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rear clam vents?
number-1 - 10/8/18 at 07:24 PM

can anyone point me in the right direction for bonnet ventilation for a rear engine BEC that wont allow rain water in? . i want to dissipate some heat from the engine bay but not allow water in to ruin the electric gizmos

its for the rear clam as pictured below

number-1 - 10/8/18 at 07:29 PM

i dont want it to look cheap or industrial like this...

02GF74 - 11/8/18 at 07:48 AM

You have conflicting requirements : a vent in a horizontal panel which does not allow rain water in.

One possibility is to have a tray below the vent to catch the rain water and route it out of harms way, using a hose if required. It position and share designed so as not to overly interfere with the airflow.

You may be overworrying a bit as long as water is away from the electrics it should not be a problem.

steve m - 11/8/18 at 08:44 AM

I think the white car and its vents look good, and sprayed white, would be even better

if your electrics are that sensitive to a bit of water, then you have either installed them incorrectly or there wrong

Engines and electrics get VERY wet in the rain regardless of a few vents to allow cooling

steve

02GF74 - 11/8/18 at 10:21 AM

quote:
Originally posted by steve m

Electrics get VERY wet in the rain regardless of a few vents to allow cooling


I am not sure where you got that information from but from my experience that is not the case.
In older cars, a solid bonnet stopped rain from the top, inner wheel arches water thrown from the wheels and radiator in front of the engine. More recent cars have under trays.

There has been many a post on LR forums how to waterproof engine bays when wading, no problems on the road but when the fan hits the water being waded through, thats when it becomes a problem.

I don't recall ever seeing any signs of water ingress in the engine bay of any car I've ever owned other than the LR but that was due to a very deep puddle, made a mess in it. .

MikeRJ - 11/8/18 at 11:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by steve m

Electrics get VERY wet in the rain regardless of a few vents to allow cooling


I am not sure where you got that information from but from my experience that is not the case.
In older cars, a solid bonnet stopped rain from the top, inner wheel arches water thrown from the wheels and radiator in front of the engine. More recent cars have under trays.


The amount of filth on and around the engine and engine bay after driving my tintop in the winter suggests plenty of water gets in.

As someone else suggests the OEM approach to this would be some method to catch and drain water under the vent.

steve m - 11/8/18 at 05:36 PM

Thanks Mike

Back to the original question
However, speaking from someone who has been on the road 20 years this year, with a locost, and driven in the worst weather imaginable going to some of the kit car shows, I can guarantee, that the under bonnet of a kit car gets immensely wet,
so, if you have placed any "ecu's or similar" in the engine department, then trouble will be just around the corner

just my opinion, of coarse

steve

StevieB - 12/8/18 at 07:34 AM

Perhaps using some NACA ducts to bring air into the engine bay and something to vent air away at the back?

You'll have an R1 engine I presume? As such, the electrics should be up to the job as they would be on the bike. You can take steps to waterproof your electrics for a belt and braces approach - grease all connectors and think about putting any sensitive equipment into an IP65 box which will keep them watertight. Make sure your reg/rec is in a place where it'll get some airflow and ideally attached to a decently sized piece of chassis to act as an extra heat sync and take the temp away.