2Many Cars

Goofball....thanks for the post. I think this is useful info for the tray off crowd.

It never ceases to amaze me how worked up some here get about the tray or no tray decision. In the general scheme of things for 99% of the people here I don't think it really matters either way. Just saying...

JM993

You can call BS all you want, but Bob is correct. Hey, but you don't need to believe us, just do a search to see what Steve Weiner has said about the engine trays.

cgfen

??????????????

why is it necessary to remove the right, (passenger) side box?
i've not had to when changing oil / filters / oil return tube o rings on my 96 4S 6 speed
I do remove the right side orange hose thingie.

cheers

Craig

rsr91128

I don't remove the oil return tube, I have bad enough luck and don't need to kink the line or cross thread the bolt into the block.

Last oil change I tried without removing the box and found out the filter doesn't come out with the box and return line in place (I found this out while dumping 170 degree oil down my arm trying to get it out of there). Maybe this is a Bischoff vs. Gillette thing but that filter ain't getting out of there with the box and return line on. It's only 1 more hose clamp to remove not exactly time consuming so I learned my lesson.

goofballdeluxe

Personally, I think it's less BS vs. no BS, and more a point of letting RLers understand that running without an engine tray carries some risks.

I cannot determine how much valve guide wear has been mitigated through better cooling when I ran without one, but I can tell you that it cost me a few hundred in repairs when the heater flap box tore off and dimpled my oil return tube, which only occured because at the time I ran without an engine tray.

Like many on here, I've read countless threads espousing the benefits of running without an engine tray and how it's not needed, but I've never read about the downsides, such as damage that can occur, and also what needs to be taken care of to minimize the chance of any problems, such as making sure the heater flapper boxes don't droop AT ALL.

I thought there should be a thread that shows the flip side of running without an engine tray as a heads-up to my fellow Rennisters. If one person goes out and tightens their heater boxes, then this was a good thread.

cmat

I'm someone who checked his heater boxes. Thanks for the tip.

beers4all

Hey pal - chillout. I've been around here a few years and have seen a few engine tray threads. The comment was in jest - but thanks for coming out

epj993

I've got my tray off primarily to jack easier, but tend to think you'll run cooler without the tray. I've got nothing empirical here, but if you've every stood directly behind a 993 while idling (without a tray) you'll feel significant air flow out from underneath the engine. The 993 fan moves a pretty large volume. With the tray in place a lot of that air is going to be trapped - or at least have a lower flow rate.

I'm sure the tray does provide protection. But anything that wraps up the engine and air flow is only going to reduce cooling, IMHO. Plus, it's such a PITA to do any maintenance.

black ice

Two things to say:
1. If you "off" your car at a DE or just a median, you run the risk of damaging your exhaust without the tray on. I went backwards into a median and damaged a heater box, which would not have happened had my tray been on.
2. I have put 70K hot Florida miles on my car; I bought it with 57K where I can't guarantee the tray was on (but it was when I bought it). I have had the tray on for the whole time I've had the car with the exception of about 5K (ended up leaving off after a repair). For what it's worth, I've not had a top end done, and I am burning about 1 quart over 10K miles. I did have a number of leaks which I just resealed during a clutch job - obviously no way to say if those were exacerbated by the extra heat of the tray.

I think there are a number of other conditions that are driving valve jobs and I don't believe there is clear evidence that trays are one of them.

dave

David in LA

IMHO the best compromise is what a RL'er did a few years ago - he made cutouts in the undertray and put wire mesh screens over the openings. He posted pics of his work on a thread here a long time ago but I no longer have the link. I'm surprised a vendor does not make a kit for this...all you need is a template, some pre-cut stainless steel mesh, and some high temp silicon adhesive....shouldn't be more than $30 worth of parts if you DIY.

Dudley

I had a similar experience years ago. In my case, the heater hoses had weakened to a point that they allowed the heater boxes to droop. I doubt that race versions of the 993 have these flapper boxes in place.

axl911

50 years from now, what will be the most sought after late-model air cooled porsche part?

1. engine undertrays
2. flag mirrors
3. SAI motors
4. D90s

Van1

Hardback sport seats

ilko

Bumperettes.

JPS

Grid girls. Oh wait...I think I misunderstood the question...