Remove underbody felt liner shields in winter?

[Jer]

I wonder if it would be better with the felt liner shields off in the winter ? Looks like a lot of salt and slush could get traped above. Maybe take off and just spray rustproofing ?

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[Jer]

I removed felt liner shields today, Rustproofed and reinstalled felt liner shields. I decided when I drive in first heavy snow and slush, I will pull down the side of the shields and see how things look. Will post what I find. I did think about warranty , decided to rusproof and replace liner shields.

 

[vabchusa]

Underbody shield is to maintain proper temperature in the engine bay

 

[jsus]

No.

 

[Sleeper 7]

Throw the carpet in the dumpster and undercoat

 

[Sembazuru]

I'm not a car guy, but something that the Cuban Redneck said makes sense about why the cover is there. Aluminum doesn't like rapid temperature swings, and having the cover there keeps road spray off of the engine when it's hot. If the aluminum engine block is cooled too quickly (or unevenly cooled by chilling the bottom while the top stays hot), aluminum is prone to cracking. So, keep that cover on, ESPECIALLY in the winter when the road spray could be near freezing slush.

As far as sealing it. Cuban Redneck did his, but I'm not sure if that is the right thing. If it is sealed (especially for those of us in the northern climates) it won't soak up road-salt spray and become logged up with salt. But if it isn't sealed, any moisture that gets to the top side (water, oils, etc) won't seep through and drain out. It is porous for a reason. I just don't know if the reason is to let fluids on the top soak through and out, or the porosity is just a side effect of the materiel used.

 

[Shay]

The underbody shields are primarily for aerodynamics. They are made of recycled plastic sourced from old batteries and plastic bottles and the like, not felt. Removing them for the purposes of winter seems pretty foolish, as their existence helps prevent salt spray and road grime from getting to your metal in the first place. If they were removed and you got your truck to Ford for warranty coverage on rust through and perforation, they would probably not honor the warranty as a result.

 

[commadorebob]

Northern problems. Snow = morning off for me.

I can't speak to the salt spray, I just know it helps keep red clay out of the engine bay. Doesn't damage anything; just stains it.

 

[A_Turkey_Sammich]

The underbody shields are primarily for aerodynamics. They are made of recycled plastic sourced from old batteries and plastic bottles and the like, not felt. Removing them for the purposes of winter seems pretty foolish, as their existence helps prevent salt spray and road grime from getting to your metal in the first place. If they were removed and you got your truck to Ford for warranty coverage on rust through and perforation, they would probably not honor the warranty as a result.

That last part is key. aerodynamics, protection, noise mitigation, whatever…as much as car manufacturers try to cut cost, you can bet there is a real tangible reason they are there, otherwise those parts wouldn’t be there. When it comes to warranty for paint or corrosion type stuff, it’s pretty common for dealers to try passing the blame…not just ford, about any of them. Very easy to say your fault you removed the covers that are supposed to be there, even if in actuality those covers being there or not had no affect on the problem.

 

[Jer]

I'm not a car guy, but something that the Cuban Redneck said makes sense about why the cover is there. Aluminum doesn't like rapid temperature swings, and having the cover there keeps road spray off of the engine when it's hot. If the aluminum engine block is cooled too quickly (or unevenly cooled by chilling the bottom while the top stays hot), aluminum is prone to cracking. So, keep that cover on, ESPECIALLY in the winter when the road spray could be near freezing slush.

As far as sealing it. Cuban Redneck did his, but I'm not sure if that is the right thing. If it is sealed (especially for those of us in the northern climates) it won't soak up road-salt spray and become logged up with salt. But if it isn't sealed, any moisture that gets to the top side (water, oils, etc) won't seep through and drain out. It is porous for a reason. I just don't know if the reason is to let fluids on the top soak through and out, or the porosity is just a side effect of the materiel used.

 

[Jer]

Was not talking about the liner shield under the engine. The ones under the bottom of the body are the ones I was mentioning. I have since, removed them rust proofed and reinstalled.
I thought about the warranty, so I did reinstall the shields for that reason.

 

[Jer]

The underbody shields are primarily for aerodynamics. They are made of recycled plastic sourced from old batteries and plastic bottles and the like, not felt. Removing them for the purposes of winter seems pretty foolish, as their existence helps prevent salt spray and road grime from getting to your metal in the first place. If they were removed and you got your truck to Ford for warranty coverage on rust through and perforation, they would probably not honor the warranty as a result.

 

[Jer]

You are right about the Warranty. I decided to rust proof and reinstall liner shields.

 

[Jer]

Underbody shield is to maintain proper temperature in the engine bay

 

[Jer]

I was not talking about the one under the engine.

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