Hi, Does anyone know the approx dimensions needed for the replacement foam insulation that goes on the underside of the Testarossa engine bay cover? My car hasn't arrived yet, but I know this needs replacing so would like to try & order some in advance. Cheers, Gary.
Hi Phil, If you remove the insulation don't you run the risk of cooking the paint on the top of the "hickey"? Isn't that what it's there for??
I swear I read somewhere that someone had that happen to them. If I remember right, they were racing and overheated the engine and it bubbled the paint.
I guess that may be possible but it is probably the least of the worries if the engine overheats $$$$$$$$ P
It was originally installed as sound insulation, not heat insulation, and was not consistently applied--some cars had the pad, some (documented originals) did not, over many S/Ns (there is no application data in the SPC). What is consistent is that over time they turn brown, crumble, and the adhesive fails, making a huge mess. I've run mine without for 2 years in Northern CA. (triple digit WX) with no paint issues. If you want OEM expect to pay upwards of $350.00, otherwise there are several threads in this forum that ID size and alternative materials.
Mine is the ugliest thing under my hood. It's crumbling, brown, and gross. It will have to go when I get the engine put back in. Sound insulation??? Seriously?? At that location?? I think that's the quietest place in the whole engine bay. Besides, who are they trying to quiet this for? The guy standing behind the car gawking at it or the driver? Do you really think it makes a difference inside the car? Everything around the hood "hickey" is open. How could this possibly serve as sound insulation?? Geez, I have a hard time figuring out why they did a lot of things the way they did.
Thanks for all the ideas & comments so far. Mine isn't crumbling but just has a couple of small bits taken out of the foam so doesn't look that nice. If I remove it I'm not sure if I will manage to get everything off or if there will be a residue, and even then I have no idea of the condition of the paint, etc underneath so thought having a replacement on hand would be the best. I've tried to search the forums (perhaps not using the correct keyboards), but I cant seem to find the approx dimensions of the engine cover so that I then know the minimum size for the foam. (Some messages mention the size they bought, but not how much is actually needed). If anyone gets a chance, I would really appreciate it if it is possible to get the approx dimensions for the engine cover so I can continue my search for the stuff in Australia. Cheers.
I have had good results using mid. 80's E class benz hood insulation, easy to find and work with. Note, fabric side faces engine.
As you state, over time the insulation turns brown. What color was the insulatiion prior to it going brown...black? And was the same product used for the firewall insulation? Can anyone provide any before and after photos.....thanks
Ferraristi, I had the crumbly brown sponge material in my 91 Testarossa. I changed it to a foil faced sound/ heat engine insulation material. It matches the appearance of the firewall material. It actually brightens up the engine bay. You can see it....umm...just behind Lauren. I bought it from JC Whitney Here you gooooo...... Bonded Logic Heat/Sound Insulation - JCWhitney Shamile Freeze....Miami Vice! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Very nice, girl and car....I want to avoid using the foil back insulation as it does not match the color to the original insulation.....I will try to source some from our hot rod restoration friends.
Can someone recommended either a method in removing the factory adhesive under the insulation and what type of adhesive to use to attach new insulation ? Thanks in advance.
A paint scraper to remove. Get some industrial strength upholstery adhesive, and go to town. Mine was drippin' like a hooker during fleet week. I just scraped of the old stuff, cleaned with some acetone, and glued on some space age silver bubble stuff form Home Depot. The permanent fix is going to be heat resistant fabric. Think the same fabric on an ironing board. Il make a template and sew a a nice little chicket. Some TR's didnt have the sound padding. So if it has it or not, its factory correct.
Most of it will pull right off. You likely won't get the adhesive backing off in one sheet though. If you are going to repaint and/or recover you can use lacquer thinner to quickly remove the adhesive, or one of the label remover liquids. My favorite product for this type of work is medium dry acrylic enamel reducer, which is like a less aggressive lacquer thinner--it will easily remove sticky stuff but will not remove the factory finish unless you seriously scrub. You will have to go to an automotive paint shop to get it, but a gallon, you will find many uses for it. It cuts right through the Dinol rustproofing wax too.
Thank you both for answering my questions so quickly. I took the cover off this morning and cleaned it off the best I can without using any chemical, it may not be fantastic looking, but it isn't too bad either. It is now back on the car without any insulation at this time, but I am looking at options. I came across Thermo-Tec ( Thermo-Tec : Products by category ) while I was buying engine hood support lifts on Amazon today, they have many products for sound and/or heat with self-adhesive backings and looks promising. Anyone has any experience with Thermo-Tec products ?
