Objective:
After getting my first windshield crack on my 2002 Honda Odyssey, I decided to install a hood deflector as soon as I replaced the windshield glass.
Pros and Con's:
I look around the market for a good hood deflector and I come across the "WeatherTech" Hood Deflector cause they are cheaper and looks better than the original one that I could order thru the dealer or online from Honda. The main difference is the original's color was green, even though that green was so dark that you wont be able to find the difference in normal lighting conditions. But I don't think that it will be a good match for a silver gray color odyssey. The second thing is that the original one shows the 2 metal screw heads when they were installed.
The "WeatherTech" model that I chose was cheap but I didn't know until that it arrived at my door that new holes need to be drilled to install this. The instructions are not that clear. So I spend about 1 hr just looking at the hood deflector and my hood to figure our how to install this. Next one hour searching "youtube" to see how other folks have install this. Next one hour calling the Weathertech supppor to learn they they do not support online purchases. Next one hour trying to get a return RMI to ship the product back and get a refund. By the third day decided to install it anyway after weighing the pros and con's. In a nutshell I am not going to install the OEM hood deflector so I decided to give it a try for this one.
Ok! Lets get started. First I spread an used cardboard box on the floor so that I can keep the deflector on top of it, to avoid it getting scratched while its is waiting to be installed. I have to place it on the hood and mark the holes number of times before actually installing it.
Tools Required:
A hammer and an nail or a hole puncher to mark and punch a pilot hole before you drill on the sheet metal. Without a pilot punch or hole the drill bit will walk across the sheet metal before it gets a traction on the sheet metal and this will make your hole way off from where you intended to drill. This is very important since we don't want to make unnecessary holes on the hood.
Also we need a power drilling machine, a 1/8" (one eight of an inch) metal drilling bit and flat screw drivers to tighten the screws. Here are some of the tools that I have used in this project.
Here after its all going to be easy:
POP THE HOOD:
ALIGN THE NOTCHES:
Make sure the notches on the hood deflector and the rubber molding are aligned. The rubber molding need not toe be removed.
MARK, PUNCH AND DRILL HOLES:
Get someone to hold the hood deflector steady while you mark and making those pilot holes. I started at the two outer most holes and then I tighten the screws just enough to hold the hoods and then mark and punch the pilot holes in the two inner most holes. While drilling on the pilot holes be very careful not to drill thru the other side of the sheet metal.
OTHER 3 HOLES:
The other 3 holes are marked with blue triangles.
TIGHTEN THE SCREW:
Just tight the screw with a philips type screw driver. Do not over tight. It may strip the threads.
