Are these ok to remove and throw away? I’m speaking of the panel that covers the top of the radiator, held in by 10, or so, clips. It’s flimsy, does not seem to serve a cooling/air flow function, has broken clips, and is a general PITA.
Plastic engine bay panel - gx
- Thread starter rex in bama
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TX GX460
Moderator
The air dam above the radiator is probably the one trim piece I would recommend you keep. It forces air to flow through the radiator for cooling while you drive instead of traveling up over the top and into the engine bay. The rest of them are for show, but that one has a specific functional purpose. If you need more clips you can buy them on Amazon. I have these and they work well: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074X9WF68
- Thread starter
- #3
You are probably right, it forces some air through. Would think that most of the cooling, though, would be from air pulled through by the fan. Thanks for the link!
TX GX460
Moderator
When you are stationary, the fan creates necessary airflow to make up for the lack of air movement through the radiator. While driving, especially at speed, the natural airflow is the primary source for cooling. The air dam isn't the greatest factor in the cooling, but it makes enough difference, especially in warmer temperatures, that it is worth keeping on for the additional help in funneling air through rather than being wasted over the top.
Sound dampening is what I’ll second. It is a pain to keep all of those clips intact and check everything underneath but as someone mentioned above, the clips are cheap and once you buy a whole kit of them they are not difficult to put on, break, and put back on again
- Thread starter
- #8
Follow- up on this thread. Ended up making a few mods to the plastic panel to ease accessing the overflow bottle and radiator cap. These will not affect airflow through the radiator - the overflow is on the inboard side and the air was not blocked around the radiator cap, anyway. MUCH easier to check coolant levels now.
If you should bolt an air compressor under your hood, you use that plastic piece to mount your compressor attachments!
My build thread, starting at #82: Builds - R2M 2013 GX460 Overland Build
My build thread, starting at #82: Builds - R2M 2013 GX460 Overland Build
I've been running mine without it for a few weeks after I got tired of taking it on and off while changing coolant, installing a light bar, installing a front camera, etc. I haven't noticed any changes or higher running temps.
I put a 4 1/2" hole in mine to engage and disengage the winch.
My wife's 2015 is missing a bunch of the clips on this trim piece what are the best replacements? Seems like most of them are loose.
The outer clips are always the loosest on mine. Link to some for cheap on fleabay.
Bought two sets of these, bonus they come with a free panel tool.
Amazon product ASIN B072MDX94N
More bonus, insulation retainers
Amazon product ASIN B07D6L5KM5
For the plastic nuts that the engine side covers affix to the firewall I just ordered OEMs from a Toyota dealer online.
Amazon product ASIN B072MDX94N
More bonus, insulation retainers
Amazon product ASIN B07D6L5KM5
For the plastic nuts that the engine side covers affix to the firewall I just ordered OEMs from a Toyota dealer online.
That piece directly on the engine definitely does help with sound so I kept it.
The one above the radiator comes and goes for me. I hate how hard it is to see the overflow tank with it on so sometimes, I think I smell coolant and take it off for a few weeks to keep an eye on it. Living in Texas, I have never had cooling issues without it.
All that plastic cladding, including fender liners, engine covers, etc. are a part of the sound suppression system as a whole.
Yeah, you can remove an item here or a liner there and probably not notice any noise difference, but remove them all, and you'll hear a difference.
They also help with heat dissipation in the engine bay, directing cooler air through the radiator and over the engine. Removing some of these and you may see a rise in engine temps too.
Remember that these are premium vehicles, so a lot of thought has gone into making them feel/sound that way. Most people think all that plastic is for show, but there's quite a bit of engineering that is behind it all.
just saying...
Yeah, you can remove an item here or a liner there and probably not notice any noise difference, but remove them all, and you'll hear a difference.
They also help with heat dissipation in the engine bay, directing cooler air through the radiator and over the engine. Removing some of these and you may see a rise in engine temps too.
Remember that these are premium vehicles, so a lot of thought has gone into making them feel/sound that way. Most people think all that plastic is for show, but there's quite a bit of engineering that is behind it all.
just saying...