Engine Pad - Installed!

[WI wide body]

Your engine sound pad installation looks good.

Just curious, but with the heat blower and plumbing removed I noticed that the Head Temp. Sensor looks like the old, original style which is the single prong. If it is, I would recommend going to the new, two prong HTS that Wayne sells.

[deshetlr]

Thanks WI. What is the benefit of the two prong sensor?

[rfloz]

Originally Posted by RWebb

closer to 1/2 lb.

stock items:
4.7 old style engine firewall sound pad
0.7 new style engine firewall sound pad

4 lb. wt savings new vs. old - Chuck Miller; Esses 15(1): 5


The wt. savings of 1 lb. is inconsequential unless you are in one hell of a race class....

I found the error of my weight[s] - I weighed the pad with the protective plastic cover it was shipped in. Since it is still sealed, I will gladly accept your (or Chuck Miller's) 0.7# weight.

My question then, is whether a 1984 Carrera would have come from the factory with the old or the new pad. It may seem a bit silly (but check out those folks on impactbumpers.com who keep track of weight reduction to the gram!), but I am keeping a running total of weight loss and it would be nice to know.

By the way (weigh?), keeping track is because in my class, PCA Zone 8 auto-cross, not race, penalty points are added for weight loss from the owner's manual weight in steps. So, I don't want to add yet more points inadvertently.

[RWebb]

I dunno what came on the "new" cars.

The database I put together may help in general tho...
http://www.penaltykicker.com/911/data/

Jim Calzia's wt. table is posted on Early 911s bbs also.

[rfloz]

Thanks. There are some interesting numbers in there.

If you add (or subtract) lighter seats, an Odyssey PC680 battery, delete A/C and a few more things, you can pare off some serious weight.

[KTL]

yeah............. sound pad is not the place to gain a lot of weight savings. Weight savings by the gram can be better managed by watching what one eats, not removing plastic clips and washers!

Better sound pad to start with would be the heavy woolen & rubber pad that's behind the rear seats. That thing is HEAVY.

And there's more weight savings to be had in the air conditioning. There's about 70 lbs of dead weight there too.

[deshetlr]

Well I got my first drive in since the install. If you assume 2 db is an audible difference I would guess the difference is 4 to 6 db, a significant difference. I also think the pad has the most impact on low to mid range frequencies. In other words I did not notice a difference in fan noise. I am pleased and ready for a more aggressive muffler!

[richde]

I pulled my old one out and holy fan/mechanical noise, Batman!

Can't wait to get the new one in.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by rfloz

Thanks. There are some interesting numbers in there.

If you add (or subtract) lighter seats, an Odyssey PC680 battery, delete A/C and a few more things, you can pare off some serious weight.

- Right. The big savings is in tossing the bumpers and body panels and going for FG or CF panels.

I saved some wt. by using SSIs and carbs on my 3.2L motor instead of the stock induction/exhaust. That way the motor is only marginally heavier than the stock 2.4L I had. Then there is the use Al rear banana arms and F. susp. Xmember, hollow torsion bars and some other things that help a little.

[azasadny]

Good work! I had to do a partial engine drop to replace my engine pad because of all the CIS stuff all over the top of the engine. I switched to Webers last year and I could replace the pad without dropping the engine now...

[Jim Garfield]

Since my engine pad was beginning to droop and I'm getting cabin fever I decided to take it off today. This is what I found .....



When I got the pad out and opened the nest I found that the mouse had done a hell of a job bringing the poison pellets up for his long winters nap .... which apparently has turned into a dirt nap.

[84porsche9113.2]

I would agree that was a very nice install.

BTW, I just saw this "updated" sound pad on ebay. Has anyone tried it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Updated-Engine-Sound-Pad-with-bound-edge_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6763QQihZ016QQitem Z260216933833QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

This thread interests me, because I've been running without the pad for the longest time. The sound doesn't really bother me at all. I've upgraded to louder more free flowing exhuast, the harder engine mounts, etc. I figure a little pad might not make a difference, besides in the spirit of my upgrades which have tried to make the care "more race-car like" than the factory's choices, would a race car have one?

After seeing this thread I'm contemplating once again whether I should put mine back in. Does anyone have the pros/cons of going with and without the pad? I guess with the pad is more "oem look" and just a tad quieter. Plus I don't see spending the $ and the time if is not going to make much of a "peformance" difference.

I guess I was just wondering if there any others who intentionally are running without the pad, and if so, what are your reasons? If not, then maybe I could also be convinced to put mine back in. haha. Thanks..

[Buckterrier]

I'm installing one for the simple reason of cleaning up the engine bay. The firewall looks hideous naked.

[richde]

Originally Posted by 84porsche9113.2

I would agree that was a very nice install.

BTW, I just saw this "updated" sound pad on ebay. Has anyone tried it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Updated-Engine-Sound-Pad-with-bound-edge_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6763QQihZ016QQitem Z260216933833QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

This thread interests me, because I've been running without the pad for the longest time. The sound doesn't really bother me at all. I've upgraded to louder more free flowing exhuast, the harder engine mounts, etc. I figure a little pad might not make a difference, besides in the spirit of my upgrades which have tried to make the care "more race-car like" than the factory's choices, would a race car have one?

After seeing this thread I'm contemplating once again whether I should put mine back in. Does anyone have the pros/cons of going with and without the pad? I guess with the pad is more "oem look" and just a tad quieter. Plus I don't see spending the $ and the time if is not going to make much of a "peformance" difference.

I guess I was just wondering if there any others who intentionally are running without the pad, and if so, what are your reasons? If not, then maybe I could also be convinced to put mine back in. haha. Thanks..

Judging by the difference when I pulled mine out, the enjoyable sounds the engine makes get drown out by the fan and other mechanical noises that the pad filters out. Sounds a little more VW and a little less Porsche.

[RWebb]

It is "updated" but not an updated sound pad.... I'd pass. If you want a shiny one - that will reflect heat back down onto the already too hot engine - Wayne has them. He also has the correct factory pad.

IF you spray paint the firewall, it can look pretty nice. Can also spray the Wurth underbody sealer there then paint.

[WI wide body]

Originally Posted by deshetlr

Thanks WI. What is the benefit of the two prong sensor?

Not sure. But all of the "smart" guys say that is one of the things that should be updated on the 3.2 version 911's.

Chris Powell on the PCA tech site is one of the people who have suggested it.

[84porsche9113.2]

Originally Posted by WI wide body

Not sure. But all of the "smart" guys say that is one of the things that should be updated on the 3.2 version 911's.

Chris Powell on the PCA tech site is one of the people who have suggested it.

the 2nd wire on the "updated" head temp sensor provides an indpendent ground wire, rather than using the engine/cylinder head as the grounding point.

see: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_cyl_head_temp_sensor/911_cyl_head_temp_sensor.htm

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I have one to install in my engine bay (I was going to wait until after I have the car painted, but screw it, that might be 1-2 years).

I noticed there are two threaded holes in the middle of the firewall. They appear to be original/stock. Anyone know what's supposed to tap into there? There are no corresponding holes in the sound pad, so I'm wondering if I need to make some.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? I can take some pics if not.

[gsmith660]

I don't think the inside of the engine bay looks bad.

[WI wide body]

Originally Posted by Buckterrier

I'm installing one for the simple reason of cleaning up the engine bay. The firewall looks hideous naked.

Actually I just painted the inside of the engine bay on an '84 Carrera instead of installing the sound/heat shield and it turned out pretty good.

In fact, the new sound shield that I purchased for the job is for sale!