Is there really any purpose to the plastic engine cover? I'm getting really exhausted with taking it off and putting it back on everytime that I open the hood, and I think I have decided I like the look of the uncovered engine compartment better anyway. I am pretty sure that it is just cosmetic, but with all the other quirks of the rotary, I want to be sure before I remove it for good.

 

I removed mine and it hangs on my wall in the garage.I really dont think there is a purpose for this but Im no expert.
shark

 

Maybe it helps keep the noise down? Thats the only thing I can think of.

 

Rotary Rasp might be the closest one to having a reason for the cover. other than that, i really can't think of any functionality to the cover. i like it tho, keeps everything clean and simple looking.

 

Past threads on this matter have come up with airflow in the engine compartment, as the main reason it exists, looks second. The vents in the side are there fro a reason; the engine cover helps direct the air over the motor and out those vents. I have run my 8 with and without and only notice a little more noise. If I lived in a hot climate I might leave it one all the time.

 

I thought I had read somewhere in the book the cover was to deflect some of the heat away from hood. (But that could be the beer talking.)

 

Mine has been off for 10K worth of miles - no problems with heat.

 

Same here... mine is garage decoration thanks to the Mazdaspeed STB. You do get a little more engine noise (which is a good thing to me), but I haven't had a problem with cooling.

 

personally, I think Mazda did it b/c the engine looks so small, someone who doesn't know a whole lot about engines my think the engine is too dinky for them, just a thougt.

 

I agree.... and most new cars are getting nifty covers over their overhead cams or the top of the engine- all you can do with a rotary is cover the whole thing

 

Well, someone did measure underhood temps with and without, and they were hotter without the cover. Is the difference worth it? I guess that's anybody's call, but I don't think Mazda would have paid the money to add it if it didn't serve some purpose.

Personally, I would take it out if I had a good reason to do so (i.e. I had a strut tower brace that wouldn't fit it, or a supercharger that was in the way (I wish!) but other than that, its really not hard enough to remove for me to worry about it.

jds

 

if it is for under hood temps at all I wouldn't remove it. It could be acting like the under hood thermal blanket on the hood. If the temps get too hot it could damage the paint prematurely.

Id like to know where the temp sensor was placed when they did the test. If it was directly over where the engine cover use to be then it makes sense why the temps went up.

 

I don't recall the details of the test, but I'm pretty sure they were posted in the original thread. Someone less lazy than I can search for it :D

jds

 

I'm sure it might help a little, but I look at the 3rd gen RX7 for comparison- the turbo'd 13B created much higher underhood temps than our naturally aspirated and far better cooled Renesis... it had no engine cover and I've never seen any problems with hood paint damage on an FD.