Hood insulation/retainers conclusions

[87mjdriver]

I've had my MJ for 14 years. when I first got it I put every loud thing on it I could. Rusty's intake -the whistle. 2.5 inch exhaust with a Flowmaster 40 series muffler. As I've gotten older and now commuting 20 miles on the freeway one way I'm tired of the noise.

I have switched back to a stock intake. And recently put in a junkyard hood insulation pad. I didn't have a meter but I think it definitely made a reduction in noise, it seems to make the reuduction at head level making it easier to talk next to the truck. It also made quieter in the cab, by reducing the tinny sound in the truck, made it more of a low hz noise.

 

And finally, trying to find the retainers was difficult, I looked at team Cherokee, but their iffy stock, and customer service turned me off, plus 30$ plus shipping for 13 pieces of plastic is nuts.

So I went to NAPA and the lady behind the counter found a Balkamp brand pack of retainers that worked. p/n 665-3281 says they are for Chrysler vehicles and are meant for a 5/16tha hole but they work for our 1/4 holes. And the pack of 13 cost 5.29

[HOrnbrod]

I miss the hood pad. When I switched to a cowl hood there was no way to use it unless I wanted to cover up the cowl intake. That would kind of defeat the purpose of the intake. The pad makes a big difference soaking up engine noise.

 

Losing your Blowmaster 40 muffler would also be a big noise improvement too.   :thumbsup:

[Minuit]

I added the hood insulation last week. Like you I noticed a difference. For retainers I just did an eBay search for "Jeep Cherokee hood insulation retainers" but really they're just generic 1/4" christmas tree fasteners, but maybe I'll actually be able to remove them if I have to unlike the factory retainers. I bought the hood hardware retainers from the dealer beforehand just in case I broke one (which I did)

 

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

[Whiz]

I may have to go search for a Hood pad...  Side note MJDriver, are you still active in the CG?  I retired 2 years ago! 

[87mjdriver]

hornbrod- the flowmaster is next on the the list, not sure what to put in its place though, I have 2.5 pipe all the way oout, I thought about going to the FM 50 series, but my bi annoyance is the exhaust not at 2600 RPMS on the freeway. kind of a loud drone. you got any advice?

 

Wizorack, yes still active, currently in Duluth PCSing to Astoria, OR this summer, I got 2.5 years till I'm retirement eligible and I just found out I'm above the cut for chief.

[HOrnbrod]

I also have 2.5" all the way back and tried a Blowmaster 50 series muffler for about a week originally. The drone at about 2200 RPM would rattle your teeth and it drove me crazy. I got rid of it and installed a Walker SoundFX muffler with a single 2.5" inlet and dual 2.5" outlets and ran separate 2.5" exhaust pipes out the back. No more drone.   :thumbsup:

 

And congrats on making E7.  :cheers:

[Whiz]

Congrats on Chief, welcome to the Mess, and hope Astoria is where you wanted to go. I retired SKC. Spent all my career East Coast. 

[87mjdriver]

Hornbrod- thanks for the tip on the muffler.

 

Wizorack- I have been to Astoria before, love it there, I'm originally from Tacoma, WA. going to be the deck chief on the steadfast.

 

to the both of you, thanks for the chief support.