Splash Pan Functional Purposes?

joltesvig

joltesvig

Senior Member
When I got my 31 Coupe last spring the spash pans which go on each side of the oil pan where not installed. I assume the former owner had them off to repaint them. One of the pans has all the paint off the back end and I am guessing that engine oil caused the paint to peel off. The owner had died and I got the coupe from his widow.

I have been joy-riding without the splash pans. My question is, do I really need the splash pans on all the time. She runs fine without them so what purpose do they serve? Is there a problem driving without them? Are they for bad weather driving? Will the engine run hotter when I repaint and put them back under there?
 
Splash pans will enhance cooling in general, however I've seen a lot model A's without them.
 
helps engine cooling by deflecting the air around the engine and trans
provides cooler air for the carb by funneling the hot air from the exhaust pipe and manifold toward the rear
provides a better ground to frame
helps prevent road kill from getting sucked into carburetor
looks better
the repo ones already come powdercoated
 
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I had always been of the opinion that they didn't really serve any functional purpose, since the 2 Model As that I had as a teenager, and the one I presently have, all came to me without them. After reading the discussions on this board, and talking to others in our local club, I have been converted. Ordered a set (already powder coated) from Snyder's last week.
 
joltesvig said:
When I got my 31 Coupe last spring the spash pans which go on each side of the oil pan where not installed. I assume the former owner had them off to repaint them. One of the pans has all the paint off the back end and I am guessing that engine oil caused the paint to peel off. The owner had died and I got the coupe from his widow.

I have been joy-riding without the splash pans. My question is, do I really need the splash pans on all the time. She runs fine without them so what purpose do they serve? Is there a problem driving without them? Are they for bad weather driving? Will the engine run hotter when I repaint and put them back under there?
Click to expand...

Back when, the roads were mud/dirt/gravel/red dog..whatever. It made sense to have these 'splash aprons', to keep 'stuff' out of carb, firstly, and keep engine compartment, in general cleaner/better off, my opinion.
I run one car pretty much stock and a 'high point' car (100 pts:cool:) with splash aprons. I run one car without spash aprons and it is preference.
NO heating problems/ difference in cleanliness running in either car.
So IMO, you do not NEED to run splash aprons, unless you want to and/or need to for a high pts car.
Now that being said, my car without the splash aprons is easier to work on/service; it doesn't have the noise that can be caused/transmitted via splash aprons; no rusty oily aprons to clean; less weight:) and last but not least ...I believe not needed as I do not travel dirt roads and IMO less engine compartment heat. Yeah, I know there will be some kool responses to this 'less heat' stmt. But, I say that when you want your original eqmt heater/carburetor to work properly...they needed and relied on heat. This heat was held in the engine compartment, more so than not, by the splash aprons
 
Thanks. You guys are awesome. Two more questions then:

1) Why is powder coating better than conventional means? Did Henry have powder coating back in the day? If you say it will keep the paint on better, I'll start looking around my locale to see if I can find a powder coating source.

2) One thing I did notice about not having my splash shield on the driver's side is that I can look down and see the road and a splash panel would block that view. BTW does this mean there is something wrong about my floorboards/mat?
 
The splash pans are there in case you drop a small part while working on the engine. They direct said part to the most inconvenient spot in the exact geographical center under the car, requiring you to climb under the car each time you drop a part in order to retrieve it. This is amazingly consistent regardless of the size, shape, or weight of the part as long as it is small enough to roll or slide off the back end of the pan. Without the pans, the part will drop straight down to the earth, with a reasonable chance of rolling and/or bouncing to a location where it can be easily reached. :rolleyes:
 
Look at it this way. We all know how Henry was, so if they weren't real important they wouldn't have been used. Then he could have lowered the price of the "A" by 50 cents. I think the reasons for keeping them have been covered above.
 
I got my "A" with new splash pans,and evidence that mud had been all over the engine at one time. I also got an extra Tillotson carb that was caked with mud. It looks like the second owner went to a lot of trouble to prevent further mud intrusion. The paint was peeling off the right side pan,because of gas dripping on it. I repainted with Apliance epoxy,to prevent that,powder coating would be better.
 
Since I am "Old School" I don't use them, but I do use an air cleaner since there are a LOT of dirt roads where I live.
 
In addition to the reasons listed above, I had another experience that proved that splash aprons have a purpose and use! 15 or more years ago we were on an extended tour and driving in the area of Idaho Falls, ID. The road we were on was asphalt and due to the summer heat and traffic, it was pretty severely rutted. We got into a heavy thunderstorm and the ruts retained water. One car, a '29 roadster, didn't have splash pans and the wheels splashed water up on the engine causing it to miss and run rough. They were able to contine on for 10-12 miles and once we got out of the rain, it stopped missing and ran well the rest of the trip! We had splash aprons and didn't miss a beat!!
 
Ford continued putting engine pans on Fords for a number of years after the Model A. Like others, I believe they assist engine cooling by deflecting air to the back of the engine; aso keeps the engine compartment much cleaner.

Ron
 
joltesvig said:
Thanks. You guys are awesome. Two more questions then:

1) Why is powder coating better than conventional means? Did Henry have powder coating back in the day? If you say it will keep the paint on better, I'll start looking around my locale to see if I can find a powder coating source.
Click to expand...


Powder coating is really just a different way to paint. In some cases the chemistry is similar. Powder coating does not release solvents in the air in any real quantity so they are better for the environment. From a home restoration stand point it means you can paint year round and not worry about exposure to bad chemicals.

Also keep in mind that the paints Ford used are either not available today or will be soon.

This was pointed out before, but should not be lost. The splash aprons are a major grounding path for the engine. It is wise to clean off a small area where the bolts go to ensure a good path.
 
I look at them as a sort of inner fender. They keep mud and gravel out of the engine compartment.

I like them most of all because they are handy channelers of draining gasoline and coolant. When either fluid is released, it runs to the rear of the pan, where an easily-placed bucket can catch the drips or flow.
 
Thanks everyone for your extensive experiences and knowledge! I think I'll go ahead and spray paint them after a good solvent cleaning. If I don't want the paint to peel off under the carburetor, is primer needed or some special paint? Or do you think the original paint wasn't cured enough before the gas got on there?

Also I saw in another thread about how to mount them to the engine pan and frame. Good ideas there...do you think that using rubber isolators at the frame would cut down on noise? On the other hand, if I really need the additonal grounding of the engine to the frame through the spash pans, then rubber isolators would defeat that purpose...may rubber not worth the extra trouble...especially when you all say they can be a nuisance putting on, taking off, putting back on,etc.
 
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