What's the deal with Plastic Engine Covers? - Page 2 - Fuelly Forums

Click here to see important news regarding the aCar App

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 03-11-2009, 06:07 AM   #11
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,264
Country: United States
Location: up nawth
My guess would be to try to minimize water intrusion into the coil packs and other electrical sensors and things that don't handle repeated soakings very well. Might have something to do with the problems associated with engine cleaning and EFI.

Deterrent to amateur fiddlers, possibly.

I worked for a Chrysler dealer when the Hemis were new on the lot, I thought they had a black crinkle finish of the valve covers, but I could be suffering from old mans memory disease. First new one was the 66 Satellite with the HP2 (squared) emblem and solid lifters. Idled at about 1200 RPM.

The Hemi was an amazing engine, saw a recent comparison of that eral of big blocks and it was even close between the big 3 with the Hemi making more than 800 HP from the factory. I like the 55 300 series with 4 wheel disc brakes and the early Hemi.

Now when you talk about beautiful engines I go back a lot further than the 60's.

The late twenties Delage grand prix engine with over 60 ball and roller bearings. Duesenberg's huge straight 8. The early thirties cadillac V16. Of course the Alfa's and Ferrari's were beautiful engines. Bugatti's that had integral cylinder heads. You had to drop the crank out of the bottom to do a valve job!

The first cross flow Hemi engine was in 1907, a Welch I believe. Could be wrong, that book is probably 40 years old.

regards
gary
__________________

__________________
R.I.D.E. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2009, 09:35 AM   #12
Registered Member
 
jprich's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 16
Country: United States
engine covers

Id says its definetely to deter owners from working on their vehicles. Yeah it probably has a few good reasons but thats main reason I think.
__________________

jprich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2009, 09:43 AM   #13
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,111
Country: United States
Send a message via AIM to dkjones96
That cover on the quad4 has evolved a bit tho. The coil packs are attached to it so when you pulle that cover the packs come off all the plugs.
__________________
- Kyle
dkjones96 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2009, 12:29 PM   #14
Site Team / Moderator
 
Jay2TheRescue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 4,719
Country: United States
Location: Northern Virginia
I was just thinking... Wouldn't it be fun to put a Quad 4 in a Geo Metro???
__________________








Jay2TheRescue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2009, 02:53 PM   #15
Registered Member
 
theholycow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 6,624
Country: United States
Send a message via ICQ to theholycow Send a message via AIM to theholycow Send a message via MSN to theholycow Send a message via Yahoo to theholycow
I don't think the covers are supposed to deter DIYers. The one on my GMC looks really easy to remove, maybe two screws and up it comes. The one on my VW is just friction-fit, you pull and it comes right off.
__________________
This sig may return, some day.
theholycow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2009, 03:39 PM   #16
Site Team / Moderator
 
Jay2TheRescue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 4,719
Country: United States
Location: Northern Virginia
Yeah, I think its mostly cosmetic. Makes it seem more mysterious to someone casually looking under the hood.
__________________








Jay2TheRescue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2009, 04:53 PM   #17
Registered Member
 
JanGeo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,444
Country: United States
Location: Tiverton, RI
Send a message via Yahoo to JanGeo
Yeah plastic can stop emf radiation if it is made conductive with the right materials and my xB engine cover gets plenty of dust and water streeks on it - no I don't have gaping holes to the ground in fact I can't see the ground in my engine compartment because of the stock belly pan and the rather short hood length and very tall engine under the hood - the top of the engine is about 4 feet above the ground.

NOW all you hemi lovers WAKE UP!! The only reason they domed the piston and hollowed out the head was to put TWO BIG VALVES in there at a big angle because back then they didn't know how to put four or six valves in the head per cylinder. Dome pistons have more combustion heat exposure, lower thermal efficiency and more mass than a flat top piston of the same bore.
JanGeo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2009, 08:50 AM   #18
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,852
Country: United States
Location: north east PA
The HEMI they sell now isn't a true hemi.
trollbait is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2009, 10:25 AM   #19
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,111
Country: United States
Send a message via AIM to dkjones96
The 5.7L HEMI Ram for 2009 makes 390 hp and 407 ft-lbs from 345 cubic inches of displacement. The 2009 5.7L Toyota i-Force V8 makes 381 hp and 401 ft-lbs from the same 345 cubic inches of displacement.

1.130 HP per cubic inch out of a 2-valve pushrod V8 (EPA 14/20)
1.104 HP per cubic inch out of a 4-valve DOHC VVT-i V8 (EPA 14/18)

I don't see an increase in efficiency.
__________________
- Kyle
dkjones96 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2009, 03:28 PM   #20
Registered Member
 
JanGeo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,444
Country: United States
Location: Tiverton, RI
Send a message via Yahoo to JanGeo
Well first of all the Hemi runs a single cam shaft so the cam timing can't be varied. Efficiency is not measured in HP but in MPG and for a Tundra to get over 20mpg of actual driving mileage with an automatic in the big 5 passenger version like a friend of mine has is pretty efficient. The thing is HUGH - the outside mirrors have power folding so you can fit it in a garage door.
__________________

JanGeo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
civic vx/cx injectors Paulie D Wanted to Buy 6 04-02-2008 06:44 PM
Eco Warrior landspeed General Discussion (Off-Topic) 4 03-25-2008 04:34 PM
Appliance experts: What should I do with my fridge? theclencher General Discussion (Off-Topic) 28 10-30-2007 08:34 AM
Car trouble woes Fourthbean General Maintenance and Repair 10 07-30-2007 04:54 AM
A RAV4 to go with the Prius? krousdb General Discussion (Off-Topic) 31 12-30-2006 04:32 AM

» Fuelly iOS Apps
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:22 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.