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If you have some wear spots on your hood insulation pad, I found a pretty good fix. Mine was worn in a few spots, even had some holes in it. You can find replacement pads for several hundred dollars. However, the rest of the pad is fine, so I went to Jo-Annes fabric store and found some 9"x12" felt sheets with adhesive backing in black. So I just cut some patch pieces so they match the contours and shapes of the worn areas and stuck them right on the existing pad. In normal lighting you really can hardly see the patches. I've driven the car a couple times, and so far they look fine. The 9x12 sheets are $1.49 each. If you have this problem, you might give it a try....
Remember that this is more than an insulator; it is a fire suppression blanket. The idea of the hood liner is that it has a much higher melting point than the plastic plugs so if you have an under hood fire the plastic plugs will melt first, dropping the liner onto the engine and - hopefully - putting the fire out. You can do a Google search not just for Corvettes but cars in general and see how this function works.
Not saying necessarily anything you have done is incorrect. However if you similarly have an underhood fire, the plugs melt, and drop the liner onto the engine the places you have "repaired" with this fabric material will melt first, potentially allowing oxygen in and fire escaping through the liner.
Velocity- Thanks for that info. Definitely a consideration. Doubt many of use would know of that concept. The patches I made are pretty small relative to the overall insulation pad. I'm guessing if you have a fire under the hood that melts the plastic plugs and the entire pad comes loose, the felt patches would be the least of your worries. Your information is good to know before making repairs.
Do you happen to have any further info regarding hood liners for fire suppression? Been around the block a couple of times and haven't heard that, not claiming to know all of course, and learning is fun.
First, great DIY work around to fix a problem with your hood liner. Second, if you are concerned with your repaired hood liner not having the fire retardant properties of an undamaged liner, buy some fire retardant fabric spray and douse the liner with it. Frankly, I am more worried that some electrical gremlin shows up then having an engine fire in my C5
I think a major engine fire is pretty rare, and I hope none of us ever have that happen. I doubt a few small pieces of felt to cover worn spots on the hood liner will have much effect in a major engine fire. But now we have all the facts to make our own decisions. By the way, the patches really blend in better than the pictures even show.
From: Philadelphia PA (Birthplace of the USA, UNESCO World Heritage City)
You could just buy the proper materials (fire suppression)- either brand new or buy a hood liner off another random car for cheap at a junkyard, then cut the pieces to size and patch.
Last edited by ArmchairArchitect; Dec 19, 2018 at 09:30 AM.
Primary purpose is to help protect hood paint and reduce NVH, which is why some lower trims levels, or cheaper, or older vehicles don't include them. It can also provide limited protection during an engine fire depending on the material it is made of.
Hood insulation fix
Second, if you are concerned with your repaired hood liner not having the fire retardant properties of an undamaged liner, buy some fire retardant fabric spray and douse the liner with it. Frankly, I am more worried that some electrical gremlin shows up then having an engine fire in my C5
