under engine cover important?

[benforgham]

Changed the oil on my recently acquired 440 for the first time. Having screwed the under engine cover back in place (its in two parts, the front little bit slots into the larger back bit that you screw in place). Anyway somewhere on the M1 today the front, small section of this protective cover has been lost. Is it important? Should I replace it immediately or will it survive ok without? It only seems to protect a very small section. Do all 440's have this cover?

[ChrisB]

It'll be ok without. My '93 turbo didn't have it on.

Does it cover the water pipe that loops under the subframe to the radiator? That could possibly get caught, but mine never did.

[George Holmer]

Bascially, Volvo put it there to save soap. (At the end of the day, at the garages... it's there to keep the engine clean. It is not really strong enough to resist anything hard enough to damage the engine or other parts.)

George

Anglo-Swede resident near Leuven in Belgium

'87 745 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler (D24TIC/M46, 200k)
'88 745 Turbo Intercooler (B230FT/M46, 270k)
'88 745 GL (B200E/M47, 200k)
'89 440 GL (B18K, 90k)