2002-2005 Thunderbird Engine Shroud Cover Removal | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models

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2002-2005 Thunderbird Engine Shroud Cover Removal

  • Thread starter Thread starter TomThunder
  • Start date Start date
Advantage? might run a little cooler? But, you might hear more engine noise. . .
 
Tomstoy said:
I think if Ford thought it might help they would have not put one on in the first place. LOL
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Yes but help with what... Aesthetics for example. According to sources like Stack Exchange, the covers reduce engine noise and protect the engine from dust, debris, etc, while adding a cleaner look to the engine bay.
 
Go figure. Maybe they happen to take a photo while they were doing engine maintenance. Who knows. No plans to take mine off, I was just curious.
 
How noisy is it compared to the stock one. I have an extra on I picked up years ago but it’s NOS and I’m not sure I want the district it. Or sell sell it. Or just look for one with the paint worn off. Or,? Lol
 
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I will say this, with it removed, it does look like you actually have a V8 under the hood. With the shroud on, it looks likes you have an electric shaver under your hood.

That said, still keeping it on. I'm losing 4 thunderbird logos on my car when I have after-market wheels installed next week. I don't want to lose a 5th logo by removing the shroud.
 
No for sure you would not want to loose another Ford Orr Thunderbird logo. There is only about 24 places on a stock Retro where you either see Ford or Logo.

About the engine cover when everyone was attempting to troubleshoot why the COPs were failing some thoughts were it was from heat & removing the cover would help . Then no cover or customizing came into the picture. Both ideas seem to have gone away.
 
BluByeU said:
No for sure you would not want to loose another Ford Orr Thunderbird logo. There is only about 24 places on a stock Retro where you either see Ford or Logo.
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Good point, if you include the interior logos. Still, shroud is staying on, I've seen no real solid reason to remove it.

I do like what this TBird owner did, paint the shroud to match his car.....

MyThunderbird017.png


But as I mentioned in another thread, I'm going with the midnight black theme. My shroud is already black. I suppose I could have it painted gloss black to match the body. Maybe I will throw that idea onto the bottom of my wish list.
 
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donnyonee said:
where do I find that cover ?
okay I mean what yr model?
is it a 3.9?
thanks
don
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I got a Lincoln LS cover and a Jaguar S type off ebay, cut the center out of them and combine the two.

You can purchase the Jaguar Engine cover discussed in the link above here-


2003-08 Jaguar S-8 4.2L Engine Cover for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for 2003-08 Jaguar S-8 4.2L Engine Cover at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!
www.ebay.com
 
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I read that these cars have high under hood temperatures. Does the plastic engine cover hold enough heat in to make the plastic and other parts under it fail earlier than they should? Will driving with the cover off help parts last longer? Will this lower the engine temperature? I am hoping some on here who have owned more than one retrobird and tried that with one had a good result.
 
jneuenburg said:
enough heat in to make the plastic and other parts under it fail earlier than they should?
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Your car is over 2 decades old, so that pretty much answers the question. Automotive "Plastics" last longer than metal. Very common misconceptions. I guess people think it's made out of the same material as a child's toy? LOL Had a 24-Year-old Jeep Radiator that lasted 24 years. Good luck getting that many years out of Aluminum!

What about the metal hood with insulation on the bottom of it? Is that holding in any heat? ;-)
 
Heat is Heat... If you were to remove the engine cover, the heat will still be in the engine compartment.
I have a garage, after I'm done driving my Baby Bird, It goes in the garage, I open the hood to allow the heat to escape.

PS: I really like Tom Thunder and his painting of the cover to match his vehicle color, very classy.
 
Mine is a 2004 with about 72,000 miles. I would think that cooler is better. What did your temp sensor read when you took off the cover? Kind of crazy that the engine has 3 temp sensors.
 
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