Mandatory Belly Pan?
06-21-2019, 10:18 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Mandatory Belly Pan?
Good Morning All... 1986, Stick...
Never drove in the rain before yesterday,,,, and the rain in the NErn USA has been - DRIVING! Lots of huge puddles and I work at the water front where, here in SI NYC, water tends to accumulate.
The Belly Pan (if I can even fond one)... I hate to think that this is going to be another cost, something that I must do early on...? I've been picking the "things" to focus on as carefully as I can because money, well, there is a limited supply. Got some new tranny mounts coming, been talking to Roger about a fuel level sender (yup, ran out O gas), did some top end stuff - hoses - pintles and seals - couple new FI connectors- intake gaskets, linkage on throttle rod >>>> the stuff.
Yesterday I hit a puddle (a good one) and the alternator & belt went a lil crazy for a few and I'd swear I noticed a little something in the steering. And wondered what other problems might develop in a good long drive in really rainy conditions. Low running car,,, the 928.
Is a Belly Pan Mandatory!?!?!?
Never drove in the rain before yesterday,,,, and the rain in the NErn USA has been - DRIVING! Lots of huge puddles and I work at the water front where, here in SI NYC, water tends to accumulate.
The Belly Pan (if I can even fond one)... I hate to think that this is going to be another cost, something that I must do early on...? I've been picking the "things" to focus on as carefully as I can because money, well, there is a limited supply. Got some new tranny mounts coming, been talking to Roger about a fuel level sender (yup, ran out O gas), did some top end stuff - hoses - pintles and seals - couple new FI connectors- intake gaskets, linkage on throttle rod >>>> the stuff.
Yesterday I hit a puddle (a good one) and the alternator & belt went a lil crazy for a few and I'd swear I noticed a little something in the steering. And wondered what other problems might develop in a good long drive in really rainy conditions. Low running car,,, the 928.
Is a Belly Pan Mandatory!?!?!?
Last edited by JayPoorJay; 06-21-2019 at 10:37 AM.
06-21-2019, 10:34 AM
#2
Rennlist Member
What year is your car? Regardless belly pans are good. Ebay has some occasionally, 928 Intl probably does too. Some years the pans are more important than others.
Good luck,
Dave
Good luck,
Dave
06-21-2019, 10:53 AM
#4
Three Wheelin'
Hey Jay, the belly pan for the S3 is unobtainium.
For our 928’s the dust pan is pretty short, so advantages are traditionally to protect alternator from blunt force trauma and ideally to run engine cooler. But that’s been debated before.
Best bet is a thread like this to see if anyone is sitting on a unit, usually beat to hell, that they would part with.
Best, Dave.
For our 928’s the dust pan is pretty short, so advantages are traditionally to protect alternator from blunt force trauma and ideally to run engine cooler. But that’s been debated before.
Best bet is a thread like this to see if anyone is sitting on a unit, usually beat to hell, that they would part with.
Best, Dave.
The following users liked this post:
77tony (06-21-2019)
06-21-2019, 11:03 AM
#5
Racer
Thread Starter
06-21-2019, 11:29 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
Yesterday I hit a puddle (a good one) and the alternator & belt went a lil crazy for a few and I'd swear I noticed a little something in the steering. And wondered what other problems might develop in a good long drive in really rainy conditions. Low running car,,, the 928.
Is a Belly Pan Mandatory!?!?!?
Is a Belly Pan Mandatory!?!?!?
Jason
06-21-2019, 11:34 AM
#7
Racer
Thread Starter
Yup... If I was driving in a down pour, for extended time in the rain, without the belly pan on a 928,,, is there a potential for the rain, puddles and the like to create a real problem with the belt situation??? The car,,, and it's belt system is MUCH lower than anything I've ever driven - dealt with
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06-21-2019, 11:41 AM
#8
Racer
For what it's worth I have done 100K miles in mine on the New Jersey roads (yuck) and never had a belly pan in place and never had an issue. Drove it in all weather conditions, sun, rain, snow, ice, mud..
06-21-2019, 12:05 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
Yup... If I was driving in a down pour, for extended time in the rain, without the belly pan on a 928,,, is there a potential for the rain, puddles and the like to create a real problem with the belt situation??? The car,,, and it's belt system is MUCH lower than anything I've ever driven - dealt with
06-21-2019, 12:51 PM
#11
Chronic Tool Dropper
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
FWIW, the cars tend to lower themselves over time (read: springs sag) and that leaves you vulnerable to potholes full of water as well as to those that are dry. Check and adjust your car's ride height to get it up out of the water and it will help. Plus you really can't afford to drag an alternator or AC compressor. Ever. Sagged motor mounts can easily cost you another inch of ground clearance under the front of the engine.
My latest memory of SI was visiting the now-gone P&G plant there in the mid-1980's. The roads were less than stellar, with lots of heaves, depressions, and potholes. I guess that's why Harvey Hertz invented "driving someone else's car for a fee", as well as being a primary reason for wearing seatbelts. We were wrestling with ConEd over some interconnect issues that turned out of be a major backbreaking straw, so no need for me to go back. Tax generator gone, can't fix the roads.
My latest memory of SI was visiting the now-gone P&G plant there in the mid-1980's. The roads were less than stellar, with lots of heaves, depressions, and potholes. I guess that's why Harvey Hertz invented "driving someone else's car for a fee", as well as being a primary reason for wearing seatbelts. We were wrestling with ConEd over some interconnect issues that turned out of be a major backbreaking straw, so no need for me to go back. Tax generator gone, can't fix the roads.
06-21-2019, 01:05 PM
#12
Racer
Thread Starter
FWIW, the cars tend to lower themselves over time (read: springs sag) and that leaves you vulnerable to potholes full of water as well as to those that are dry. Check and adjust your car's ride height to get it up out of the water and it will help. Plus you really can't afford to drag an alternator or AC compressor. Ever. Sagged motor mounts can easily cost you another inch of ground clearance under the front of the engine.
My latest memory of SI was visiting the now-gone P&G plant there in the mid-1980's. The roads were less than stellar, with lots of heaves, depressions, and potholes. I guess that's why Harvey Hertz invented "driving someone else's car for a fee", as well as being a primary reason for wearing seatbelts. We were wrestling with ConEd over some interconnect issues that turned out of be a major backbreaking straw, so no need for me to go back. Tax generator gone, can't fix the roads.
My latest memory of SI was visiting the now-gone P&G plant there in the mid-1980's. The roads were less than stellar, with lots of heaves, depressions, and potholes. I guess that's why Harvey Hertz invented "driving someone else's car for a fee", as well as being a primary reason for wearing seatbelts. We were wrestling with ConEd over some interconnect issues that turned out of be a major backbreaking straw, so no need for me to go back. Tax generator gone, can't fix the roads.
The roads here are nutts! Give me jersey roads any day!
Then there are the yes'z for the work. Yes!
Looking to get the Volvo mounts asap..., shocks from Roger (when I will work on ride height) AND,,,,, a dedicated mechanic who works ONLY for me, and for free, on Jags, Porsches and Goldwings, lol... Talk about unobtainium...
06-21-2019, 01:15 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
Jay, the pans are mandatory for 4 reasons:
1.) They form an integral part of the engine cooling system
2.) They protect from impact damage
3.) The engine room will suck up all sorts of crud In the engine compartment, and this also leads to accelerated fastener deterioration (esp. in Winter)
4.) Protects from water related problems (esp. electric)
It's like American Express (or for some of us like me who don't use CCs maybe its more like Durex,):
Don't leave home without it.
I suppose some kind of substitute can be fabricated if unobtainium, but I have never really thought about it.
1.) They form an integral part of the engine cooling system
2.) They protect from impact damage
3.) The engine room will suck up all sorts of crud In the engine compartment, and this also leads to accelerated fastener deterioration (esp. in Winter)
4.) Protects from water related problems (esp. electric)
It's like American Express (or for some of us like me who don't use CCs maybe its more like Durex,):
Don't leave home without it.
I suppose some kind of substitute can be fabricated if unobtainium, but I have never really thought about it.
06-21-2019, 01:16 PM
#14
Drifting
I love the clean engine and without the belly pan while driving the tail of the dragon at the 928 specialist get together ( kinda rainy at that time) and then in the restaurant gravel parking lot the engine got very dirty.....put the belly pan back on when I got home.....
I vote for the belly pan, for sure !!
I vote for the belly pan, for sure !!
06-21-2019, 01:44 PM
#15
Racer
Thread Starter
Right... I am leaning in the direction (for sure) of the pan...
As I've said in the past, my girl is a trained machinist... The things she can determine about the size and shape of things by eye,,, what she sees,,, it's striking sometimes. We both like to work with our hands...
I've looked on line for even an image of the 1986 Belly Pan, and came up (I can and will look more) with just one image. A bad one. Does anyone have a good photo (or 6) of one???
Her and I might try to bang And cut something out (literally) if it would even make sense to try. The one I saw seemed smaller than the >87, 88... But, with more contours than MOST belly pans and skid plates I've seen from most cars.
I would be very grateful for any and every photo
As I've said in the past, my girl is a trained machinist... The things she can determine about the size and shape of things by eye,,, what she sees,,, it's striking sometimes. We both like to work with our hands...
I've looked on line for even an image of the 1986 Belly Pan, and came up (I can and will look more) with just one image. A bad one. Does anyone have a good photo (or 6) of one???
Her and I might try to bang And cut something out (literally) if it would even make sense to try. The one I saw seemed smaller than the >87, 88... But, with more contours than MOST belly pans and skid plates I've seen from most cars.
I would be very grateful for any and every photo