Engine covers

[Hokiefyd]

This came up in the "why do automakers..." thread, but I thought it deserved separate discussion. What do you guys with top engine covers do? Our Acura has a large one. It essentially covers the whole top of the engine. I personally have taken it off. I can't imagine that it's good for the rubber hoses and electrical connections under that cover to heat soak all the time. Plus, I like the look of the huge cast aluminum intake manifold...but that's beside the point. Intake noise doesn't really change with/without the cover. I don't know if it's truly just a modesty cover, or if it has some engineering benefits.

Our Honda has a small plastic cover over the fuel injector/intake manifold area in front of the inline-4 engine, but nothing over the rest of the engine. It has no insulation or anything else, so I am convinced that it really is just a modesty cover.

Do you guys take your engine covers off? Leave 'em on?

 

[rjundi]

Our Legacy GT(turbo) has one that is not on the similar 2.5 non turbo motor. Subaru cheaped out so much they used those plastic grommets($2 each!) that break after a few times removing. So our cover is held in place by the turbo inter cooler rubber boot in the hood.

If it rattled it would be gone. Maybe airflow though is improved with it to intercooler, no idea.

 

[bepperb]

Honda used to paint the valve covers with grey paint, then red lettering on top of that. To make things more expensive, Honda or VTEC was usually reverse embossed into them. I imagine it's actually a lot cheaper to slap a plastic piece on top, and most people probably think it looks better too.

I had to take the Highlander's cover off to do the spark plugs, just two acorn nuts. When I was putting it back on I did feel it was a bit weird to put back, but what else was I going to do with it? Basically I needed a place to store a worthless piece of plastic for when I sell this car someday, and what better place than where it came from.

 

[NateDN10]

The Cobalt has a plastic cover with lots of foam underneath. It's held on by the oil fill cap and by two anchors you push down onto metal posts on the engine.

As far as I can tell, it's only there for aesthetic purposes - the engine is no louder or cooler with it off. I leave it there because the engine itself isn't very pretty, and it's very easy to take off.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: bepperb
Basically I needed a place to store a worthless piece of plastic for when I sell this car someday, and what better place than where it came from.
It will look a lot better when you sell the car if it was stored in the house than if it remains on the engine subject to all that heat and road dirt. I would remove it and throw it in the attic or something.

 

[mpvue]

they get dirty and discolored after a while, personally I don't like them. it hides the important stuff and makes it impossible to do spot-checks for leaks and whatnot.
my Mazda's cover might come off one day, but it's kind of fit in with the funky battery air intake tube thing.
I used to think it had to do with controlling engine noise, but now I think it has to do with engineers not having to make the engine pretty.

 

[lexus114]

I would remove my engine cover.......But the MZ engine family is not a pretty motor.

Plus it might help keep the coil packs dry when driving in heavy rains etc.

 

[IndyIan]

I do wonder if they are mostly there for aesthetics for the initial sale? I'm sure some marketing folks have done all sorts of psychological profiles of new car buyers and found that many just like the clean simple look. Sort of like the Mac and Iphone's. Also it hides the complexity a modern car and maybe helps eliminate fears of high repair bills...
On some cars I guess the covers can help quiet high pressure injector noise too.

 

[Eddie]

The engine cover on my Mazda CX7 turbo uses the engine cover as an air-scope for the inter-cooler. To remove and drive without is would be a disaster and severely overheat the engine.
I think the worst engine cover is on the Porsche. An absolutely beautiful engine that can't be seen. If I had a vehicle that had an engine cover, I probably would take it off ocasionly for a look but, would replace it for everyday driving. I'm sure that they are there for a good reason such as sound deading, keeps air moving over the engine when driving, keeps dirt out of whatever?...Ed

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
I would remove my engine cover.......But the MZ engine family is not a pretty motor.

Plus it might help keep the coil packs dry when driving in heavy rains etc.

Neither is the Mazda MZI. It's all unfinished aluminum and wiring harnesses.

I actually had a client accuse me of stealing a plastic engine cover.

On a Caliber SE! I am a bit of a Mopar fan but I do not like Calibers at all. I've done several installations since then and the SE models do not appear to come with a cover. SXTs maybe, R/T does, and SRT/4 does but subsequent SEs have not had them.

She still insists that I, "...stoled[sic] it!"

I have no idea why anybody would want the most base model of Caliber's engine cover enough to steal it..

I don't even like engine covers. Never have. I remember when the CBR600 Hurricane came out, one of the reasons I did not buy it was because the engine was unfinished and wrapped in plastic so you couldn't see it.

 

[NHGUY]

Its all about presentation.It started with painted names on valvecovers (Fireball,FirePower...etc),then chrome valvecovers (GTO,Mustang Sport Sprint...),then aluminum finned valve covers (Shelby,Chrysler Turbo...).They have found it cheaper to cover that ugly standard issue engine with a phoney plastic cover that "cleans up" and accents it.Comes down to cost,if buyers didnt care what the engine looked like,they would eliminate that cheapo piece too.

 

[cptbarkey]

it slightly reduces engine noise, but thats about it. i typically toss them on my personal vehicles, just one less thing to take off.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: bepperb
Honda used to paint the valve covers with grey paint, then red lettering on top of that. To make things more expensive, Honda or VTEC was usually reverse embossed into them. I imagine it's actually a lot cheaper to slap a plastic piece on top, and most people probably think it looks better too.


Honda still does this with the K-series engines. Our CR-V's cylinder head cover has HONDA very nicely reverse-embossed into the top of it. The entire cover has a silver paint finish, but the top of the HONDA letters are machined. It has a very nice and detailed look to it.

Acura has actually reversed course with some of the newer models. Most of the engine bay EXCEPT for the intake manifold area is covered by panels. The only thing exposed is the engine itself. I guess maybe I just answered my own question: it's primarily cosmetic.

 

[rationull]

I'm not a fan of them in general. Some engine bays are more nicely laid out than others, but I don't care how "ugly" it is, I'd rather see the real thing than a cover. Covers like that on the new Mustang V8 are OK I guess, since they don't cover much (kind of like the Honda K series ones).

My wife's Mazda3 has one that's at least easy to take off and held on with durable fasteners. I like that my WRX doesn't, though. All it has is something to cover the top of the belts so you don't get your fingers caught. I didn't realize the Legacy GT had such a big cover.

What I find really hilarious are the ones that Hyundai uses on some of their transverse V6s which I think are supposed to make the engines look longitudinal.

 

[mpvue]

I always liked to look of the Saturn L300 engine, the intake was painted gloss white!

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Its all about presentation.It started with painted names on valvecovers (Fireball,FirePower...etc),then chrome valvecovers (GTO,Mustang Sport Sprint...),then aluminum finned valve covers (Shelby,Chrysler Turbo...).They have found it cheaper to cover that ugly standard issue engine with a phoney plastic cover that "cleans up" and accents it.Comes down to cost,if buyers didnt care what the engine looked like,they would eliminate that cheapo piece too.


For what they're charging for new cars today, they should all come with gold plated cast magnesium valve covers....

 

[wirelessF]

Maybe I'll try remove the "VORTEC" top cover and see if theres a difference.

 

[Malo83]

The engine cover on my 08 Malibu LTZ is 2 piece, left the front piece on with the 3.6 logo and took off the rear piece that covers the intake manifold, can't help but think of all the hot air trapped under the cover heat soaking the manifold

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[hattaresguy]

On Mercedes they are part of the cooling/air intake system. Renntech offers a nice carbon fiber one if you don't care for plastic.

This cover is about $5k.

 

[sciphi]

Neither car has an engine cover. The only thing close is a little 5"x12" cover on the Cruze that covers the coil. I like taking a look, and seeing if a hose is flopping or leaking.