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Old 07-17-2018, 06:20 PM   #1
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Cool Subaru Hood scoop - project Vanaruu

May be of interest to members wanting to add additional air flow into the engine compartment.

I have a E350 with the 6.0 and when the EGR cooler cracked I had the Bulletproof kit installed to help it last a bit longer and (hope) to get the 6.0 more reliable.

Before subi scoop mod: The water temperatures have been (With the Bulletproof kit installed) consistently running at 190 degrees f water temp.

I wanted to see if a hood scoop may help with more airflow (lower water temperature) so I sourced a Subi wagon hood from craigslist for 20.00 and got to work.

I’m a cheap old man so I decided to give it a go myself and see how it turns out. I have worked with fiberglass (old surfboard ding repairs) and bondo in the past so I figured I have half a chance. And if it turned out like dog doo then a new white van hood shouldn’t be hard to find and make it look stock again.

The 2005 E350 has a fiberglass hood for those of you who haven’t cut into one before. It is two layers of approx 1/4" fiberglass that is separated by an air gap. Inside of the air gap between the top and bottom parts of fiberglass is a reflective layer of stuff that looks similar to aluminum foil glued to the bottom of the top layer of fiberglass. Think of a turkey sandwich with fiberglass for the bread and reflective stuff for the turkey meat. Or something like that.

Step 1: Cut the hood scoop sheet metal off of the 20.00 investment. I used a metal blade on a cutoff wheel grinder.

Step 2: Place the scoop on the van hood and try to get it centered and somewhat squared up with the trusty tape measure. Take a deep breath and cut a big ass hole in a perfectly good hood. I used a cutoff wheel on a hand held grinder and it went right through the fiberglass like...well kinda like a huge cloud of dust in a Las Vegas windstorm.

Step 3: Grind off the paint on the sheet metal so the fiberglass and bondo will bond properly. That bondo Stuff don’t stick to paint too well. Run a sander over the hood to expose the fiberglass under the paint.

Step 3: Screw the sheet metal in place on a bed of fiberglass and crack open an adult beverage and watch it dry. Note: Do not start drinking until after step 2

Step 4: Remove the screws after the resin is set up, and start adding a few layers of bondo.

Step 5: Sand bondo, add bondo, and repeat until you think it looks like Ford and Subaru engineers and designers would be proud (or stunned, or disgusted).

Step 6: Get out some rattlecan white paint and make yourself proud.

After installing the Subiscoop mod: The Water temperature has dropped to 184 degrees when cruising on flat / level streets. It runs at 188 degrees on the freeway now.

Seems to have helped with air flow according to my baseline vs. after subiscoop mod data. I use a Scanguage II to monitor engine temps when driving at all times.

It’s only a few degrees but seems to be interesting or helpful if someone else is considering a cheap way to add a scoop. I may add the Range Rover fender vents to let the air have a easier way out, now that it’s getting air in through the hood.
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Old 07-17-2018, 06:24 PM   #2
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FWIW, if I recall correctly, there was someone here selling or giving away a spare hood, just in case.




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Old 07-17-2018, 06:31 PM   #3
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I added pics to the thread but apparently I’m intranet challenged.

Edit: Gave it another try...got them loaded. Hopefully.
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Old 07-17-2018, 06:46 PM   #4
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I see pics!

Now all you need are some before and after results (subjective is fine).


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Old 07-17-2018, 08:36 PM   #5
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That looks good man, nice work!

When I saw the title before the pix i envisioned the sti scoop. Whichever wagon that scoop is from is much more subtle and it fits much better than I had imagined. Again, nice work!
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Old 07-17-2018, 08:50 PM   #6
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Thanks. Yeah, I don't think that the real big scoops on Subi's would look good...too much in your face.

I was considering the hood scoops on Toyota trucks/4-Runners but they are smaller. I saw this one and figured it was low profile enough and much wider than the Toyota truck hood scoops.
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Old 07-17-2018, 10:24 PM   #7
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Nice work. Even if it didn't make a huge difference, it looks bad ass. I've been considering adding an adjustable scoop to my roof to pressurize the interior and reduce the dust ingress, but I'm not sure I could make it look as nice as you did.
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Old 07-18-2018, 07:12 AM   #8
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That's awesome, I love it!
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Old 07-19-2018, 11:56 AM   #9
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Agree, looks great. Nice work.
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Old 07-19-2018, 05:14 PM   #10
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Very cool - If & when you ever decide you cant live with that "big hole in your hood" anymore, PM me and i'll be there within two days to assist you in converting it back...To help keep your costs down, you can have mine to swap over. I'll even volunteer to cart the old one away for you!
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