Shaker Hood Conversion Step by Step pics

[mopower]

Here is a great source for all those considering this Mod. I took the liberty of taking pics while performing this conversion for SRT-BILL. Soon I will install it on his SRT8 Magnum and have it painted black. Enjoy!

This is the stock donor hood from a Magnum, for the Charger it is the same exact process.

Flip the hood upside down and remove the squirter with pliers.

Next, 2" masking tape is put on the areas to mark on the hood. Mark the center line of the hood by measuring as on the diagram, then replace the squirters. Do NOT trust your eyes on this part. If the light source in not directly centered above, it will throw you completely off and look NOT centered when it is or vice versa.


Using scissors, cut on template on the lines, including squirter holes.

Stretch out pattern and tape on in a wagon wheel pattern. Make sure you stretch it tight, the center line is centered, and the squirter align in the holes.

[mopower]

Using a pen, mark the hood where the center hole will be cut out.

Remove the template, and this is what it should look like.

Cover the area to be cut with 2" masking tape and redraw the lines. You will able to see through the tape. This will protect the paint from the jigsaw action to come.

Using a 1/2" or larger hole saw, take a deep breath and saw the first hole in this general area. Be careful to stay in the line!

Next, go get yourself a good jigsaw and these blades. They are both sold at Home Depot. The blades are Bosch T345XF3 and they MUST be 6" long.

Set your jigsaw so it will cut at about a 5 degree angle like this, so the bottom hole will be slightly larger than the top.

Make sure the hood is propped up on the sides and start cutting. I cut this entire hole in about 2 minutes. A good jigsaw with these blades will melt through these hoods like butter, through all the braces in one shot!

Here it is! save the center piece for the paint shop to match the paint on.

You can remove rough edges and fine tune th fit with one of these 90 degree grinders with a 3" 36 or 50 grit roloc pad.

The bottom brace should fit right in nice and tight. If it doesn't, grind the areas that need it until it fits snugly.

This is what it looks like from the top. The flange you see is the bottom brace area that bonds to the upper trim ring with the epoxy adhesive. This ties everything together for a super strong and stiff hood.


If you are planing on bonding the brace, then take your grinder or 40 sandpaper, and scuff the paint so the adhesive will make a good bond.


The 16 screws are enough, but if you prefer to also glue it down, or want to remove the screws for a nicer finish, it can be done using some urethane one part adhesive. I am now recommending 3M 5200 Marine Adhesive (found in Home Depot) Which is better than the PL Premium we use to use. To do this, just thoroughly cover the areas that will be in contact with the bottom brace.

[mopower]

Screw down the bottom brace with the 16 provided self drilling #8 screws. 6 go in the front, 6 in the back, and 2 in the middle on each side. The holes are pre-marked in the fiberglass. Later, you can remove the screws and install smoothe 1/8" pop rivits and paint them, you won't even notice them. Clean up the adhesive if needed with Naptha or Mineral Spirits. Next, cut the factory insulation down to fit with scissors or snips, and re-install with the push pins. Be careful, the insulation has sharp foil inside, and can give a nasty cut. (no pic on that one - ouch)

Next, use some more urethane adhesive to fill the gap between the hood and brace. This will not only make the hood stronger, but will keep the epoxy trim ring adhesive from squashing out on the inside. You MUST let this adhesive dry overnight, or your hood skin will get pushed in out of place in when trying to clamp the trim ring down in the next step.

Test fit the trim ring. You may need to do a little sanding, but generally they are almost perfectly grinded and pre-scuffed on the bottom side. Once happy with the centered fit, draw a dark pen mark around the trim ring. With an sharp blade, lightly cut on the line and remove the inside portion of masking tape, then scuff or grind off the paint with a 3" grinder to make a good bond. The easiest way to mount the trim ring is to bond it to the lower brace with 3M 5200 Marine Adhesive (Home Depot) and use 1/4" double sided 3M tape between the trim ring and the hood. That way you can have the ring painted in advance and avoid the mess of bonding it on. If you prefer to bond on the trim ring, it can be done with a semi rigid epoxy adhesive called Dyna-Weld by Dynatron, found at most autobody stored.

To give the most time, you can chill the 2 tubes of flexible epoxy adhesive in the fridge. Next, after installing them in both caulking guns, use a black marker and put marks every 1/2 inch on the rods. This will allow you to measure and dispense exactly the same amount of each side. Dispense about 1/2 each tube, mix thoroughly, and apply generously with provided squeegy. Work quickly, as you only have about 10 minutes before it begins to slowly stiffen. (A helper in handy in this step) You should then clamp it down as pictured and make sure it is within the lines and down all the way. after an hour, it should be hard enough to remove the clamps.

Next, if you choose, you can finish the bottom seam with bondo or duraglass putty. This is not necessary but does give it a more finished look on the bottom.

Last step is to carfully cut around the trim ring with a razor blade, and peel off the masking tape. Once finished, you can apply a small bead of paintable ureathane seam sealer on the seam.

If you do a clean job, it can turn out like this, The trim ring can be painted body color and blended right in without the need to paint the entire hood.

[Duke]

Wow!

A great write up and most excellent pictures and walk thru. I give you beans in the name of knowledge and the ease of application to those who wish this great benefit.

[joseph]

Very nice , but this belongs in the "knowledge base" section.
BTW, I can't wait for that ram air intake to be finalized, so that I can buy it

[FloridaRT]

Great write up! I did about the same install with my CDC shaker hood, but I did cut a smaller hole in the middle of the hood first. So I could see what I was cutting on the big cut and to allow me to support the hood with my hand as I did the cut.

Good photos!

Bob

[crhemi]

Very nice!

[JESUSFREAK]

Awesome write up, too bad i got the V-6

[NC-SXT]

Great write up.

[Hazman]

Awesome!!

[Dan79]

Where can I get those 345 HEMI badges?

[Coronary]

Schweet! =) Can we see a finallized pic? From a distance

[Blanchman]

Wow, excellent job. I want you guys to do mine !!!

[mopower]

Thatnk guys, also, I should mention, the rest of the kit just bolts right on, so there is not much to show. I'll try to put up some more pics soon of that part.

[Shakin]

Or you can just to what i did and order Mopower's fiberglass hood.