Notices
General Miata Chat A place to talk about anything Miata

Ratsback Headlight Lid Intake Duct

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 9, 2006 | 09:22 AM
  #1  
TurboTim's Avatar
Thread Starter
Elite Member
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 7,035
Total Cats: 425
From: Chesterfield, NJ
Default Ratsback Headlight Lid Intake Duct

Pics of my new headlight intake duct. It is made by RatsBack, cost me $85 shipped off ebay and another $6 worth of paint. Fitment is ok for the price paid, but not good. Intake temp reduction over the stock lid is inconclusive. However I noted today that raising the headlights 70mph on the highway do lower temps ~4 deg. over what this thing is doing, from 96degF to 92degF. Ambient this afternoon was upper 70's.

Heat soak after the highway at the first traffic light got intake temps up to 110deg F.

Anyways, here's the pics:



Old Sep 10, 2006 | 03:37 AM
  #2  
hustler's Avatar
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
From: Republic of Dallas
Default

looks cool atleast.
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 10:33 AM
  #3  
m2cupcar's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,486
Total Cats: 372
From: Atlanta
Default

Originally Posted by TurboTim
...Fitment is ok...
is that referring to the point where it meets the nose?
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 12:14 PM
  #4  
TurboTim's Avatar
Thread Starter
Elite Member
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 7,035
Total Cats: 425
From: Chesterfield, NJ
Default

Originally Posted by hustler
looks cool atleast.
Thank you.


Originally Posted by m2cupcar
is that referring to the point where it meets the nose?
Yes exactly, good eye. I can't figure out how to make it about 1/4 inch lower, it arcs too high. I tried bending ****, and adjusting the headlight mechanism to lower the light ***'y more, but to no avail. I guess I could apply a bunch more layers of fiberglass on the underside and sand the thing down but I'm not modivated to do that. Any suggestions?

Out of the box, the tangs were misalligned also by about 3/8" to the left so that the hood crashed into the lid by a bunch. It's kinda hard to explain, but now all 4 of the holding tans are shaped like an "S". I couldn't bend the tangs enough to clear the hood, so I hand to tweak my entire headlight assy so I could close my hood without scrapping the side of the lid.

Also, the scoop part hits the misc. brackets underneath in 2 places. I ground these areas down with a grinder, but not enough. It still produces little tiny dimples in the lid. You have to be real close to see them though.

The actual size of the gap between the scoop area and the hood is barely enough to fit my tiny fingers in between so I'm not really sure how much air flows thru there. I'm sure the NACA style like a few of us have here could give a larger opening.
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 12:24 PM
  #5  
turbopezz's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 865
Total Cats: 0
Default

Bend The Hood
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 01:46 PM
  #6  
m2cupcar's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,486
Total Cats: 372
From: Atlanta
Default

Yeah- I know the feeling. Buy something so you don't have to DIY and then spend all your hours modding it so it works. I just don't see how it could need so much modding. Makes you wonder what the used to fab it up on. The only thing I know about fiberglass, is that I hate messing with the stuff. I'm afraid that you're approach would fix the problem though. -rob
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 02:19 PM
  #7  
Braineack's Avatar
Boost Czar
iTrader: (62)
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 80,552
Total Cats: 4,368
From: Chantilly, VA
Default

did you cut or remove the black plastic piece that blocks the airflow behind the headlight lid?
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 02:47 PM
  #8  
rappadan's Avatar
Junior Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 482
Total Cats: 0
Default

Originally Posted by braineack
did you cut or remove the black plastic piece that blocks the airflow behind the headlight lid?

my gangster vented hood dosent have those black things behind the headlights... i guess its all good
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 03:29 PM
  #9  
Newbsauce's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,299
Total Cats: 2
From: NoVA
Default

What is the advantage of this over a NACA duct? NACAs are only 30 bucks shipped + your install time.
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 04:00 PM
  #10  
TurboTim's Avatar
Thread Starter
Elite Member
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 7,035
Total Cats: 425
From: Chesterfield, NJ
Default

Originally Posted by braineack
did you cut or remove the black plastic piece that blocks the airflow behind the headlight lid?
Yes.
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 04:02 PM
  #11  
TurboTim's Avatar
Thread Starter
Elite Member
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 7,035
Total Cats: 425
From: Chesterfield, NJ
Default

Originally Posted by Newbsauce
What is the advantage of this over a NACA duct? NACAs are only 30 bucks shipped + your install time.
Probably nothing. "Install time" was one of the key things here. I wanted something simple, a "bolt on".
Old Sep 10, 2006 | 04:03 PM
  #12  
TurboTim's Avatar
Thread Starter
Elite Member
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 7,035
Total Cats: 425
From: Chesterfield, NJ
Default

Originally Posted by m2cupcar
Makes you wonder what the used to fab it up on. -rob
My thoughts exactly. Maybe they dropped the mold a few times. I don't know.
Old Sep 17, 2006 | 10:21 PM
  #13  
Chase714's Avatar
Newb
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 25
Total Cats: 0
From: Orange CA.
Default

If painting it agian is an option i think the best idea would be adding more and sanding it down. looks nice though. Thumbs up to you
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Full_Tilt_Boogie
Build Threads
84
Apr 12, 2021 04:21 PM
bigmackloud
Miata parts for sale/trade
19
Jan 8, 2021 11:24 AM
tazswing
Race Prep
20
Oct 3, 2015 11:04 AM
Aroundcorner
Miata parts for sale/trade
2
Oct 1, 2015 03:20 PM
Trent
WTB
2
Oct 1, 2015 12:15 PM




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:13 AM.