L88 hood doesn't fit Edelbrock Air-Gap intake
02-09-2014, 10:56 AM
#22
Instructor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Arlington VA
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That makes sense Les!
Long ago, when I decided to get an L88 hood, I bought one through a Vette parts shop that I'd done a ton of business with. The owner gave me a good price on a new hood, telling me that it wasn't an original Chevy L88 hood. That didn't surprise me since originals were already hard to find and pretty pricey. I just wanted the cold air induction and room for a good intake, so new aftermarket was fine with me. What he had forgotten to mention was that it was not even a correct repro hood. It was like yours, with the sealed back edge by the windshield. Between that and the fact that the hood didn't even fit on my car, I rejected it and got a refund after a "spirited" debate with him.
I mention that because I found out that it wouldn't exactly be cheap to have a body shop open the back section of the hood to let cold air in and finish it out properly. If your hood is made by the same company, the overall quality is questionable.
Do you have the air box on the hood? If so, all you need is the set up shown by Jughead in Post #5 of the thread you linked. With the drop base, the hood should drop over the carb and the filter element should be inside the airbox. If you're trying to close the hood over a full air filter assembly with a lid on it, that's not going to work. What part of the assembly isn't fitting?
I mention that because I found out that it wouldn't exactly be cheap to have a body shop open the back section of the hood to let cold air in and finish it out properly. If your hood is made by the same company, the overall quality is questionable.
Do you have the air box on the hood? If so, all you need is the set up shown by Jughead in Post #5 of the thread you linked. With the drop base, the hood should drop over the carb and the filter element should be inside the airbox. If you're trying to close the hood over a full air filter assembly with a lid on it, that's not going to work. What part of the assembly isn't fitting?
I'll still be getting photos to post, but I'm leaning towards getting a scoop and hole in the existing hood. Too bad because I like the round Chevy air cleaner in a big way, and like the stock hood (or L88) look. Alas, I don't really wanna spend another $700 on a different better fitting L88 hood!
02-09-2014, 11:08 AM
#23
Melting Slicks
I have the same hood Bluedawg shows in his picures, on my '79. It is like yours in that it is not open at the back like the originals, but I bought it just for the clearance when I was trying to solve a heat soak problem. It did what I wanted it to do - it allowed me to install an RPM Air-Gap manifold with an insulator and heat deflector plate underneath. I have the cold air box for it. It was sold separately and I have thought about adapting it to work, but it just hasn't found its way to the top of the list yet. As far as fit is concerned, it fits better than the factory hood it replaced, and I love the look. If I ever install the air box, I would cut some large holes in the support at the back of the hood to let air in without compromising its structure. Not sure what my point is here, but I'm thinking you should consider using the hood you have and figure out the hood clearance issue. You should be able to get clearance with that hood.
02-09-2014, 11:13 AM
#24
Instructor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Arlington VA
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here's some pics of the hood - sorry it took so long, but the car's at my buddy's place.
You can see in the last photo the area that was all glassed in that we cut a hole for air flow. And in the first couple you can see the lack of air cleaner assembly. I haven't taken measurements and compared to by buddy's original L88 hood, but will do that soon. Just baffled by the fact people do have L88 hoods with higher than stock intakes and it still fits. I did notice several posters said theirs fit but they had small block motors. Any of y'all have big blocks with high rise intakes and L88 hood with no problem?
You can see in the last photo the area that was all glassed in that we cut a hole for air flow. And in the first couple you can see the lack of air cleaner assembly. I haven't taken measurements and compared to by buddy's original L88 hood, but will do that soon. Just baffled by the fact people do have L88 hoods with higher than stock intakes and it still fits. I did notice several posters said theirs fit but they had small block motors. Any of y'all have big blocks with high rise intakes and L88 hood with no problem?
02-09-2014, 11:18 AM
#25
Melting Slicks
I don't have a big block, but I don't think that should make a lot of difference. How about posting a picture of your engine? My hood doesn't look much different from yours on the underside. It has to be the height of the engine/intake/carb/aircleaner.
02-09-2014, 12:19 PM
#26
Safety Car
I have the same hood Bluedawg shows in his picures, on my '79. It is like yours in that it is not open at the back like the originals, but I bought it just for the clearance when I was trying to solve a heat soak problem. It did what I wanted it to do - it allowed me to install an RPM Air-Gap manifold with an insulator and heat deflector plate underneath. I have the cold air box for it. It was sold separately and I have thought about adapting it to work, but it just hasn't found its way to the top of the list yet. As far as fit is concerned, it fits better than the factory hood it replaced, and I love the look. If I ever install the air box, I would cut some large holes in the support at the back of the hood to let air in without compromising its structure. Not sure what my point is here, but I'm thinking you should consider using the hood you have and figure out the hood clearance issue. You should be able to get clearance with that hood.
02-10-2014, 09:11 AM
#28
Burning Brakes
Here's some pics of the hood - sorry it took so long, but the car's at my buddy's place.
You can see in the last photo the area that was all glassed in that we cut a hole for air flow. And in the first couple you can see the lack of air cleaner assembly. I haven't taken measurements and compared to by buddy's original L88 hood, but will do that soon. Just baffled by the fact people do have L88 hoods with higher than stock intakes and it still fits. I did notice several posters said theirs fit but they had small block motors. Any of y'all have big blocks with high rise intakes and L88 hood with no problem?
You can see in the last photo the area that was all glassed in that we cut a hole for air flow. And in the first couple you can see the lack of air cleaner assembly. I haven't taken measurements and compared to by buddy's original L88 hood, but will do that soon. Just baffled by the fact people do have L88 hoods with higher than stock intakes and it still fits. I did notice several posters said theirs fit but they had small block motors. Any of y'all have big blocks with high rise intakes and L88 hood with no problem?
Hood before the mods:
And after:
02-10-2014, 12:07 PM
#30
Drifting
'68 with 'short' L88 style hood (open back) - BB engine - Air Gap inlet and 950 cfm dp with 'milled' choke horn. As I used a billet throttle cable bracket I had to use Edelbrock 1" drop base with 2" element. To get better flow I used a filter top.
02-17-2014, 08:27 AM
#31
Burning Brakes
02-17-2014, 09:04 AM
#32
I have a BB as well and have had an RPM Air Gap manifold on mine with Holley 950, the factory drop base and 3" element. No clearance issues. I have an Eckler's "short" L88 hood. Eckler's states that they have the original factory molds.
02-17-2014, 12:46 PM
#33
Instructor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Arlington VA
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New problem - off center!
So now I have a new issue to contend with. The carb is at least 2" off center from the middle of the hood. Is everyone's BB engine not centered? We put the new hood scoop on the top of the hood about where it would stick out after we cut the funky L88 hood, and it just doesn't look that great... Thinking about sending the scoop back and trying to get a new hood to fit. Kinda sucks 'cause will need to measure it before I get it painted, and sell or trade the old hood. Good thing there's still a lotta snow on the ground here - I'm not missing a thing by not driving :-)
02-17-2014, 01:31 PM
#34
The engine is definitely offset to the passenger side to make more room in the driver's side foot-well (and maybe other considerations as well). The offset distance that I've heard is 1". I haven't measured it.
02-17-2014, 03:48 PM
#35
Instructor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Arlington VA
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Offset for carb?
Yeah - I've been reading posts today and see the debate and oft-discovered offset. So, if I still did this with the existing L88 hood reproduction that's apparently too short - I'd have to do an offset of some sort. Anyone know of a product like that? The hood scoop from Summit I bought has a straight maybe 4" metal riser that could definitely have a slight shift if it was built that was. Anyone good with a CNC machine or aluminum fabrication?
02-17-2014, 04:01 PM
#36
Race Director
Yeah - I've been reading posts today and see the debate and oft-discovered offset. So, if I still did this with the existing L88 hood reproduction that's apparently too short - I'd have to do an offset of some sort. Anyone know of a product like that? The hood scoop from Summit I bought has a straight maybe 4" metal riser that could definitely have a slight shift if it was built that was. Anyone good with a CNC machine or aluminum fabrication?
02-17-2014, 04:47 PM
#37
Instructor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Arlington VA
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not centered
Huh. I'm seeing the carb hit the hood about 1.5" starboard of center of the hood... This makes me (more) suspicious of the hood I got with the car. I'll have to check my buddy's 69 original L88 hood to see if it's centered with the carb.
02-17-2014, 06:23 PM
#38
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Mar 2008
Location: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 0
Received 62 Likes
on
52 Posts
Scott
02-19-2014, 06:46 PM
#39
Instructor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Arlington VA
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
02-19-2014, 07:04 PM
#40
chiming in belatedly, to an earlier-posted question, regarding BBC & L88 hoods.
I do have a BBC in my C3, rect-port heads, Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap manifold, Holley double-pumper, 1" phenolic spacer, and the usual Chevy Hi-Perf drop-base 14" air cleaner assembly with a 3" filter, and it all fits with about at-least a 1/2 or more to spare.
if yours doesn't fit, perhaps your motor mounts are off. sometimes folks do that if they're running the long water pump & pulleys, instead of the SWP, to get the crankshaft pulley clearance at the crossmember. this mounts the engine higher.
I do have a BBC in my C3, rect-port heads, Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap manifold, Holley double-pumper, 1" phenolic spacer, and the usual Chevy Hi-Perf drop-base 14" air cleaner assembly with a 3" filter, and it all fits with about at-least a 1/2 or more to spare.
if yours doesn't fit, perhaps your motor mounts are off. sometimes folks do that if they're running the long water pump & pulleys, instead of the SWP, to get the crankshaft pulley clearance at the crossmember. this mounts the engine higher.