So i popped the hood today as i was cleaning and saw that there were a couple plastic covers on the engine block etc..

Is it better or worse if any if i remove those? maybe heat reduction cuz i do live in AZ.

06 Balt Ls Coupe..


thanks guys

 

use search for this there has already been 500 threads on it!

 

i like see the clean look, no plastic. then again i couldn't see it making much of a damn difference.

 

what about painting those plastics??? could look good...

 

you wont notice a difference either way...I removed mine because it looks better without it...really opens up the engine bay once theres no more plastic covering everywhere.

 

its supposed to be there for noise reduction, but really i dont notice a difference without

 

clean look

 

take that **** off....

 

Won't matter whether it is there or not. I'd leave it since it helps keep the engine clean, but GM could have gone a long way with some simple valve covers instead of the freaking plastic picnic table!

 

I saw a video with some guys who were in charge of the Cobalt program. They were so proud of the engine bay. They thought it looked great. Idiots.

Even without it--the Ecotec is not a pretty engine. Look at an RSX.

I noticed more sound with mine off. In addtion to sound reduction it will trap heat more then being uncovered.

 

If you take the covers off it unleashes the beast! COme on...more air flow!!! Means 50 more hp! and 30 more torque! HELL YEA!!!

stupid question, stupid answer

 

Mine. I also painted the fuse box cover red.

 

that looks alright, the only problem is my car is black. i just took mine off.

 

I like the cover painted red.. that makes it stand out.. But everyone is right the engine is not pretty either way you look at it...

 

that look good ,,,, what did you do? just spray it or , sanded first, primer and then paint??

 

The main purpose of that cover is for acoustic insulation. Ecotecs are noisy engines. I have polished my valve cover and it looks great.

 

well then it seems apparent that i will leave mine on.

a question for the guys who have painted them..

what type of paint do you use? dont u have to use a high grade polymer that is heat resistant, cuz i know it can get pretty hot down in the engine bay?

 

dump the plastic

 

yah...dump the plastic for sure...looks alot better....

 

well i do have to agree that the normal plastic looks better off, but i would like to know from the guys who have painted them what kind of paint they use? cuz imo i think that it looks better painted and on, then off.

feedback apprecciated.

 

you could use normal plastic paint
the plastic doesnt get hot enough to need engine paint, but if ur worried, go with that

sand it, prime it, paint it
i dont know why there are so many ****** threads about painting plastic

 

I can vouch for Halfcent here b/c I saw his engine at the northern Illinois meeting. It's pimp.

However, I don't have the patience to put in the work so I was actually thinking about painting mine as well. Are there any heat issues w/ the paint?

 

Keep it ... Paint it up...cheap mod... something different to look it look good. Im painting mine silver to match the car.

 

my covers are off now. when i installed my injen intake it took away part of the plastic cover so it looked like crap with it in. whats the point in the covers anyhow. if GM wanted such a pretty engine they shoulda just created some heat resistant flowers and some **** like that. so when you pop the hood you see a garden. lololol

 

Yeah, sorry I didn't respond faster, I forgot I posted in this thread. I used 2 coats of primer, and then 2 coats of HIGH-TEMP red spray paint. You can get the high temp at any auto store. Autozone is where I got mine from. I'm about to do a few touch-ups on mine because my ******* forgot to use clear-coat so now it's getting dirty all the time.

But yeah, use 2 coats of primer (15 minutes between each coat to let dry) then after the last coat of primer wait about 45 minutes, and then start on your first coat of high temp. (30 minutes between each coat on this paint). And repeat. Like I said though, don't forget to use clear coat afterwards, that's where I basically screwed up...