Engine cover functional or cosmetic?

[oldmako]

My 99 has the Big Plastic Gizmo. I am not fond of Big Plastic Gizmos as they hide pertinent innards and make it more difficult to keep things clean and practice preventative maint. Additionally there was mention of the alternator failing prematurely (at least in comparison to the 90-96 models) due to trapped heat, ostensibly from the BPG.

Does anyone have any feedback on taking this thing off and leaving it off? I know that it was engineered by engineers and all.....but if it's purely cosmetic, then it might look nice in the shed too.

Function, form or bofe?

[maxnix]

Some sound attenuation. Maybe a little dirt accumulation prevention.

[bullittandy]

I took mine off and within a week the differential failed and my wife got pregnant. Beware.

It looks nice and has some sound deadening material inside. It likely does trap heat but there appears to be an improvement in either the engine design that releases heat or the rubber for vaccum lines because the lines on my 97 are soft as can be. Versus the earlier cars where they sound 30 years old.

[qship96]

are you sure it was the differential, and not the condom?

Next time try poking her in her differential, she wont get pregnant!
Modified by qship96 at 3:42 PM 2/5/2008

[AlabamaDan]

When guys put these Q45 Engines in the 240s they leave all that stuff off. It hides alot of ugly wires and tubes. Those guys reroute alot of that stuff I think.

When I was doing my valve cover gaskets I thought about leaving mine off, especially since I'd worked so hard shining the valve covers. It also looked like a fairly normal engine with all that stuff off. But, I'm talking about a 94. On my friend's 99 you can't even see the engine for the cover.

[tkd_q45]

A lot of engine covering, though it does help in some NHV, is first and foremost cosmetic - read marketing driven. I used to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, one of the foremost automotive design schools and just before I graduated back in 91 several students were doing "engine styling" design assignements.

[gammer_ghn]

it doesnt look too nice down there!!! too much stuff going on. i think they made the cover to make it easyer for them to scramble evearything under there but i removed mine for weight reduction purposes! lmfaooooo!!!

[Skibane]

When they "downsized" from the 4.5 to the 4.1, some of the topside innerds got a LOT uglier. You could probably hire Chip Foose to pretty things up again, but leaving the plastic cover on is a lot cheaper...

[Haitian_King]

I took mine off and within a week the differential failed and my wife got pregnant. Beware.

Bwa-Ha-Ha!

Classic.

[AlabamaDan]

You know I think that with the advent of covers, auto makers don't make the engine as pretty without those covers.

[oldmako]

I took the BPG off this afternoon. Took a peek and did some minor maintenance while the oil was draining from the case. The top of the engine was surprisingly clean, but I still managed to empty a large can of carb cleaner on it. While I was at it I removed the smaller cover on the starboard side and cleaned the valve cover and re tourqued the bolts. Ditto on the port.

The big mess of plumbing on top of the engine is pretty fugly, so I put the BPG back on after messing with this and that.