Thread: Acoustic Cover on TD5 engine...is it needed?

Mine is still on. I've driven it for a few weeks with the cover off and didn't notice a huge difference, perhaps slightly noisier. Don't see removing three bolts to lift it off as a big issue, and have never quite worked out how it was going to catch fire unless there was already an underbonnet fire, but each to their own.

Well it looks like the consensus is to leave it off, find a spot in the shed where I won't trip over it, and see what happens. Thanks all for your opinions, I will give it a go.

Cheers

Chris

I've left mine on as I have been told that they contain an engine fire. Disco's have bonnet insulation which is also designed to fall off the bonnet and smother a fire (hence the plastic retainers) but defenders don't. I've also been told that defenders have to have them on as a fire retardant or they are technically not covered by insurance if a fire starts. Info was from someone who has been working with landies for many years. In my book they are designed go be there.

Just make sure you clean the mice nests out once in a while.

Sorry I didn't explain that fully before. The acoustic covers are designed to help stop engine fires. All modern cars have them for that reason. As are the engine blankets held to the bonnet with plastic lugs. In an engine fire the lugs are designed to melt which then drops the blanket onto the engine fire aiding in suppression.

Insurance and the fact that engine fires aren't common don't mean you should take them off. If it has the potential to save lives, then leave it be.

Off my soap box now....

Can't see how they would retard a fire. IMO, with the overspill from the oil filler over time, and the natural accumulation of gunk, they would feed a fire. I think they are soley for noise inhibition, as is the bonnet one, Bob [ If you explain to me how a plastic cover inhibits fire, I will believe you]

I'd say they are fire resistant, not fire retardant as in Phos-Chek.

The metal the rocker cover is made of would be fire resistant too. Agree with Bob, at least with the cover off you can see where oil & fuel leaks are starting to appear so you can more easily avoid the fire in the first place.

Im guessing D3/4 and FL2 engine covers would be made of same stuff.

didnt seem to help this D3/4 much


or this FL2



perhaps a $20 smoke detector in the engine bay might be the go

I reckon they are there to make the engine look nice, without having to spend a lot of money making the metal bits fancy. Sure, they may also reduce noise and provide other features, but I reckon that the marketing department had the say on what to call it.

Here's a paper on hood linings as fire retardants. Interesting to note that the clips melting are the key and that different vehicles' acoustic material performed from good to not so good.
http://www.mvfri.org/Contracts/Final...Insulation.pdf

And I think its probably important to 'clean' the engine under the acoustic cover occasionally too to reduce the amount of oil build up under the cover. It is a landrover after all