Hello,

Would like to know if the splash pan that goes under the front part of the engine is a good idea to leave off ?

Mine has been missing for a long time and has not seemed to make any difference but I was wondering if this is helping or hurting the cooling process ?

Thoughts ?

 

The front splash pan is an intregal part of the cooling system functioning correctly.
Without it, air will flow around instead thru the radiator.

Get one on there as soon as possible is my advice.

 

I had two GSL-SE's, one had a pan, one didn't... and didn't have a big difference between them. It's function isn't only assisting airflow - to keep it from blowing forward and sucking warm air into the radiator. But also to keep water from splashing up into the engine parts. So it's good to have something there, but it's not the end of the world (or the engine) if it's missing.

 

ok, you guys shamed me into it. I just put it back on.

thanks

 

mine doesnt have one either and it seems like it doesnt want to reach a good operating temp especially now that its getting a lot cooler out.

 

^^^ that, doesn't make sense.

If your car isn't getting up to operating temperature, and adding the undertray HELPS with cooling, then NOT having an undertray would increase operating temperature.

To the others; I don't have an undertray on my SE, and haven't for years now. It doesn't suffer from overheating in 120F desert heat, which leads me to believe that the undertray is more as a splash guard than an airflow control device, seeing as how it has holes and slats cut into it, and even when bolt up, it doesn't form a solid seal which would be needed if it were there to make positive pressure in front of the radiator.

If your cooling fan is working correctly (electric aftermarket or stock fan w/clutch), then as long as there's air in front of the radiator, the fan will pull as much air through as needed to cool the engine to the temp set by the fan clutch or your temp switch for electrics. I might buy the argument that forced air in the front means the fan won't have to work as hard, but if you were serious about that, you'd have a SERIOUS air dam in the front, properly sealed against the radiator sides and FMOC (on an SE), and then I might be interested.

With the Mariah Mode4 front airdam, I'd bet there's a lot of ram air pressure being directed at my radiator, but it's also completely open below the radiator and FMOC for the air to go around - and no issues. Oh, well. I suppose it can't hurt to have an undertray mounted.

 

I have no experience with FBs but I can tell you from experience that the undertray
makes a visible change in the temp guage on an SA. I had mine off for awhile back
in the 90s and it would run almost to half way on the temp guage. I then put
the tray back on and now the temps stay and 1/4 to 1/3.

It may be with the FBs and especially the SEs that this is not as critical since the
whole bumper is different and all.

 

i keep mine since my car has the front mounted oil cooler. that little guy doesnt get much help from the rad fan, so it seems almost necessary to keep things cool

 

I've had mine off for years. Never been a problem, but I have been considering putting it back on.

I think, if anything, it may help with high speed stability. Anything over 60mph I can see my hood trying to lift pretty hard. I think it might help reduce the amount of air being forced into the engine compartment.






.

 

This topic comes up every now an then, and what we're always missing is some good data on airflow through the radiator with and without the belly pan. This would need to be done at speed and at standstill.

Remember that this car (like most all the others out there) was designed to operate under all conditions, which includes everything from hot to cold, wet to dry, ice, snow, high speed, standstill. Rest assured that the engineers who designed it found it was necessary under some condition(s).

Since I'm not sure why it was put there, I have always left it on.

Also, from Racing Beat's Technical Manual and Catalog: "Never eliminate the fan shroud or front undertray -- they aid in cooling."