Considering that a large portion of Hellcats are either fair weather drivers or garage queens that only see the light of day 1-2x a month on a cloudless day... it's likely set up correctly for the person who wanted to maximize underhood heat extraction for the sake of a loss in wet weather peace of mind, that it likely would never be driven in anyway. There's minimal risk of damage without the shield in place. Unless of course it's parked outside during a rain storm and it absolutely saturates the filter. Then... maybe... you could hydrolock the motor. There's probably a 1:1,000 chance of that happening, if not even more remote.
You could install the shield if you like, or get a waterproof sock like what I used. Mine was a 2020 and didn't have the vent above it, but I live in an ultra high pollen area and the pollen here ruins oiled filters. I used this sock for the same reason you use filter socks in the desert. However, this one is rain proof for up to 6 months. When I got the JLT I bought something like 10 replacement socks and only ended up using 2 in 2 years.
![Hood Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive tire Automotive exterior]()
You could install the shield if you like, or get a waterproof sock like what I used. Mine was a 2020 and didn't have the vent above it, but I live in an ultra high pollen area and the pollen here ruins oiled filters. I used this sock for the same reason you use filter socks in the desert. However, this one is rain proof for up to 6 months. When I got the JLT I bought something like 10 replacement socks and only ended up using 2 in 2 years.
