Need tips for cutting hood for shaker system

i have not done this mod specifically, but can offer some help as i am an ASE certified master body/paint tech.

first, tape off the whole center section of the hood. align your template, and mark as needed.

a jigsaw with a sharp metal specific blade will make the best cuts. a cut off wheel will leave the jagged edges that you will need to clean up after the cut.

another thing to check into is if the inner structure on the hood lines up perfectly with the template. may be easier to take hood off and cut out the opening using the inner structure as the template IF it lines up perfectly with the template size/location.

once you have established where to cut, a drill bit on the corners of the template outline will allow you to drop the jigsaw blade into them to make your cuts. make sure to not walk outside of the template, or you may run into problems being able to cover it with the trim rings.

i am sure that members that have done this mod can add specific tips to you. god luck with the cut, and congrats on the supershaker!

BCB00GT said:

For those that have installed their own CDC shaker system or Saleen Supershaker, what are some tips you can give me for the hood cutting. I would like to use a dremel with a cut-off wheel, though I have access to an air tool 3" cutoff wheel and metal blade jigsaw. I didn't want to remove the hood, but I may since the Saleen blower is tall.

A few questions first:
1. Did you remove the hood to cut the hole?
2. If you removed the hood, how hard is it to align?
3. If you did not, did you remove the hood blanket and place somthing over the engine to cash debri?
4. Did you use something other than "painting" tape on the hood to protect the paint?
5. If you deviated from the instructions, what did you do?

Thanks. Oh yeah, I am installing the Saleen Supershaker upgrade.

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I installed the "Shaker" on my 05 almost 3 years ago, and I do have some pics of the install in progress if you are interested.


(1) NO, do not remove the hood

(2) NA

(3) I left my hood blacket in during the cutting. The saw blade cut most of the way through the blanket. You still have to remove the blanket but having that cut out in the blanket makes things easier in my opinion.

(4) If I riemeber correctly, I applied a light coat of detailer to the paint first, then used the 3M blue painters tape to more than cover the area of the hole so the saw vibration does not mess up the paint.

(5) I had to deviate in several areas.

(A) I have a K&N cold air intake, so the CDC tubing would not really work as was, so I made a custom air box and fabricated a tube to deliver the cold air directly onto the filter element.

(B) I had to trim the cowel (engine cover) to have the needed clearence for the K&N and the the new location of the MAF sensor.

(C) When doing the install I used clear packing tape to tape the "cut out diagram" on top of the painters tape. I did not score the paint like the instructions suggest. I just cut right through the diagram, the tape, the hood, and the blanket in one pass. The painters tape will keep the paint from fraying, just remember to remove the tape by pulling towards the hole.

I took some other short-cuts too but I just recall off the top of my head what else.

EDIT:

Don't try that with a cut off wheel it wil be too hard to maintain a constant cut and my "run away" on you. Use a good hand held jig (sabre) saw and a good quality metal bit.

bigcat said:

i have not done this mod specifically, but can offer some help as i am an ASE certified master body/paint tech.

first, tape off the whole center section of the hood. align your template, and mark as needed.

a jigsaw with a sharp metal specific blade will make the best cuts. a cut off wheel will leave the jagged edges that you will need to clean up after the cut.

another thing to check into is if the inner structure on the hood lines up perfectly with the template. may be easier to take hood off and cut out the opening using the inner structure as the template IF it lines up perfectly with the template size/location.once you have established where to cut, a drill bit on the corners of the template outline will allow you to drop the jigsaw blade into them to make your cuts. make sure to not walk outside of the template, or you may run into problems being able to cover it with the trim rings.

i am sure that members that have done this mod can add specific tips to you. god luck with the cut, and congrats on the supershaker!

Click to expand...

NO, don't do that! Mine is perfectly aligned with the engine mounted scoop, but the hole inside the hood does not align perfectly with that factory relief. Had I done what you suggested, the hole would have been off center in relation to the scoop itself.

hence why i mentioned to check it and see if it aligns correctly.

Another note about a cutoff wheel...
I would think they generate more heat, which can bubble paint and warp the hood.

Plus a normal dremel doesn't have much power, it would take a while.

I installed the shaker on my son's car. Use a fine tooth jig saw blade. It will work very smoothly and quick. Take extra time to line the template up perfectly and use the painter's tape. Just lay an old blanket on the engine and prop the hood up a bit using a 4X4 wood block to help keep the blade clear of the engine. It will go smoother than you might think.

BCB00GT said:

1. Did you remove the hood to cut the hole?
2. If you removed the hood, how hard is it to align?
3. If you did not, did you remove the hood blanket and place somthing over the engine to cash debri?
4. Did you use something other than "painting" tape on the hood to protect the paint?
5. If you deviated from the instructions, what did you do?

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1. yes
2. just bolted it back up, alignment appears to be adjusted by the lower bolts on the hinges, which you do not mess with.
4. Nope, I just used painters tape as recommended in the instructions

My only recommendations are...
a) dremel is not all that helpful, the metal in several places is just too thick to cut though, although it can help with cleanup
b) The Brenspeed folks recommend using a jigsaw to cut the hole. At the time, I followed Saleens instructions which recommended a cut off wheel. I think the jigsaw would have work a lot easier, I spent a LOT of time cleaning up the hole.

I used a jigsaw with a fine tooth blade and the cut was extremely clean. No need to clean up anything. Don't waste your time removing the hood. It's not necessary. Just lay an old blanket across the engine and fenders.

anthony05gt said:

I used a jigsaw with a fine tooth blade and the cut was extremely clean. No need to clean up anything. Don't waste your time removing the hood. It's not necessary. Just lay an old blanket across the engine and fenders.

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I agree that there was no edge clean up necessary with the jig saw. I can't imagine getting the corners (tight radius) cut properly with a cut off tool.

Casey4s said:

I agree that there was no edge clean up necessary with the jig saw. I can't imagine getting the corners (tight radius) cut properly with a cut off tool.

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Yeah, I did, and it sucked. I do not recommend it! It can be done, but it's a pain.