Is it safe to drive with engine cover off
Discussion
I drove my 90 esprit se with the engine cover off for a bit and it sounded great in side the car, you can hear the turbo spool up and when you rev the engine high it sounds wicked plus when the car is parked you can see the engine clearly thru the rear windows, but is it safe does anyone know. Alain
Hi 
no best you put it back on, my understanding it acts as a heat shield so forms a seal to the rear deck to vent it through the right channels. Some of the engine parts apparently get over 900 deg cel. Your exposed paint would flake off?? I think also it would get grubby in the boot as well, so the lid helps keep the rain and dust out etc.
Shoot me down if I am wrong here
no best you put it back on, my understanding it acts as a heat shield so forms a seal to the rear deck to vent it through the right channels. Some of the engine parts apparently get over 900 deg cel. Your exposed paint would flake off?? I think also it would get grubby in the boot as well, so the lid helps keep the rain and dust out etc. Shoot me down if I am wrong here
Hi,
My question is: "Why would you want to..??"
As Kylie already mentioned, it plays a role in containing the heat in the engine bay, but also, it aids in the engine bay airflow, directing the hot air to the underside of the car past the exh. manifold. If it were me, I'd keep it on. Happy Motoring!... Jim'85TE
My question is: "Why would you want to..??"
As Kylie already mentioned, it plays a role in containing the heat in the engine bay, but also, it aids in the engine bay airflow, directing the hot air to the underside of the car past the exh. manifold. If it were me, I'd keep it on. Happy Motoring!... Jim'85TE
I would have to agree with her logic as well. However, we did have a local member named Ari (who later moved to the east coast) that had a black '91 SE. He drove with his off for the longest time, but as far as I know, did not experience any adverse effects as a result. He just loved how it looked without it. Like they always say, "your mileage may vary."
By the way, Kylie, what country or part of the country are you located. Just curious. Wish there were more female Esprit enthusiasts.
Roy N.
Bay Area Esprit Group
San Francisco, California
By the way, Kylie, what country or part of the country are you located. Just curious. Wish there were more female Esprit enthusiasts.
Roy N.
Bay Area Esprit Group
San Francisco, California
Hi Roy, I have lived in New Zealand all my life. I am in Auckland.
Interesting this guy drove round with his cover off. Wonder what the long term affects on the paint will show. Find it hard to believe its all intact round the sides.
Reason for my remarks is that I work as a QC Chemist for a Paint, polyester resin manufacturing company and put some of our car paints through some tough testing.
Paint will easily blister, discolour and flake given enough heat and time.
Interesting this guy drove round with his cover off. Wonder what the long term affects on the paint will show. Find it hard to believe its all intact round the sides.
Reason for my remarks is that I work as a QC Chemist for a Paint, polyester resin manufacturing company and put some of our car paints through some tough testing.
Paint will easily blister, discolour and flake given enough heat and time.
Kylie,
New Zealand, wow, that's great to hear. I'm assuming that Esprits are an especially rare and special sight to see out there.
Last night, I was driving my Esprit and someone told me that mine was only the second one that he'd ever seen in his lifetime and this is in California!
Yes, I have to agree with you that given enough heat and time, all paint will blister. I'm the sure the probability of it happening goes way up without the cover in place. So many Esprit people I know have commented about how nice it would be to have a clear cover for the engine like on the 360 Modena or a ventilated one like on the F40, but that's not an easy item to design and fabricate.
Recently, Sanj (also on this list) and other members of Lotus Corps (Chicago) were nice enough to put together a really nice dinner/drinks event for me. During that time, I met a really cool female Esprit enthusiast that drives a yellow V8. She was a true car person and knew a lot more than most guys I know. Proof positive that there are some great female Esprit enthusiasts out there. The other weekend, she was out visiting in California, but regretfully, it was Los Angeles and not SF, so I had the southern CA group meet up with her.
If you're ever out in the San Francisco bay area, please let me know and I'll get our group together for you in your honor.
Roy Nakamura
'88 Commemorative Esprit Turbo
Bay Area Esprit Group
San Francisco, California
New Zealand, wow, that's great to hear. I'm assuming that Esprits are an especially rare and special sight to see out there.
Last night, I was driving my Esprit and someone told me that mine was only the second one that he'd ever seen in his lifetime and this is in California!
Yes, I have to agree with you that given enough heat and time, all paint will blister. I'm the sure the probability of it happening goes way up without the cover in place. So many Esprit people I know have commented about how nice it would be to have a clear cover for the engine like on the 360 Modena or a ventilated one like on the F40, but that's not an easy item to design and fabricate.
Recently, Sanj (also on this list) and other members of Lotus Corps (Chicago) were nice enough to put together a really nice dinner/drinks event for me. During that time, I met a really cool female Esprit enthusiast that drives a yellow V8. She was a true car person and knew a lot more than most guys I know. Proof positive that there are some great female Esprit enthusiasts out there. The other weekend, she was out visiting in California, but regretfully, it was Los Angeles and not SF, so I had the southern CA group meet up with her.
If you're ever out in the San Francisco bay area, please let me know and I'll get our group together for you in your honor.
Roy Nakamura
'88 Commemorative Esprit Turbo
Bay Area Esprit Group
San Francisco, California
The engine heatshield itself is no marvel that you absolutely have to have.
It is the fact that it is covered on the underside by heat reflective tape AND forms a seal (as others have said) that is the important part. The seal helps focus hot air flow out of the designed vents. Without the sealed cover, you will find hot air building up in the cavity between the interior back window and the lid window/quarters. That area contains some of the ECU electrics...
Heat generated and vented through the hole in the boot lid isn't so much a problem. After all, your front engined cars have a painted front hood that gets very hot with an engine immediately below, and has no vents, and no adverse effect on paint.
BUT, those front hoods are made of metal. Your Esprit boot lid is made of a plastic variation. This boot lid has no protection to stop the heat melting/deforming the GRP material.
Also, the lid itself doesn't seal the bay unless the sheild is sandwiched inbetween, so any fumes/smoke etc could (more easily) enter the cabin if the sheild is removed.
My advice, don't do it. (If you do, cover the underside of your lid with heat relfective tape to be on the safe side of meltdown.
)
I also like the 'view' of the motor through the quarter windows and cabin window. But rather than remove the sheild (SE type), I had it altered with a window of heatproof glass where that disgusting carpet is. Also, I removed the metal grill from the rear vent hole allowing the chargecooler/turbo are to be seen.
On the later cars with the S4 type cover, you can still do the glass mod to the front part. The rear you probably will want to keep as is with the oval grilled vents.
Nicholas
It is the fact that it is covered on the underside by heat reflective tape AND forms a seal (as others have said) that is the important part. The seal helps focus hot air flow out of the designed vents. Without the sealed cover, you will find hot air building up in the cavity between the interior back window and the lid window/quarters. That area contains some of the ECU electrics...
Heat generated and vented through the hole in the boot lid isn't so much a problem. After all, your front engined cars have a painted front hood that gets very hot with an engine immediately below, and has no vents, and no adverse effect on paint.
BUT, those front hoods are made of metal. Your Esprit boot lid is made of a plastic variation. This boot lid has no protection to stop the heat melting/deforming the GRP material.
Also, the lid itself doesn't seal the bay unless the sheild is sandwiched inbetween, so any fumes/smoke etc could (more easily) enter the cabin if the sheild is removed.
My advice, don't do it. (If you do, cover the underside of your lid with heat relfective tape to be on the safe side of meltdown.
) I also like the 'view' of the motor through the quarter windows and cabin window. But rather than remove the sheild (SE type), I had it altered with a window of heatproof glass where that disgusting carpet is. Also, I removed the metal grill from the rear vent hole allowing the chargecooler/turbo are to be seen.
On the later cars with the S4 type cover, you can still do the glass mod to the front part. The rear you probably will want to keep as is with the oval grilled vents.
Nicholas
To follow up mikes2 comments. The engine cover is just plain fibreglass with no heat reflective material on it so I guess the heat generated by the motor is not hot enough to damage anything. I have driven mine with the engine cover off occasionally. Usually its on so I can get luggage in it. (it certainly keeps that warm, don't have chocolates in your kit)
For some more NZ esprits look at post on Queenstown rally, or directly to the URL below.
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~gsimpson/lotus/SouthernTrek/index.html
For some more NZ esprits look at post on Queenstown rally, or directly to the URL below.
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~gsimpson/lotus/SouthernTrek/index.html
princecharming said:
Kylie,
New Zealand, wow, that's great to hear. I'm assuming that Esprits are an especially rare and special sight to see out there.
Last night, I was driving my Esprit and someone told me that mine was only the second one that he'd ever seen in his lifetime and this is in California!
Yes, I have to agree with you that given enough heat and time, all paint will blister. I'm the sure the probability of it happening goes way up without the cover in place. So many Esprit people I know have commented about how nice it would be to have a clear cover for the engine like on the 360 Modena or a ventilated one like on the F40, but that's not an easy item to design and fabricate.
Recently, Sanj (also on this list) and other members of Lotus Corps (Chicago) were nice enough to put together a really nice dinner/drinks event for me. During that time, I met a really cool female Esprit enthusiast that drives a yellow V8. She was a true car person and knew a lot more than most guys I know. Proof positive that there are some great female Esprit enthusiasts out there. The other weekend, she was out visiting in California, but regretfully, it was Los Angeles and not SF, so I had the southern CA group meet up with her.
If you're ever out in the San Francisco bay area, please let me know and I'll get our group together for you in your honor.
Roy Nakamura
'88 Commemorative Esprit Turbo
Bay Area Esprit Group
San Francisco, California
Roy thanks so much, would be fantastic and I would do the same to any of you here if you come out to NZ. I am meant to be going over to Colorado in April next year for a wedding (4months time) but havent booked the flights yet as the venue is not 100% confirmed. If we do go we are hoping to visit somewhere else, but nothing confirmed as I say.
Apparently there are quite a few esprits here in NZ now along with the fast selling Elises, but your right you don't often see them out and I like the fact that its not a "common" car. But unfortunately not everyone is keen on sharing their experiences on-line, real shame.
Kylie,
Thank you so much for the nice offer. I don't foresee any trips out that way, but that was still really nice of you to offer.
When you go to Colorado, will you be near Denver? If yes, be sure to e-mail me and let me know since I'm sure that my good friend Bob Metz and the LOCOs (Lotus Owners Of Colorado) will want to get together with you while you're out there. Over the years, I have met so many great Lotus people while they or I were traveling to different parts of the country and world. Definitely a wonderful part of the Lotus experience. Thanks to the internet bringing the world closer together, we all have great friends with a similar interest worldwide.
Roy N.
P.S. I loved your paintings, especially the beach
and ocean scenes. Most impressive and visually
stunning!
P.P.S. The heatproof glass idea sounded slick, but I'd
be a little concerned in the event of a
collision unless it was safety glass.
(obligatory Lotus content...
) Gassing Station | Esprit | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff