Side vents
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Mid-North Indiana IN
Side vents
Anybody cut the side vents to allow more heat to escape? Also on the home depot gutter screens, do you remove the inner fender or do you install from the outside?
Racer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: NJ
Not sure on the screens. But I have thought about seeing if there is a way to cut/remove some of the panel to create a pathway for heat to escape. I just havn't had time to climb under there and explore. Let me know if you try anything.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,420
Likes: 1
From: Just moved back to the "old country"
I did the HD screens years ago - still on there - work and look just fine.
Do a search as there are instructions for it ... as I recall you install from the inside under the fender lining ... you remove a few of the plastic snaps so you can pull out the liner and slip your hand back there ...
Do a search as there are instructions for it ... as I recall you install from the inside under the fender lining ... you remove a few of the plastic snaps so you can pull out the liner and slip your hand back there ...
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,502
Likes: 82
I'm not sure how much it really helped because it is not a direct clear path for airflow from the engine compartment but this is what is on the backside of those vents and I can't help but believe they impede airflow. Mine went away a few weeks back....simple enough to remove. Two tabs stuck with doublesided tape and two screws/bolts accessed via the door jam.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,502
Likes: 82
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Mid-North Indiana IN
tried the HD side vent screens, if you have you splash guards on you cant get to the inside of the fender without redoing the guards. Interested in how to remove from the door jam
Racer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: NJ
I might try playing around with it tomorrow but I'd rather not remove my splash guards. Is there another way to remove the vent panels?
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Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,502
Likes: 82
You can't get those panels out thru the door jam. There are two bolts/screws in the door jam that have to be removed (you can see them in the photo) and then the two tabs are doubleside taped to the fender. You have to loosen the inner fender liner at the bottom and then reach up with your hand to pop the tape loose. Those panels come out thru the opening in the inner fender liner
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 995
Likes: 2
From: Virginia Beach VA
RaceMesh
Go w/ RaceMesh, the difference is ghetto ricer/Rolls Royce, the gutter guards are just ridiculous, & there are a fair number of vent screens out by other manufacturers that are equivalent to gutter guards. I bought them & sent them back, so I know 1st hand. I did a write up on the install when I did mine, which pulled in a couple other variations on the install which will give an excellent discussion for you to see how to install w/ very clever ways for ease & longevity of grills. You should be able to find it using my name + grill install, something like that should get you there. And, yeay, yeah to you guys who are happy w/ you gutter guards. To each is own, but the goal is to make an already great looking expensive car look better, I just don't how that's possible w/ cheap junk glued to it?
Last edited by Mike V.; Aug 10, 2010 at 11:35 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 265
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
If you remove the splash shields you can see the white washer bottle on the drivers side through the vent IIRC. Looks incomplete and shabby. I ran this way while my Gran Sport splash shield was on back order.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
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Racer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: NJ
Hmm....may have to rethink this.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,502
Likes: 82
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 265
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
If you take the factory splash shield, standing at the drivers door looking in you see an unfinished panel behind the fender (other other side of the engine compartment plastic bucket on top of the frame and the washer bottle on the drivers side).
It's ugly.
A mesh grille would block that view. As does the factory splash shield.
Frankly, I've had headers on Vettes for years with no heat related problems...so unless you have twin turbos, I think you might be trying t fix a problem that doesn't exist.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,502
Likes: 82
They do look nice.
If you take the factory splash shield, standing at the drivers door looking in you see an unfinished panel behind the fender (other other side of the engine compartment plastic bucket on top of the frame and the washer bottle on the drivers side).
It's ugly.
A mesh grille would block that view. As does the factory splash shield.
Frankly, I've had headers on Vettes for years with no heat related problems...so unless you have twin turbos, I think you might be trying t fix a problem that doesn't exist.
If you take the factory splash shield, standing at the drivers door looking in you see an unfinished panel behind the fender (other other side of the engine compartment plastic bucket on top of the frame and the washer bottle on the drivers side).
It's ugly.
A mesh grille would block that view. As does the factory splash shield.
Frankly, I've had headers on Vettes for years with no heat related problems...so unless you have twin turbos, I think you might be trying t fix a problem that doesn't exist.
Racer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: NJ
Headers, cam and supercharger here...plenty of heat that needs somewhere to go. As I mentioned above, these vents are not a clear path for heat to escape from the engine compartment so I'd say the improvement in airflow from removing those shields is probably minimal.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 926
Likes: 0
I would like to say that with an engine compartment that runs as hot as the C6, any little bit of air flow you can add will help, and I think it is a good project especially if you finish it off with a racemesh.
Racer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: NJ
Well I'll see if there are any decent deals on racemesh (I want powdercoated black) at Carlisle and go from there.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 265
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
As perhaps you can tell from these pictures, behind the fenders is the inner fender that delineates the engine compartment. There is really not much access to the engine compartment from the outer fenders, the inner fenders keep the engine (and its heat) contained in the engine compartment, with the heat going out the bottom - not the sides (I guess that's why our tunnels get so hot).
So the side vents on the Vette fenders seem to be for looks only IMHO.
So the side vents on the Vette fenders seem to be for looks only IMHO.