Petrol/Gas Can one leave the engine cover off safely?

[scottg]

Is there any reason to *not* keep the engine cover on generally? I changed my oil at 700 miles, left the cover off until I'd driven and gotten the oil level to read ok in both on road and off road modes (it took 6.5 liters, then another 200 ml to get there), and have left it off for the past few days driving.

With the engine cover off, the engine didn't seem louder to me (or I'm going deaf). The engine cooling system will keep the temp the same with or without the engine cover I assume (though maybe less load on the cooling system w/o the cover?), so the only reasons to keep it on that I can see are if the engine noise is too much, or the heat from the engine without the engine cover would heat the hood and hood paint to too high a temperature.

Thoughts on this from anyone? B58 petrol engine here.

/s.

 

[C-Mack]

The cover helps attenuate some noise from the High Pressure Fuel Pump and direct injection lines across the top of the engine. It also helps keep engine heat from cooking the underside of the hood, probably not by much, but worth some measure of protection for the paint. It’s literally 10 to 20 second job to lift it off or snap it back in place on the rubber grommets and stud mounts so not putting it back in place isn’t saving you much if any time.

 

[scottg]

The cover helps attenuate some noise from the High Pressure Fuel Pump and direct injection lines across the top of the engine. It also helps keep engine heat from cooking the underside of the hood, probably not by much, but worth some measure of protection for the paint. It’s literally 10 to 20 second job to lift it off or snap it back in place on the rubber grommets and stud mounts so not putting it back in place isn’t saving you much if any time.

Thanks, C-Mack. Wasn't looking at my own laziness as to whether I kept it on or off (though yes, I am quite lazy in many other areas), only if there were any benefits to leaving it off, and any downsides. Sure, I'm splitting hairs here, but generally speaking, heat kills mechanical systems faster than they'd fail otherwise, and multiple small improvements can have significant positive impacts, just thought this might be one small improvement. And as a retired NASA engineer, I have time on my hands

/s.

 

[C-Mack]

Hey, let’s cool the Grenadier’s engine cover by using the same method employed on rocket engine exhaust bells by running fuel through fine tubes… I always thought that was such an elegant engineering solution. I figure with your NASA know how we could pull that off easily and relieve some of that retirement malaise… speaking as an equally retired person that is.

 

[Nocrays]

I left my old defender engine cover off for years. But one thing I did see was a more rapid deterioration of the paint work in the Center of the bonnet compared to the rest of the car.

Could be just the crap paint work ?

But I’ll be leaving it on the Grenadier.

 

[Zimm]

Running at the wrong temp kills mechanical systems. Heat is one, but being too cool is also. I’m assuming after this engine being out for a decade and many other versions producing many more watts than this is tuned for, the cooling system is just fine and can deal with the shrouds presence.

 

[CRH]

If you had involvement with Elon's rockets, I suggest you get your car to the dealer ASAP for a check over. Did you suggest leaving a heat shield off the rocket 'just to see if it made a difference?'

 

[scottg]

Hey, let’s cool the Grenadier’s engine cover by using the same method employed on rocket engine exhaust bells by running fuel through fine tubes… I always thought that was such an elegant engineering solution. I figure with your NASA know how we could pull that off easily and relieve some of that retirement malaise… speaking as an equally retired person that is.

Retirement is tough, and rocket science was a breeze compared to figuring out all the controls in my Grenadier. I've signed up for flight school to learn how to use all the buttons and levers in the cabin. Feels like sitting back in one of the Shuttle cockpits. LL-01 vs LL-17FE+? 0w-30 vs 0w-20? LOX vs liquid hydrogen? What was that beeping noise? Yikes! Who knows the answers?!?

I love this vehicle, and I'm not an off-roader, but will try some simple stuff. When my 05 4Runner rusted out I was looking at 2024s to replace it, then I came across the Grenadier. One test drive and I was sold. It has its quirks, but I like the manual-ness of most of it, and even the oddities, and happy to deal with any issues that come up.

I'll put the engine cover back on, only so I don't 'rot' the hood paint with too much heat.

Attached are two of my favorite pictures, I use as desktop backgrounds, for any space geeks here.

./s

 

[scottg]

If you had involvement with Elon's rockets, I suggest you get your car to the dealer ASAP for a check over. Did you suggest leaving a heat shield off the rocket 'just to see if it made a difference?'

That would explain their last two launch failures.

 

[scottg]

Running at the wrong temp kills mechanical systems. Heat is one, but being too cool is also. I’m assuming after this engine being out for a decade and many other versions producing many more watts than this is tuned for, the cooling system is just fine and can deal with the shrouds presence.

Maybe, but I've seen too many examples where we optimize one parameter only to create problems in other aspects. The core problem we have here is we don't have the rationale behind why things were done the way they were. Maybe they wanted to optimize the reduction in sound, or protect the hood paint, but that puts a higher load on the cooling system; or maybe that's how BMW B58's come from the factory and nobody asked, hey, is this needed?

With respect to the engine cover, leaving it off I don't think would harm the engine, it's going to get up to NOT regardless, and if cooler were worse in this case, adding an extra oil cooler would damage rather than protect the engine better, and I'm fairly certain it does the latter. Could be wrong. But I'm sold on not wanting to risk the hood paint. For now ...

 

[Tazzieman]

I don't think leaving the cover off will harm the paint. My Porsche 928 runs pretty hot at times, lives in a very tight engine bay with 8 intake pipes just under the bonnet and exhausts hearby.
And the bonnet weighs just 7kg, with no sound pad. Paint is unblemished after 15 years. And the car lives outside.

 

[Zimm]

I don't think leaving the cover off will harm the paint. My Porsche 928 runs pretty hot at times, lives in a very tight engine bay with 8 intake pipes just under the bonnet and exhausts hearby.
And the bonnet weighs just 7kg, with no sound pad. Paint is unblemished after 15 years. And the car lives outside.

What’s the advantage to finding out?

 

[Zimm]

Maybe, but I've seen too many examples where we optimize one parameter only to create problems in other aspects. The core problem we have here is we don't have the rationale behind why things were done the way they were. Maybe they wanted to optimize the reduction in sound, or protect the hood paint, but that puts a higher load on the cooling system; or maybe that's how BMW B58's come from the factory and nobody asked, hey, is this needed?

With respect to the engine cover, leaving it off I don't think would harm the engine, it's going to get up to NOT regardless, and if cooler were worse in this case, adding an extra oil cooler would damage rather than protect the engine better, and I'm fairly certain it does the latter. Could be wrong. But I'm sold on not wanting to risk the hood paint. For now ...

You do realize you’re having a discussion with yourself, refuting reasons for the covers existence that you’re pulling straight out of your ass.

The covers don’t hurt the engine, they dampen noise, they may protect the finish, and definitely cover up ugly ass modern engines with a spider web of sensor wires replacing polished manifolds. These aren’t the works of art alphas and Ferraris used to be.

 

[CRH]

If I remember rightly, it is just noise suppression and aesthetics. I have to dig back many years into my memory and it's not at it's best anymore

 

[84-4runner]

I agree with CRH the engine cover is there for noise suppression so the girly-men are not scared
by the intake noise. The other noise suppression are the two intake "mufflers" which are easy to
replace and a person can not hear the difference. Which to be honest I can not tell the before or
after difference. However does increase mpg and some hp. However back to the cover I removed
the cover form my jeep years ago and left it off and have never seen the difference. Hasn't hurt the
hood paint.

 

[Zimm]

I agree with CRH the engine cover is there for noise suppression so the girly-men are not scared
by the intake noise. The other noise suppression are the two intake "mufflers" which are easy to
replace and a person can not hear the difference. Which to be honest I can not tell the before or
after difference. However does increase mpg and some hp. However back to the cover I removed
the cover form my jeep years ago and left it off and have never seen the difference. Hasn't hurt the
hood paint.

Pffft… you took off the cover.

Manly man’s men run straight pipes. Don’t be a wussie cut those pipes, and reclaim that .0000005 mpg!

 

[CRH]

I agree with CRH the engine cover is there for noise suppression so the girly-men are not scared
by the intake noise. The other noise suppression are the two intake "mufflers" which are easy to
replace and a person can not hear the difference. Which to be honest I can not tell the before or
after difference. However does increase mpg and some hp. However back to the cover I removed
the cover form my jeep years ago and left it off and have never seen the difference. Hasn't hurt the
hood paint.

Thinking back, wife had a base speck car that didn't have the engine cover but the higher spec ones did. Obviously poor people are older and have impaired hearing so there is no need to suppress noise quite so much.