using SS mesh for inner fender wells? and electric fuel pumps..

[hack500]

maybe I'm just being retarded been known to happen. but on my old suburban I did like the fact not having inner fenderwells made the engine compartment cooler. however on my current truck, that big-block puts out plenty of heat - too much heat 'specially in the summer. I'm going to have to cut the fenders in the spring anyway to make room for some 38.5's...

. I'm wondering if someone has formed some inner front fenderwells out of stainless steel mesh or a real fine screen to allow air movement but not allow larger chunks of dirt and possibly rocks to hit the engine?

also I'm considering an electric fuel pump to replace my stock caddy one in order to feed a Predator. don't get me wrong the Quadrajet has performed flawlessly, I just like to experiment - otherwise I wouldn't have what I have. I've looked at Carter and a Holley HP125 and is there any other ones that are worth considering for under $200?

I'm halfway through a bottle of cuervo right now so I'm sure I've overlooked something.

 

[crazyhole812]

make sure your pump isn't for racing i bought a holley blue from a dude at a local speed shop but i think it's not meant to be run continually. as far as the mesh, that would be expanded metal i'm sure it would work as long as you get somewhat heavy gauge.

 

[Skigirl]

A friend of mine who used to build racecars told me to just run a piece of ABS or PVC tube from the front of the engine compartment or up from the inner fender wells to direct cool air to the engine. Pretty easy to do, and then you still have the mud, dirt, etc protection of the inners.

 

[Leper]

Ya know....That is not a bad idea. Like the expanded metal for grills. Easy to shape, still keeps rock out. Hell, if you put a couple of layers of window screen on it it would keep out alot of water splash. The screen would tear real easy though. So mabey 2 layers of the expanded metal. I don't think it would do much for even kinda deep water though. Sometimes all it takes is 1 big splash and the dist is gone.
Now, if you took an old truck bedmat and cut it up and could easily attach and remove it from the expanded metal...that would be the sh!t.

Oh boy.... I may have to look into this before I hack out my inners this weekend.


***EDIT***
Thanks for the idea.

 

[bear76]

Why not use luvers on the wheel well? You could angle them to direct any water away from elec. and other things.

 

[79k20350]

as soon as you go through a mud hole that mesh aint gonna do ****. its going to get glogged up real fast and any bennefits it may have are now lost...

 

[hack500]

if someone gets a set made before I do, please post some pics. I didn't really like the idea/work of louvers. if I put louvers on they'd be on the outside of the fenders.

at one of the places where I used to work there was some woven SS screen that had been made of 12-14awg wire. but I never asked where they got it.

I'm still not sure not sure of the fuel pump situation, though.

 

[camiswelding]

I have a bb in my tow rig,,, and I looked at all the ways to cool it,,,
I did some "po boy" hood louvers (home depot floor heat/a/clouvers at about 5 bucks)... you can get them painted,, heck they even make them in chrome for you bling bling people

I checked the temp before and after with infrared and my engine compartment temps went down by 10 degrees,,, not a lot but it certainly helps,,, the hood was cut with (2)4inch holes and (1) 3 Inch hole,, then louvered,,, it looks factory sano

as you know a louvered hood is in excess of 500 bucks,, more when painted and installed

during the summer you can see and feel the heat pouring out of the engine compartment thru the louvers,,, looks like heat coming off the desert

cam

I tried to post the pics for you but the damn forum is goofed up and wont let me,,, anyway if you look is the complete rigs for sale section its there with pics,, "The cleanest v3500 in the US for Sale"