2@@' target='_blank'></a>
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Alta Boy
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y2kota
Oct 14 2006, 07:31 AM
Unless you have a air filter right behind the opening with FULL shielding around. What I mean by full shielding mean that no engine compartment can reach your filter. By letting the hot engine compartment air to get to the filter, it wipes out any pro to trying to get that cold air intake to work. The CIA "cold air intakes" do 2 things that help. 1, allow the engine to pull in more air while working less to do so. 2, Draw in "cold" air to produce more power.


While not all CAI's have full shielding (mine included) there is a created opening for straight outside cold air produced by removing the flap. This opening is by far a much better alternative for drawing in cold air to feed your engine as opposed to air that has flowed through a hot radiator and into the engine compartment.


y2kota
Oct 14 2006, 07:31 AM
OK lets get back to why should I NOT remove the flap. It helps to protect parts of the A/C lines. When the Dakota is moving, Air is forced into the front grill. Cars and trucks are designed for this. By having everything blocked around the radiator, this forces more air to flow thru the radiator. And not around it Under many cars and trucks have a air dam that hangs below much of everything else just below the front bumper. This helps to create a negative pressure in the engine compartment to help create more pull thru the radiator.


While it's true the flap does protect your A/C lines I've had no problem with a rock or any other piece of road debris damaging the lines. The lines themselves are very rigid and not easy to damage. Overheating due to the removal of the flap and therefore creating less flow through the rad is a non issue. I've never had any overheating issues. The grill opening itself along with the lower bumper valance opening creates more than enough air flow through the radiator.

y2kota
Oct 14 2006, 07:31 AM
Many CIA are thin plastic. this allows the heat from the engine compartment to be absorbed thur the thin plastic. People say that not true because after driving there CIA pipe is cool. That's due to the fact the in coming air is absorbing the heat and carrying in to the engine. This piping should be insulted to help to stop the transfer of heat. I have me sered the air at the TB and found it only had a 1 to 2 degrees rise from the outside air.


Yes, the CAI tube could be insulated to help in reducing heat soak. Not as pretty though having the whole tube wrapped in heat tape. Still, by removing the flap you create a cooler enviroment under the hood which is beneficial not only in the respect of pulling air to the engine which is cooler, but also by keeping under-hood air temp down. If the ambieant temp under the hood is lower wouldn't it stand to reason that your engine is in fact getting a cooler charge of air? Even if it's not operating on a fully shielded system? Bottom line is your creating an opening that let's cold air be drawn into the engine compartment right by the air intake system.




:rolleyes: OK ... There's my ramble. Thanks for the difference of opinion though Don.
Peter

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whitequad2004
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well when i took the flap off my QC, i went really 'inventive', and ran a piece of dryer vent hose from the newly open spot by the radiator up to the front of my stock airbox.

I seem to remember reading over on DakUSA or one of the other forums that it's kind of a ghetto CAI.....dont take credit for the idea, but it seems like it makes sense to me.....

-Mike
2004 Dakota QC 4x4, 4.7, auto, Sport Plus

Completed Mods: Toyo M/T tires, T-bar crank, Kenwood deck, MTX amp, Pioneer sub, clear corners, euro tails, Volant CAI with IAT relocation, Flowmaster 40 series SI/SO, Cobra 40 channel cb, 4 foot antenna, Mossy Oak seat covers, Mopar floor mats, Modern alloy wheels.

coming up:
Transgo kit, trans. temp gauge, Rancho RSX shocks, 3" PA body lift or T-bar keys....
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04Dakota
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Kodabear
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It all makes sense to me. Many of the cold air boxes don't do much more than prevent the engine from blowing debris on the filter, and are only useful if you have a ram air hood that is funtional. Since I have the 4.7L the throttle body aims forward. I'm working on a shield that allows me to have a K&N filter straight off the throttle body and forces it to suck the air in from the cowl area, like the race cars do. This not only raises the intake, for deep water runs, but also reduces the amount of air that gets trapped around the wiper area, in turn reducing drag. In the meantime I'll pull the shield off. I can cut a bathroom trash can to fit the filter and make it a ram air. Paint it black, and it could pass for a professional job. :)
Scott C.

Why do I wheel in a Dodge...because everyone else drives a Jeep.
Famous last words: Watch this!
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2589577<a href='http://eapr-1/@3@2004@4@Sport@5@4x4@6@4.7L@' target='_blank'></a>
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TexasTodd
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[ *  * ]
Again,

I'm digging up old posts, only cause they're still listed, and I'm new to the site.

Alta Boy, I have to agree with y2kota on this one.

To further expand his post- the stock 4.7 intake takes it's air form the cowl at the back of the hood, via the tunnel to the passenger front fender. The stock setup is actually a really nice set up.

I too have a homebrew, 'true CAI'. I call it that because it's rubber and plastic, and takes it's air from a walled off area, that area gets it's air from the rubber flap removed, and the hole in the pass. front fender the the stock air came from. None, or almost none of the air comes from the hot engine compartment, as so many homebrews I see do.

If the air comes from the engine compartment, it's probably better to leave the freely breathing, unrestricted stock set up instead. [HUH]
01 SLT QC, 4.7 manual, 3.92 LSD, 2WD
Infinity sound, self installed OEM O/H computer
2 tone paint, OEM fender flares
Cab High Leet Cap with pass thru windows
Tire/Handling, R/T sway bars
Trailer Towing

HO cams, HO intake,
Ported stock 68mm TB,
Homebrew 'true' CAI, w/ K&N
No belt driven fan/clutch or fan
180 T-Stat
No Third Cat.
SC Tuner

Max dyno as daily driven
227 RW HP
300 RW TQ
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cl350rr
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I removed the fap a while back to see if there was any value to this. I also removed the air horn from the stock air filter box so air coming in the opening left by the flap removal would be readily available to the intake hole in the air filter box.

the results:

my air filter after 4 months of driving is completely clogged with dirt and road debris.

there is also an alarming amount of dust and dirt accumulated all over the engine compartment.

both of these are significantly worse then the year of driving with the flap in place. my truck is 2WD and never leaves pavement.

glad I kept the parts, reinstalled... lesson learned
<a href='http://eapr-1/@3@2003@4@slt@5@2WD@6@4.7L@' target='_blank'></a>
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Deleted User
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Sounds like some kids I know that cant do some simple chores around the house, then they get grounded.....give a little , take a little and quit whinning !
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