147 Front undertray

Started by baldrick, May 15, 2018, 08:54:11 AM

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baldrick

Just did an oil change on my relatively new to me 147 TS and the OEM front undertray  - made of some sort of fibre impregnated plastic - has seen better days. Is this situation normal for these cars? What have you guys done with yours? Pull it off and forget it? I would rather have it there to protect as much as it can the underside of the front of the car. Is there a replacement?

Citroƫnbender

There's a Polish one of polypropylene, it's not cheap but freight is high. The genuine item is silly priced now - and still brittle - I've bought and broken two. 🤦‍♂️

Craig_m67

#2
I drove my 156 Sportwagon without it for over ten years... apart from a dusty sump and raised eyebrows from some people, i never had an issue.
Leave it off, that way you can change your oil and inspect your car for leaks more often. 

In my opinion it's not built (well enough) for protection, more likely just fuel economy
'66 Duetto (lacework of doom)
'73 1600 GT Junior (ensconced)
'03 156 1.9JTD Sportwagon (daily driver)

johnl

#3
When I bought it, my 147 undertray had a couple of places where it had worn through the fibreglass, and a crack or two. Being fibreglass it's fairly easy to repair, which I did do. Having repaired it, it came off and went back on a few times for access for various jobs, and then one day it just didn't go back on...

I always seem to eventually give up bothering to put undertrays back on my cars, and it has never caused a problem...

Regards,
John.

Cool Jesus

Wow, yours came with the under tray. Lucky you.
If you're handy, just reinforce any weak areas with further fiberglass and some sheet aluminium mesh. Or as most do, run without it installed. Its better to have it to create the low pressure area within the engine bay, so that air flows better through the radiator, but then again .....
Present:
* '76 Alfetta GTAm 2.0 (project)
* '03 147 2.0 TS
*'12 159 Ti 1750 TBi
===================
Past:
* '10 159 2.2 JTS
* '89 164 3.0
* '98 Spider 2.0 TS

baldrick

Thanks guys... JohnL's idea of pulling it off and reinforcing it with mesh seems clever. I suspect it has purpose protecting delicate bits from stone damage but if as Craig_m67 notes a decade without issues is significant. In the back of my mind is a desire for suspension work. Is it more of an issue if i decide to go this route?


johnl

Quote from: Cool Jesus on May 15, 2018, 05:07:34 PM
Wow, yours came with the under tray. Lucky you.

And, I don't even use it...

Quote from: Cool Jesus on May 15, 2018, 05:07:34 PM
Its better to have it to create the low pressure area within the engine bay, so that air flows better through the radiator, but then again .....

In theory, yes. However, even on red hot days I've never had any issues with keeping the engine cool sans undertray, on this or any other car with which I've removed the tray...

I've never had an intention as such to delete an undertray, I just get bored with putting it back on and then taking it off and putting it back on again, just for access to other things. If the tray made a significant difference to anything I could measure, or lack of one had ever caused any problem, then I'd use it.

Regards,
John.

Cool Jesus

Quote from: johnl on May 16, 2018, 03:21:10 PM
In theory, yes. However, ... blah, blah, blah....significant difference to anything ... blah ,then I'd use it.

Your on a different level to me mate, obviously. Love the way you made my prior post sound so lots smrt r and nowligable than mine...  ???

Quote from: Cool Jesus on May 15, 2018, 05:07:34 PM
Wow, yours came with the under tray. Lucky you.
If you're handy, just reinforce any weak areas with further fiberglass and some sheet aluminium mesh. Or as most do, run without it installed. Its better to have it to create the low pressure area within the engine bay, so that air flows better through the radiator, but then again .....

Yep, me too have never had one installed on the 147.

Quote from: baldrick on May 15, 2018, 11:03:12 PM
.... protecting delicate bits from stone damage ....

To answer your further inquiry, only if your looking at showing off the suspension at car show and shine events mate  ;D my Alfas actually don't get too dirty as is. So yeah that's its other main purpose, to guard engine bay from stray solid objects and perhaps water splashing up there onto electrical items, but again, as the great majority of Alfas I've come across, except for my last purchase, they've never been present. Though I digress to anyone else that may know otherwise  ::)

Of course, now that everyone is saying don't worry, the moment you do it you'll chip something with the mother of all road base, blue metal and loose gravel jumping up into your engine bay.  8)
Present:
* '76 Alfetta GTAm 2.0 (project)
* '03 147 2.0 TS
*'12 159 Ti 1750 TBi
===================
Past:
* '10 159 2.2 JTS
* '89 164 3.0
* '98 Spider 2.0 TS

johnl

Quote from: Cool Jesus on May 16, 2018, 08:11:41 PM
Quote from: johnl on May 16, 2018, 03:21:10 PM
In theory, yes. However, ... blah, blah, blah....significant difference to anything ... blah ,then I'd use it.

Your on a different level to me mate, obviously. Love the way you made my prior post sound so lots smrt r and nowligable than mine...  ???

Mr Jesus,
Have you some problem with me? I wasn't attacking what you said, as far as I understand it what you wrote was quite correct. My only point is that in practice the undertray doesn't appear to actually make any difference to engine temperature.

Regards,
John.

Cool Jesus

#9
All good.  8)
I'll show you the change in engine response with my 147, having installed an accelerator module,  if it's with me when I'm out wingham way visiting friends. I'm building our retirement getaway at Gloucester.
Present:
* '76 Alfetta GTAm 2.0 (project)
* '03 147 2.0 TS
*'12 159 Ti 1750 TBi
===================
Past:
* '10 159 2.2 JTS
* '89 164 3.0
* '98 Spider 2.0 TS

johnl

Quote from: Cool Jesus on May 16, 2018, 08:11:41 PM
To answer your further inquiry, only if your looking at showing off the suspension at car show and shine events mate  ;D my Alfas actually don't get too dirty as is.

I wish... Our cars are dirty nearly all the time, a price to pay for living on an unsealed road. Every time we drive anywhere we have about three km of dirt road before we reach bitumen, and the dust is relentless (unless it's mud....). In these circumstances, if you allow yourself to become too concerned with the pristineness of your car, you'll go insane...

After we wash our cars they do look reasonably presentable for a day or so, but that's it...

Quote from: Cool Jesus on May 16, 2018, 08:11:41 PMSo yeah that's its other main purpose, to guard engine bay from stray solid objects and perhaps water splashing up there onto electrical items,

Agreed, though I've never had an electrical problem caused by water splash (and there have been plenty of very large puddles encountered at speed). The only thing that ever (slightly) worries me about not having an undertray fitted is the increased chance of a substantial stick getting kicked up and caught in the auxilliary belt. It's never happened in many years of rural road driving, but now that I've typed it 'out loud', maybe I've tempted fate...

Regards,
John.

johnl

Quote from: Cool Jesus on May 17, 2018, 07:55:15 AM
All good.  8)
I'll show you the change in engine response with my 147, having installed an accelerator module,  if it's with me when I'm out wingham way visiting friends. I'm building our retirement getaway at Gloucester.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours. We're not far from Wingham, about 14km. Head out of Wingham toward Comboyne for about 7km, then about 7km on the Mooral Ck Rd. Beware, there is dirt involved...

Just let me know if / when, and we'll see what might be possible.

Regards,
John.

ugame

+1 for no under-tray ever on my 147 and my GTV.

I went shopping for one when I suspected water may be tripping something and causing my intermittent Cam Sensor issue but the prices were stupid.

The intermittent fault persists wet or dry. Sometimes 3 times a week. Sometimes not at all for 6 months + so I dont think a replacement tray is the solution lol.

No over heating issues in either car as a result of not having the tray, but again, I'd argue it's there more for airflow than defense.
Past: 180SX | 300ZX Twin Turbo | 350Z HR Roadster | 300C 5.7 V8 HEMI | 98 GTV 2.0 TS
Present: 2002 GTV 2.0 TS | 147 TS | 74 Super Beetle | Porsche Cayman S 987.1
Future: I've stopped looking. Wife says "No more Alfas" lol.