Thread: Louvers in '32 Ford Hood when it rains......

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It could. I had 160 louvers in the hood of a '35 Ford, drowned it out once. An open element air cleaner can only handle so much water before it becomes saturated and the water starts making it into the carb.

How about running NO hood? My '27 has none, and it has been driven through lots of typical Florida downpours, where it rains just about every day. I never worried about water being sucked down the carbs, but I was always amazed that the distributor kept working.

In fact, the very last time I drove it before I tore it down for a rebuild, I drove for 5 solid hours in rain where you couldn't see the guy in front of you most times. I always expected the engine to die at any moment, but it never missed a beat. Of course, it had a Ford engine, so experiences with a Chevy may be different. (joke)


Don

At speed louvers generally won't allow water in.
Perhaps a few louvers in the rear will admit water, that due to the weird windflow patterns back by the windshield on some cars.

I've ran my 32 roadster - with top - in several heavy rainstorms, last one a desert cloudburst that flooded the streets in a few minutes - I got a little wet, but the engine didn't.

The car's been parked for short periods in heavy rain and always fired up ok.

Part of it may be the front mounted distributor on the 462" Buick and the other part the wires (Accel 8.8mm's) with their well sealed boots.

I do run an air cleaner.

One caution about louvers in the hood top is that they allow hot engine air to enter the cowl vent at lower in-town speeds.
The cowl vent gets cooler ambient temp air at highway speeds.
I'm pretty sure that happens due to airflow changes over the hood and windshield according to vehicle speed.

For that reason, the hood top on my 31 on 32 rails project roadster is not louvered.