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I did this mod last week on my 92 convertible, I'm really happy with it and so far it hasn't fell into my exposed timing belt or caught fire. Woo Hoo!!!

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Tools you will need:
1. Beer, this will vary per person by type and quantity.

2. Permatex Headliner and Carpet Adhesive, part# 27828, 16.75oz at Autozone for $10.99
a can

3. Chalkline for snapping the straight edge.

4. Henkel UL181B-FX rated pressure sensitive tape for use with flexible air ducts (has a
wide temperature range of 20F to 180F) $7.00 for 50ft roll

5. Tape measurer

6. Scissors

7. Reflective aluminum faced fiberglass insulation, I bought mine on ebay from NDANGELS,
it is listed as TECHMAT.
You can call Bruce Doss at work: 1.800.476.4845 or Nancy at home: 1.336.674.3328,
they are really nice people and I couldn't find this quality of material any cheaper.

About $27.00 plus shipping for a 4'x6' roll. You can save on shipping if you buy more rolls,
see their Ebay auction for TECHMAT, it has some good specification info also.

8. Rubber gloves (not pictured) I didn't use them though I should have because of
the fiberglass.




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Close up of adhesive



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Bare hood lets heat escape from engine bay causing longer warm up periods, decreasing
fuel economy and not letting engine operate at it's most efficient temperature range.




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Notice stock location of air filter housing, it draws it's air from the passenger fenderwell,
this design is to get cold air from outside the engine resulting in an increase in power
with a sacrifice in fuel efficiency. Think cold air intake for performance and hot air intake
for fuel economy



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Step ONE: First measure your hood by its length and width, Mine was 41 long x 52 wide
allowing for an additional inch on all sides. Once I knew how long to cut my material I
snapped a chalkline and cut with scissors. Remove hood from car and place on a large
workspace so you can either walk around or spin the hood around.



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Step TWO: Take the material and position it so it covers the entire hood, pay attention
to the edges of the hood that will set down into the fenders be careful not to cover
these edges. Cut slit for hood latch. Plan on leaving an inch border exposed around
edge of the hood. Trim the material to the shape and exact size of the hood. You will
fold the excess back on to itself next.

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Step THREE: Once the shape is cut out you can begin folding the edges in by an inch
or more (I did two roughly) Where folds meet at corners remove excess material so
you don't have double thick overlaps. I also cut slits about every 10-12inches where
long edges would make folding difficult. Once your satisfied with the folds you will see
the crease line clearly. (This is the point of no return so make sure your satisfied with
your cutting.)

Step FOUR: Follow adhesive instructions, spray both the creased edge and an equal
amount interior to the crease line to which it will fold on to itself. DO NOT FOLD, wait 5
minutes for adhesive to set, drink a beer, spray again, wait 5 minutes, drink a beer (it's
starting to get fun now!!!).

Step FIVE: Fold edges while pressing hard. Tape with aluminum flexible duct tape where
the backing meets the insulation.

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Step SIX: Take your insulation and place over engine bay to see how it is going to cover.
Be mindful of hood hinges in the rear and the hood stops at the front.

You can barely see the cardboard pizza box (Papa Johns) completely blocking the radiator.
The other two pics of the Geo without insulation are my best friend Mark's 93 Geo Metro
convertible, he delivers for Domiblows. I didn't think to take pics until after I sprayed
adhesive on the insulation. His car is stock, mine is a moded 92.

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Step SEVEN: Spray your hood with adhesive on the raised areas and also in the lower
flat panel areas, wait 5 minutes, drink a beer, spray again, wait 5 minutes. Get a friend
to help you position the insulation in place and press down firmly. Let hood sit for 24 hours
as pictured in 70 degree climate to cure. Besides you can't drive anyway after all that beer.

Drink a beer!

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Waiting to dry in the basement, it was like 40 degrees outside.

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Step EIGHT: Next day, bolt hood on car and gently close hood to see if you have any clearance
issues. You may be able to see the two indentions from my hood stops at the front edges,
they have no ill effects to the hoods operation and will help in holding the material in place,
...luckily. Notice the air filter housing and it's duct work. It is drawing warm air from the
back of the radiator.




It really was only a two beer job. I hope you like it.

Special thanks to Kacey Green for helping me post pictures - Dale

looks good

How does it help engine temps? Did you notice a drop in noise? Tell us a bit more about why you did your project and what your results are.

Very nice! In addition the above questions, where did you get the material?

Again, very nice project!

How does it help engine temps? Did you notice a drop in noise? Tell us a bit more about why you did your project and what your results are.

Thanks for the replies and encouragement.

With the hood insulated the engine stays warmer by reflective heat, this makes warm up times quicker, increases fuel economy and brings the engine to what I believe is a more efficient overall operating temperature.
If you search Techmat on www.ebay.com you will find the seller and their item description for more detailed attributes of this material. I can tell you that virtually none of the engine's heat is transferred through the hood at these relatively low temps. I drove this car 10 hours last night on deliveries and the outside of the hood was always the same temperature (gauged by hand) as the roof or trunk.

I hoped/looked for a reduction in engine noise. I have no interior carpet in this car. I removed it because the window seals don't keep out water well. Now with the hood insulated I still hear the engine clearly but it sounds as if it's from under the car instead of through the windshield. I have discovered that there is a loose bolt holding my convertible top latch assembly on the passenger side that I didn't notice before.
If this material was used also on the firewall and under the carpet I believe it's soundproofing qualities would be evident.

This is just part of a bigger project to be able to control engine temperatures by degrees so that I can see what is the most efficient operating temperature for this particular engine through out the seasonal temperature changes. All advise, experiences and comments are appreciated. - Dale

Hi dr...,

Is that shiny material covered with an electrically non-conductive layer? I would be concerned about incidental electrical shorts if not. I recommend you find some high temperature plastic film, and put that over the shiny stuff, if its bare metal. The infra red will still reflect from the metal, if the film is thin. If the film is thick, the heat would be absorbed, rather than reflected. Which would then cause the heat to be conducted out of the engine compartment more.

I know decorating companies have gold and silver appearing plastic coatings that are non-conductive. But have no details. An aquantance was a party/wedding florist, and she had these gold tubes she used in her work. I asked here to check the resistance of one, and it was not electrically conductive. Although this was a low-temperature plastic.

Hi dr...,

Is that shiny material covered with an electrically non-conductive layer? I would be concerned about incidental electrical shorts if not. I recommend you find some high temperature plastic film, and put that over the shiny stuff, if its bare metal. The infra red will still reflect from the metal, if the film is thin. If the film is thick, the heat would be absorbed, rather than reflected. Which would then cause the heat to be conducted out of the engine compartment more.

Donee,
Thanks for the consideration. The material is aluminum foil of a few mm's thickness. If you will go to www.ebay.com and search Techmat you can read it's properties and see that it reflects up to 1200F (overkill I would say) with a 2 degree temperature increase at around 240F. My hood stays cold after driving for hours with minimal engine cutoffs.

excerpt:

Low thermal conductivity at temperatures to 1200° F
Good drapeability - Conforms to irregular surfaces
U.L. Listed - 0 - flame spread, 0 - smoke generated
Non-respirable, 9 micron filament diameter
Excellent vibration resistance, will not powder
Excellent sound absorption properties
Non-alkaline (<0.01%)
Low chlorides and fluorides
Will not contribute to metal corrosion
Odorless-will not absorb odors-clean
Will NOT decay, rust, or sustain mold or vermin
Resists moisture absorption and mildew
Foil backing is very durable
Light weight, 1/8th lb. (02.1oz.) per square foot.
Completely made in the USA

As for it shorting anything out, it has no more potential than the hood which is bolted to the body connected to the fenders etc already. It does rest upon the air filter housing which is plastic.

GETTING OFF TOPIC:
If you are familiar with a circular grounding system you might know that having multiple points of ground is a preferred method to increase electric conductivity. This hood insulation does not provide that benefit though.
I built a circular grounding system for another car I owned a few years ago. Using 4gauge wiring by Monster Cable (it uses continous wire strands for lower impedence, ie better connection capabilities) I made a new negative battery cable attached to a gold plated negative battery terminal (can be bought at car audio shops), then measured and cut 8 more cables to length with copper terminal connectors, slipped shrink wrap on each end then crimped and soldered each end for durability then heated shrink wrap.
Total cost was about $60 and I had to borrow the professional trucking industry crimpers. When it was finished it was the prettiest, best made grounding system for half the cost of an inferior set sold in speed shops everywhere.

This is basically how it travels:

With the new improved negative battery cable grounded to the driver side chassis and another cable sharing the same hole to the transmission then another cable from the transmission to the valve cover and another cable (etc) to the headlight ground to the passenger side chassis/fender to the alternator to the firewall to the engine block back to the drivers side chassis or transmission would be 9 cables all connected together.

You use the ground points already used where the smaller, usually 12 or 14 gauge wiring maintains a meager BARELY SUFFICIENT ground but you use better thicker cables and encircle the entire grounding system so that electricity has a strong ground at all points.

The reason is: A stronger path to ground strengthens the FLOW of electricity making a stronger spark to sparkplugs, brighter headlights, taillights, turn signals, cleaner radio reception, cooler amplifier and less work on your alternator and battery.

ON TOPIC: I'm not really worried about it shorting anything out. I'm curious to see if the warmer engine temps have made a modest increase in F/E. I'm about to finish another tank of gas and will log my fuel consumption tonight most likely. Wish me luck.

I might rebuild the engine and transmission mounts tonight if I do I'll take pics and do another "how to" It's a cheap fix but it also has to cure for 24 hours (I guess I'm saving gas if the car is sitting).

I might rebuild the engine and transmission mounts tonight if I do I'll take pics and do another "how to" It's a cheap fix but it also has to cure for 24 hours (I guess I'm saving gas if the car is sitting).

Does it involve 3M "Window Weld" polyurethane caulk?

:woot:We have a winner!!! Ding ding ding :Banane53:Tell Hadi what he or she has won!!! Well Hadi you can stand out in the cold all night with Dale and Mark while working on cars until you can't feel your fingers, that's right this is our "weekend" and we are gearheads with a carport, some tools, tarps to block the wind, beer and a tube of 3M WINDO-WELD. Value of this prize......priceless!:bananajump:

@ Hadi, remember when Austin thought I was a female? :)

@ Hadi, remember when Austin thought I was a female? :)
It's such a cute bunny.

:woot:We have a winner!!! Ding ding ding :Banane53:Tell Hadi what he or she has won!!! Well Hadi you can stand out in the cold all night with Dale and Mark while working on cars until you can't feel your fingers, that's right this is our "weekend" and we are gearheads with a carport, some tools, tarps to block the wind, beer and a tube of 3M WINDO-WELD. Value of this prize......priceless!:bananajump:
Wow, that brings back memories. Back in high school I replaced the head gasket of one Toyota Cressida in a snowy, icy parking lot. That same winter, I converted another Cressida from automatic to manual transmission; again in an icy, gravel parking lot. I think I've had my fill of working on cars in such adverse conditions ;) But thanks for the offer!!

(btw, yes, I'm a he, don't get your hopes up, ROFL)

Do you remember when Auston thought I was a female?
Hah, I do remember. Boy was his face red when he found out you were a dude!:Banane05:

(btw, yes, I'm a he, don't get your hopes up, ROFL)
Hah, I do remember. Boy was his face red when he found out you were a dude!:Banane05:

DRIMPORTRACING goes back into his manly man cave grunts something manly, scratches himself in a very manly way and thinks he not like fuzzy boy bunnies so much and farts, then draws picture of Adriana Lima on cave wall:D

It wasn't too cold last night... once the the hypothermia set in. I pulled the engine mount off the rear to find out that one of the two bolts at the firewall was missing. Explains the clunking sound when backing up or when bumps attack. The mount looked good so we filled it with windo-weld anyway.
Instead of having a trashed mount repaired I think I made a good mount stiffer, we will see how it performs, I found a bolt but couldn't find a single lock washer, my kingdom for a lockwasher or a ride to NAPA please.
We got bored and I still wanted to do something cool so we deleted the passenger side mirror, I'll post a pic tomorrow.

Thinking about working on the rear fender skirts next or the front underpan. I have to scavenge materials for both so it's a logistics issue for now.
I could make the "air funnel" from the engine side of the radiator to the air intake hose routed infront of it. Hmmmm that would be easy....- Dale (manly man who likes women and America too!!!):flag:

I learned how to post pics properly tonight!!!! So go back and check out the original post to this thread. - Dale

Good work on the first post revision. Very manly and such. *grunt*

Good work on the first post revision. Very manly and such. *grunt*
Thanks, I guess you could say I was trying for that. :D - Dale

Warm up times must be way lower, helping FE

Once hot, you may find that your radiator fan now has to work more often, and your alternator, lowering your FE.

But if your delivering pizza, keeping the engine warm between journeys has to save gas.

Next time your having a beer with Dale and Mark you could work out how to use that heat by installing a pizza oven in the back of The Geo!

Yes warm up times are 2 - 2.25 miles at 46 degrees fahrenheit ambient temperature at 25- 30mph. It's city driving with 2 lights within those first two miles. I unplugged my fan last week as it won't be needed until March or April. I've held or increased my FE with the few mods I've made in the last couple of months in spite of the temperature drop from August to Nov.

Pizza oven....hahahahahahahah...NEVER! - Dale

What's the R-value of the insulation that was installed? I have some of that bubble wrap mylar insulation left over, and I was wondering how effective it would be. Might be lighter, too!

Welcome to the cleanmpg site Daisy. This is a great place to learn techniques and discuss topics related to FE and just about anything else that you would talk about in front of your mother.

I don't know if I ever had the R value information on this material. I wouldn't think that it would be very high as it is only maybe 3/8" thick fiberglass insulation with a 1 or 2 mil quilted aluminum skin. It reflects heat extremely well and I am more than pleased with it's performance. I've owned a 97 Hatchback Metro and it was a great car for the short time that I drove it, less than two years. Is yours an automatic or a standard 5 speed? - Dale

I managed to snag a manual 1-litre. :)

Thank you for your kind welcome!