Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

[J-hop]

Re: Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

hmm, well I already bought and installed the plate so I am either going to have to cut holes or talk to C1 about getting a refund because I stated it was for a VR6 when I bought it. I will also email Evolution sports and see what they say.

That sucks though it seems like I don't really have an option then when It comes to protecting my engine. Im a little iffy about hacking up a $300 piece of metal...

Out of curiosity wouldn't 1.8Ts have the same problem? The turbo heats up the oil pretty good.

[p951]

Re: Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

Maybe. On the Porsche 951, using the belly pan will actually HELP cool the engine by controlling the airflow through the engine bay. It's designed such that the belly pan will keep the airflow under the car clean, and actually at the back of the engine it'll create a low pressure area that will help suck hot air out of the engine bay.

If you want to talk about an engine that runs HOT, take a look at a Porsche 944 turbo (951). The car comes with a nice oil cooler from the factory, a finned aluminum oil pan, and the engine oil still runs dangerously hot on the track.

BTW, sitting in traffic idling will actually cool the engine after running, versus cause it to heat up. Anytime you're running the engine will generate more heat than when it's just ticking over idling with no load. That's why you should let the engine idle after running it hard, especially if it has a turbo, let everything cool down a little bit.

Honestly, unless you're running on a track, you shouldn't worry about it. The protection the skid plate offers far outweighs the perceived "heat build-up".

Don't these cars come with a factory plastic belly pan anyway? What's the difference between that and the skid plate?

Just my 2 cents.

[Volkstech01]

Re: Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

You can cut a couple notches in the pan, pry them up a little like a leuver (spelling), the air going over it will sipher the hot air out like when your sunroof is open on vent, it pulls the air out, while moving anyways, just dont sit in traffic, be aggresive!!!! LOL

[Kane]

Re: Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

/\/\/\ do you mean that the "new ones" have a cut-out for the DRAIN-PLUG?.. /\/\/\

gas powered cars will have to remove the plate for oilchanges. the plate takes about 3 minutes to remove while laying on your back on your garage floor.
to me, it's 200% worth having one... just for piece of mind in winter-driving.
i don't feel like having to deal with the aftermath of an iceburg falling off of a truck on deerfoot and having nowhere to go (and running the damn thing over).
it's happend to me,... heard the thud, swore,.. kept on driving. way better than being sidelined in the cold with my 2 year old daughter in the car.

and honestly, if you can't install the evo skidplate yourself,.. you shouldn't perform any other work on your car.

i've never removed mine just for an oil change. Why would you have to remove it?

[eldo]

Re: Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

hah. i just learned that the newer 8v cars have a paper-element replacement style oil filter like the tdi's. as do the new VR's. so,.. you could totally perform an oil change without removing the skidplate! so... only the 1.8t doods will have to remove their skidplate for oil changes. oh well. 1.8t's nevar lose.
as for the "hot VR" theory,.. could be possible. it would be interesting to see if there would actually be any difference in underhood temps at all (between the factory plastic or aftermarket aluminum skids). i'm not sure that there would be a significant difference?

[J-hop]

Re: Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

I was doing some reading and asked around and actually aluminum seems like a pretty good heat conductor so it may act almost as a heat sink and draw heat away from the engine. I also noticed the skid plates from europe do have vents on one side but it is to vent the transmission which I assume would not be an issue on my car as I run synthetic transmission fluid.

Also the skid plates for the new mk5 VRs from evolution (and deisel geek i think) only have vents on the tranny side to cool the dsg.

Also got an email back from evolution and they have never had any problems reported by customers and also mentioned that the R32 does come with a full plastic skid plate.

[VW337]

Re: Skid Plate.... Worth the 350 + install?

Just came across this:

http://www.precisiontuning.ca/catalo...roducts_id=785

Seems like a good price considering it's in Canadian dollars and you won't get screwed by brokerage. It's also steel instead of aluminum.