Under hood pad

[Red Ranger]

Mine is missing, it was missing when I bought the Ranger. I see that LMC Truck has replacements, cut to fit for $40.00. Is this pad necessary to have? What purpose does it serve beside insulation?
Thanks,

 

[Mark_88]

It's mostly for noise reduction...I had one on my truck but tossed it out because it was soaked in oil, started to crumble around the edges, and weighed more than it should have...

They may also help to reduce the temperature in the engine compartment in summer by shielding heat coming off the hood...but without them the truck still runs the same...as long as the cooling system is working properly...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

It's possible that heat off the motor could damage the paint or warp the aluminum hood if you're talking about your 2000 Ranger...

I've been considering taking mine off and just build a functional cowl induction on it to keep the underhood temps under control. But who knows if that will actually happen or when...

 

[Mark_88]

Hmmm...didn't think about engine heat affecting the paint...but it could be an issue...never had a problem with my 88 paint and it got pretty hot under there sometimes...

 

[Boggin]

heres one for you for a good price too
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=188256#post188256

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Hmmm...didn't think about engine heat affecting the paint...but it could be an issue...never had a problem with my 88 paint and it got pretty hot under there sometimes...

Yea, the pad is gone from under the hood of my 89 and I haven't seen any bad effects from it... but it's also a heavy as heck steel hood.... and a strong one at that, I've perched up on my hood quite a few times but would never try it with the light aluminum hood on my Ranger.

 

[Red Ranger]

Thanks for the input. It hasn't affected the paint, but then I don't know how long it's been missing. I wonder if it would help the A/C cool a bit better. When it gets 100 degrees here in Oklahoma, it has a hard time staying cool in the cab. I do know on my Thunderbird sealing the box around the heater core/evaporator helped cool the inside.

 

[srteach]

Not likely to help the A/C temps in the cab. A/C heat removal happens in front of the radiator. With A/C, seal the condenser box, make sure there is a full load of 134A and that your compressor is working and you should be fine.

 

[Shran]

I have noticed that it a missing pad will change the way your hood sounds when you shut it. On my trucks, if it's missing, your hood will shut with a bang. If it's there, the hood just kind of clicks shut. I don't know if that is part of it's intended purpose, but interesting nonetheless.

 

[Mark_88]

Aside from tuning up the AC, are your windows tinted? Sealing around the heater box might help if you're introducing hot air through there (leaking seals). Making sure the vent door is closing properly might also help because it allows outside air into the cab.

There shouldn't be too many other ways for hot air to get into the cab but you also have one other factor...the color of your vehicle. Darker means hotter, generally, and without the heat reducing window tints, a dark vehicle interior can easily reach temps that could kill...or cause serious discomfort.

 

[superdave1984]

As for the heat damaging the paint, aluminum conducts heat much better than steel so my guess would be that it would spread the heat over the entire hood area and dispel it away. I took that insulation off my Jeep and it runs cooler now but there is a tad more noise. None of the Rangers I have owned had that stuff.

 

[Chris.S.]

It also serves as a fire blanket if your engine compartment burns-the plastic retainers melt off and it drops down onto the engine.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

There shouldn't be too many other ways for hot air to get into the cab but you also have one other factor...the color of your vehicle. Darker means hotter, generally, and without the heat reducing window tints, a dark vehicle interior can easily reach temps that could kill...or cause serious discomfort.

My parents white Explorer can get more than not enough to kill something/body. My green Ranger used to get up to 130 some odd degrees back when it used to sit in the parking lot during high school. That was at aproxx 3:30 in the afternoon from May to June and Septimber to October.

I think there is a problem with Red Ranger's AC system though.

 

[Red Ranger]

The A/C blows cold except when it gets up over 100 degrees. I'm going to seal the box under the hood, as I think I'm getting hot air through it. Right now there is only some insulation taped to only one side of it.

One other question. Is it normal for the side registers to have lower airflow than the center registers? On our Sable, all registers are about the same. On my '69 T-bird, the sides have less flow than the centers.

 

[LearjetMinako]

It also serves as a fire blanket if your engine compartment burns-the plastic retainers melt off and it drops down onto the engine.

Thats something I didn't think about, good point.

As for when it gets 100*F in Oklahoma. You are not the only one. I know exactly how you feel, I live in OKC, OK. Normally, if the Ranger sits in the sun for more than an hour. It is baking hot inside (130*F +). Use a windshield reflector, it really does help and saves the dash from being warpped. Also make sure the engine fan, coolant, and free-on is filled, topped off, &/or working. Around 90*F+ the engine fan is usually working.