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2008 Dodge Charger RT Hemi Shaker Scoop - Fresh Air Funnel UpgradeClassic Design Concepts' New Hemi Shaker Scoop From the June, 2009 issue of Mopar Muscle By Dale Amy Photography by Dale Amy
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Like a blast (of cool air)... Like a blast (of cool air) from the past, Classic Design Concepts' new Shaker scoop system is the perfect solution for that big blank stretch of hood sheetmetal on the Charger (or Challenger.) It's retro, yet functional. I'm lucky (OK, make that old) enough to remember marveling at the audacious Shaker scoops proudly protruding through the hoods of hot-rod E-Bodies on dealer lots way back in 1970. Little did I care back then that they were functional. At the time I just knew they were cool. The fact that they also provided a blast of cooler air to the cast-iron monster lurking beneath was of almost no importance to me, since as a dirt-poor 15-year-old, I couldn't afford even a Slant Six Dart in those days, let alone a testosterone-oozing Challenger or 'Cuda. Fast forward to 2008, and some things never change. I still can't afford a '70 big-block E-Body, yet I still think a well-engineered shaker setup is the ultimate in cool, both aesthetically and functionally. So does George Huisman and his crew at Classic Design Concepts, and after all the R&D and tooling costs they've invested in the development of their LX-platform Shaker system, they hope you do too. For those unfamiliar with CDC, this is a Motor City company with a well earned reputation for design creativity and quality, serving both the aftermarket (that would be you) as well as Detroit's OEMs (that would be Chrysler, Ford, and GM). In other words, these guys make good stuff, as we're about to show you with the details and installation of CDC's new Shaker scoop system on an '08 Charger R/T. And with all the buzz and hype surrounding the new Challenger, CDC's product planners would have been crazy to make a setup that didn't fit the hot new coupe. They're not, and it does. OK, so the current generation of 5.7- and 6.1-liter Hemis may not shake quite as exuberantly as their hulking 426-cid predecessors, but they sure look and breathe better with a CDC Shaker sitting up top, proudly broadcasting their Hemi-ness to the world.  Flipped upside down, you can...  Flipped upside down, you can see that metal frame used to secure the assembly to the car's four fuel rail fasteners. Also visible is the molded-in, cool-air ductwork that will outlet into the car's revised airbox. You can also see a couple of the spring-wire receivers for the quarter-turn Dzus-type fasteners that will secure the scoop to the engine cover.  Classic Design Concepts' major...  Classic Design Concepts' major Shaker kit components. In front is the steel Shaker scoop itself, with its functional, injection-molded ABS air-inlet vents. It's available in the textured black finish shown, or unpainted. Behind it is the new engine cover/Shaker base, with integral air ductwork. And standing up at the back are the inside and outside hood trim rings. Also shown are the kit's conical, free-flow filter and new airbox lid, along with the filter adapter ring (on the left).  The engine cover/Shaker base...  The engine cover/Shaker base is heat-resistant, thermo-formed PC-ABS (polycarbonate ABS). The forward opening on the right side allows access to the Hemi's oil filler cap, while the opening behind it leads into the cool-air duct. The four bolts on top secure the cover to its supporting metal frame (visible in the next photo.)  Because the Shaker mounts...  Because the Shaker mounts to the engine and pokes through the hood, it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to realize a hole has to be cut in said hood. As a first step, the nine plastic pins retaining the hood insulator pad have to be removed. This doesn't have to be done gently, as the kit includes new push pins to replace them. Trust us when we say that safety glasses are strongly recommended; these hard plastic factory pins become screaming projectiles when pried loose.  The windshield washer hoses...  The windshield washer hoses are separated from the nozzles, and then the nozzles themselves are unclipped from the hood. Because the hood must come off, the washer fluid lines are completely unclipped from the hood and hood hinges.  On the bench, the centersection...  On the bench, the centersection of the hood is taped off, and the side-to-side center-point of the hood is established, front and rear. To fit our available space-we're not able to be overly specific here-but the kit includes extremely detailed and well-illustrated instructions.  Once the paper template is...  Once the paper template is properly positioned, a sharp blade is used to trace as accurately as possible the outline of the eventual hood cutout. The idea is to cut through the template, the tape beneath, as well as the paint on the hood. Scoring the paint in this fashion (with the masking tape installed) will help keep it from chipping when the hood cut is performed.  The Charger hood is made mostly...  The Charger hood is made mostly of aluminum, but it's obviously still a two-man job to lift it off once unbolted from the hinges. Notice the pieces of masking tape that will facilitate reinstalling the hood in the exact same orientation (then again, not all factory hood alignment is perfect, so the hood hinge fasteners allow adjustability if necessary to correct for misaligned hood/fender gaps).  A line is drawn on the masking...  A line is drawn on the masking tape marking the longitudinal centerline of the hood. Then, a point is marked on this centerline a distance of 81/8 inches from the rear edge of the hood. Accuracy is vital, as this point is used to correctly position the kit's included template for the hood cutout-and we don't want to cut the hole in the wrong place, now do we?  The template and tape inside...  The template and tape inside the cutout line are then removed. A half-inch pilot hole is then drilled through the hood. This hole is a starting point for the jigsaw that will be used to make the opening's cut. Note that the tape has been doubled around the perimeter of the eventual cutout, in the area where the foot of the jigsaw will ride.  A fine-tooth, bi-metal blade...  A fine-tooth, bi-metal blade is the way to go in the jigsaw. This slices effortlessly through the outer and inner hood skins, so the hood must be elevated above your work bench. A good tip is to pry up the corners already cut (we used paint sticks), to avoid blade binding. Again, accuracy is critical in this cut, as the inner and outer hood trim panels are molded to lock around the perimeter of the cutout.  A second line is then drawn...  A second line is then drawn inboard of the perimeter line that was just outlined (don't worry: the instructions are explicit). This is the cut line for the inner panel and is best done with a cut-off wheel as shown. Since only the inner hood skin is being cut this time, a spackle knife or something similar can be used to protect the outer hood panel in the areas where the outer and inner skins are close together.  You can see that the inner...  You can see that the inner trim panel has a profile that is stepped to follow the inner cutout. Also, its inner-most flange (where Jim's thumbs are) is referenced around the initial through-hood cutout, and sits flush with the outer skin of the hood. We're looking at a trial fit to see if either the inner or out skin cutouts need further trimming to size.  The inner hood trim-ring is...  The inner hood trim-ring is then positioned through the cutout, and its perimeter is traced on the inner hood skin. The inner skin will be trimmed out larger than the through-hood opening.  The idea is to end up with...  The idea is to end up with an opening that looks something like this, with the inner panel cutout clearly larger than the Shaker opening itself. The reason will become more obvious in the next photo.  At this point, the washer...  At this point, the washer nozzles snap back in their holes, plumbed with new kit-included hoses. Meanwhile, the hood insulator pad is being cut into two portions, per kit instructions.  Using the kit's 3M pressure-sensitive...  Using the kit's 3M pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape, the inner trim ring is secured around the perimeter of the main cutout. You can see that one side (the driver's) of the cut hood insulator pad is also in place. The other side remains off until the hood goes back on the car, in order to connect the rest of the washer plumbing. Once the trim panel is securely taped in place, four holes are drilled around its perimeter (and only through the inner hood skin) through which push-pins secure it and the hood insulator blanket to the inner hood.  Next, it's time to turn to...  Next, it's time to turn to the underhood work, where, after the plastic engine cover is popped off its ball mounts, the air box lid and rectangular filter (neither of which is re-used), along with the air box itself, come off. The airbox will receive some modifications and be re-used.  The plastic factory airbox...  The plastic factory airbox is trimmed to fit the adapter tube of the kit's conical air filter, and drilled to accept the adapter tube's integral, small-diameter PCV tube. Details and a trim template are in the kit. By the way, when ordering, you'll be asked whether your Charger is a regular R/T, has the Road/Track Performance group, is a Daytona, or an SRT8, as there are detail differences in the kits for each.  Next, the outer trim ring...  Next, the outer trim ring is bonded in place, using the same double-sided 3M tape. If you have any doubts about this tape's bonding abilities, put your mind at rest; the OEMs use it all the time to permanently affix moldings, etc. Note that the trim ring has a nice matte, textured finish.  As mentioned, the kit's engine...  As mentioned, the kit's engine cover/Shaker base is shipped with its metal support structure bolted in place. The support is first separated from the Shaker, then is bolted to the fuel rail attaching points using the factory ball-stud fasteners. The oil cap has been removed to allow the engine cover to seat properly (the oil fill port is taped over simply to avoid having anything drop inside.)  Here, the modified airbox...  Here, the modified airbox is back in the car, with the conical filter hidden beneath the kit's new airbox lid. The smaller lid allows an opening (at the inside rear corner) where the air duct filled by the Shaker scoop will feed cool, ambient air to the inlet.  Next on is the engine cover/Shaker...  Next on is the engine cover/Shaker base, which gets secured to its metal support by four bolts. Notice the rubber hoses dangling from the base. These are drain tubes, and there are five of them in all, to make sure any rainwater that gets inside the frontal openings of the scoop flows harmlessly to the ground. The orientation of the oil and transmission dipstick tubes is altered slightly to clear the cover.  Next on is the engine cover/Shaker...  Next on is the engine cover/Shaker base, which gets secured to its metal support by four bolts. Notice the rubber hoses dangling from the base. These are drain tubes, and there are five of them in all, to make sure any rainwater that gets inside the frontal openings of the scoop flows harmlessly to the ground. The orientation of the oil and transmission dipstick tubes is altered slightly to clear the cover.  Here's the finished underhood...  Here's the finished underhood installation. Notice how the corner of the Shaker base that houses the integral air duct tucks into the open area of the airbox we pointed out in a previous photo. It is functional and cool. Rumor has it there are even "Hemi" badges available on the internet that might look nice on the flat, beveled surfaces of the base, over top of the heads. Just a thought  Once the hood is bolted back...  Once the hood is bolted back on, and the windshield washer lines are reconnected, the passenger side of the hood insulator pad is push-pinned back in place.
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