Any harm in removing the engine cover?

[ElChanclo]

I was thinking of taking my engine cover off for track days, just to help it cool off between sessions. I usually pop the hood, the engine fan still running with the car off.

Seems harmless but figured I'd ask before doing something stupid .

 

[ChaneRZ]

Harmless. You will also shave a couple of weight lol.

 

[GT Elite]

I’ve had mine off all summer.

 

[Ohiocruiser]

mine has been off for the last 80k miles. Better cooling and 3-4 lbs removed. Hpfp sounds louder obviously.

 

[socalvn]

What about the insulation that's under the cover? Did you remove that too

 

[oddball]

It's only there for looks and to cut down on noise/vibration just a tad.

 

[D.J.]

I was thinking of taking my engine cover off for track days, just to help it cool off between sessions. I usually pop the hood, the engine fan still running with the car off.

Seems harmless but figured I'd ask before doing something stupid .

The amount of additional cooling you will get from removing that cover is - beyond negligible, and I would wager, completely not required.


Probably much better cooling with engine ON, circulating coolant, and oil.

 

[GT Elite]

What about the insulation that's under the cover? Did you remove that too

The “insulation” on the underside of the cover is there to reduce the sound of the “clicking” from the fuel injectors.

 

[Volfy]

The amount of additional cooling you will get from removing that cover is - beyond negligible, and I would wager, completely not required.


Probably much better cooling with engine ON, circulating coolant, and oil.

This^ I don't ever bother. Then again, nothing wrong if you do take it off.

I do take out everything I can from the trunk area. Trunk shelf, mat, floor, spare tire, tool tray, shovel, 12 gauge, ARs, Barrett M82, flame thrower, etc. Have not weighed all of it, but it's at least a 1/4 metric ton.

Seriously though, when that lead acid batt finally goes titty up, I'll probably replace it with a LiFePO4 battery. That would be another 1/4 metric ton saved.

 

[ElChanclo]

Probably much better cooling with engine ON, circulating coolant, and oil.

That's a new take I've not heard before, to leave it running and circulating. Might be worth experimenting with.

I do take out everything I can from the trunk area. Trunk shelf, mat, floor, spare tire, tool tray, shovel, 12 gauge, ARs, Barrett M82, flame thrower, etc. Have not weighed all of it, but it's at least a 1/4 metric ton.

Any other easily removable weight savers, besides the rear folding seats?
Saw one guy bring two fuel cans and fill just enough for each session, more effort than I'd bother with.

 

[Volfy]

Any other easily removable weight savers, besides the rear folding seats?
Saw one guy bring two fuel cans and fill just enough for each session, more effort than I'd bother with.

Yeah you have to be careful playing with fuel tank levels. G forces at the track will slosh the fuel around, so if you run lower tank level, the pickup point might starve of fuel. These HPFP don't like running dry, even momentarily. Folks have posted stories of their HPFP failing right after running out of gas.

Plus, pushing hard on the track burns prodigious amounts of fuel. My first track day with the 2.0T burned more than 1/2 tankful in four 20-min sessions. 3.3T would no doubt consume more.

Track sprints and AutoX aren't as bad, but I wouldn't want the fuel level anywhere close to 1/4 tank.

Gasoline weighs 6 lbs/gal, so the difference between 1/2 full and 1/4 tank full is about 4 gals or 24 lbs. Not insignificant, but at the same time, not enough to risk HPFP damage.

 

[ElChanclo]

Yeah you have to be careful playing with fuel tank levels. G forces at the track will slosh the fuel around, so if you run lower tank level, the pickup point might starve of fuel. These HPFP don't like running dry, even momentarily. Folks have posted stories of their HPFP failing right after running out of gas.

Plus, pushing hard on the track burns prodigious amounts of fuel. My first track day with the 2.0T burned more than 1/2 tankful in four 20-min sessions. 3.3T would no doubt consume more.

I fueled up right before by first track day, 8x 15min sessions, and started getting throttle cutout pause half way through the very last session. Fuel was somewhere between 1/8 and 0 just almost touching the last 1/8th marker before E, but after a long corner it would just bog down lag the revs despite me jamming the throttle. After the 2nd time I decided to call it a day, guess it's good I quit there.

 

[Volfy]

I fueled up right before by first track day, 8x 15min sessions, and started getting throttle cutout pause half way through the very last session. Fuel was somewhere between 1/8 and 0 just almost touching the last 1/8th marker before E, but after a long corner it would just bog down lag the revs despite me jamming the throttle. After the 2nd time I decided to call it a day, guess it's good I quit there.

Not good... I would've gassed up at lunch break, if possible. These passenger car fuel tank do not have extensive baffling to minimize fuel starvation at low tank level, like racing fuel cells. Even if they do, I wouldn't tempt fate.

Hopefully, your HPFP is still okay.

 

[ExtremePowerHouse - MIke]

I forgot mine at the mechanic and lost it a few years ago, no harm

 

[Ah GetFd]

Before you go removing covers you might want to think about how Kia has designed airflow around the engine.

I have already seen where under covers have been removed to gain easier access for oil changes but those covers are specifically designed to streamline the car underneath.

Those front vents have been thought about to direct cool air past the front rotors and out the side vents.

From an electronics background, fan cooling is critical. You make a change to a housing, take a housing off the fan cooling no longer works

It may make no difference in removing a cover, and to some maybe the thinking is the more you let hot air out the better and the design of it may make no difference. But.....

 

[Volfy]

Most of the underhood air flow consists of the incoming air that has passed through the radiator. That hot air then exits via the opening between the chassis and the rear deflector cover, around the transmission and exhaust down pipe. Air, like any flowing fluid, will seek the path of least resistance. It is unlikely to be influenced by the engine cover, which is just about pressed up against the underside of the hood.

Besides, if Kia engineers did intentionally sculpt the engine cover for air flow purposes, its shape will bear witness to that intent. I just don't see it.

 

[ChaneRZ]

If my engine cover is shaped like a spoiler, I’d leave it on.

 

[777David]

I've removed them before on other vehicles so that 1) one less step to remove one when working under the hood, 2) easier to keep an eye on topside issues, 3) keep the heat from holding so tight to all those little plastic and rubber vacuum hoses and lines and connectors. All that heat up next to the engine can't be good for the plastics connectors and hoses over the long term. But, not sure it is that big of a temp difference with it removed.

 

[ChaneRZ]

Some new cars don’t have engine cover. For ex, Acura Integra. Etc…

 

[Devin]

All they do is hide the ugliness of modern engines. Intake plenums and valve covers used to be a thing of beauty.