So i put my Seibon TS hood on yesterday and for some reason the hood hit my Cusco strut bar only on passenger side, right where the bend is, and caused the hood to bow up about 1/4 inch or so where the hood meets fender on the passenger side...about mid-hood.

So to fix, i took the Motordyne 5/16 strut bar spacers off (spacers are about 2-3 standard washers thick) and replaced them with single washers on drivers side, and no washers or spacers on passengers side.

Now, bar is even and sits DIRECTLY on the plenum, so much so that i prob couldn't even slide a piece of paper through. Plenum is not putting any pressure on bar, it just sits directly on it.

Is this ok??

How much movement does the engine experience during driving/shifting?? Is it mandatory i have some breathing room??

Thanks in advance fellas.

 

try using regular washers instead of the spacers. you want some room between the plenum and strut bar

 

off topic but how do you test if the strut bar is hitting the hood or not? Method?

 

Its the TS hood....middle vents are exactly where strut bar is, you can see it, and if you lightly push the hood starting at beginning of bar and keep pushing along where the bar is underneath, it goes from flexible pushes to completely firm....thats how you know where the hood is hitting.

its not really rocket science, the bar is the highest protruding object under the hood.... where the hood is most firm is where it is resting on something...

Plus the FRP supports on the underside of the hood go completely over the bar. Those supports are the lowest lying part of the underside of the hood.

 

I am using regular washers....

In my OP i stated i went from spacers to washers, single washers on one side and no washers on the other.

The hood is STILL hitting the bar, but it is not as bad and noticeable as it was.

I cant go any lower. So thats why i ask if bar resting on Plenum is ok.

 

Doesnt the engine need a slight bit of space because it torques to one side a bit under load?

 

I have had this same problem. Using washers is correct. You DO need space because that plenum expands during high RPM revs. Try elevating the driver side by another washer or two.
I had to get a different hood in the long run. :-(

 

I pretty sure, like most engines, it does. Im prob wishful thinking here in that i might be able to get away with it...

But i would just remove the bar before i would remove hood, and sell the cusco and get the APS or something.

Any more consus on this?

 

Correct. Distance between upper plenum and strut brace is different when:

car is sitting
and torque is applied.

At high torque the motor moves. Motor mounts move. Frame twists. I don't know how much? 1 mm? 5 mm? Whatever it is will press the upper plenum against the strut brace. That's why the brace is designed to have some free space.

 

If the sway rests on the plenum with any significant force then engine transfers its vibration through the bar and into the suspension then to the rest of the car.

I did it on accident once and couldn't figure out why the car and especially the gas pedal was shaking while accelerating.

I would play with washer combos on the bar and mounting points for the hood and see if you can figure something out. Otherwise just loose the bar. Not that important.

 

Thanks fellas, i think i was just avoiding the inevitable here on account of my new shiny hood.

Its weird how one side can use MD spacers and still clear hood, but the other side wont clear hood even with no washers or spacers.

Ill just throw down double washers on drivers side and singles on the other and live with bowed hood.

 

Dude, you were 150% right on this one!

I tried driving around for a bit with the bar snug on the plenum....no bueno.

I got mad vibration all throughout the front suspension components that transfered to the steering wheel and gas pedal, along with a horrible clanking which was the bar hitting plenum, until the plenum heated up and expanded alittle.

Acceleration was the worst with vibration, while braking/slowing it decreased.

 

yea this happened to me too after I installed the Kinetix V+ plenum. Had to removed the OEM strut bar to avoid any vibration. I will try to use some washer if that will help.

 

Ya just go out and buy some 10mm - 12mm washers and stack as needed, as long as your OEM? hood will clear the bar....stack away.

 

is this why I always hear like a knocking sound due to the clearance after I installed the spacer or is it something else.💀 I really hope it’s that or a the air box filter hitting something because damn.