Hot Engine Cowl E-350?

[jage]

The engine cowl where I rest my right leg gets pretty warm while driving. The engine temp is constant and in a good range. The cowl takes a while to heat up driving in 80° weather, but then is uncomfortably warm. Is this normal?

Also I don't seem to have a setting where I can get AC from the dash and floor vents at the same time... am I missing something?

[Colorado Ken]

The diesel engine that far back (van style) will be very warm. There are several posts on the Yahoo owners site talking about this and showing insulation modifications made to the engine cover by your legs.

As for the AC, this is a ford thing, I think. I prefer to have an AC button and then decide which vents are used. I can't do that in the van.

[etbadger]

My right leg is very very happy after I added about 1/2" of foam insulation between the doghouse plastic and the stock fiberglass insulation. Also keeps the cup-holders from warming your drinks (nice-enough in winter, but sucks in the summer, unless you like steaming hot root-beer).

The driver-side up-pipe comes quite close to the dog-house at that location, so its about the hottest part of the whole cabin.

-e

[Jeffrey]

I wonder if the Dynamat treatment that SMB is offering now (mainly for the sound system performance) helps with heat insulation, too. I am havuing that done to mine, and I know they line the entire inside of the doghouse. It should help a bit.

[Buji]

I'm getting this on mine, so we'll know pretty soon if that's sufficient or if it still needs additional insulation.

t-minus 4 weeks to delivery.

[kzemach]

If you REALLY want to address the heat and want to add insulation, it's a bit pricey I hear, but this is the stuff to get:

http://www.aerogel.com/
Examples:
http://www.aerogel.com/markets/c_busheatshield.html
http://www.aerogel.com/markets/c_tractor.html


I talked to one of their VCs for a bit. Apparently, they get an R13 rating at around an inch of thickness (!!!!). And they make thinner sections too. If .5 inches is ~R6, that would do it... Plus, it can take the heat. I'm going to probably try to get some fairly soon.

[EMrider]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey

I wonder if the Dynamat treatment that SMB is offering now (mainly for the sound system performance) helps with heat insulation, too. I am havuing that done to mine, and I know they line the entire inside of the doghouse. It should help a bit.

I had this done to my van and it works quite well. The dog house is never uncomfortably warm.
R

[scatter]

I didn't have any insulation added to my van, but when I pulled the dog house to check things out, there was some Dynamat under the Ford insulation. My dog house and cup holders never even get warm. Not many miles yet, but a lot of 'em have been in Baja and the So. Cal desert.
I don't know if SMB is putting a layer of Dynamat in all of the new rigs or where mine came from, but it sure is great.
Now if I could only cool down the side cases on my bikes and quads. Maybe Dynamat my right leg....

[EMrider]

Now if I could only cool down the side cases on my bikes and quads. Maybe Dynamat my right leg....

I've roasted a few pairs of riding pants too. A heat shield is a good investment.
R