Engine Cover Mod

Wingnut · May 19, 2003

I was cleaning out the garage today and got sidetracked on a little project. I was tired of pulling out the tools everytime I wanted to take off my engine cover so I decided to fab up some wingnuts for it. Here is how it ended up:

I used the original nuts, a large washer folded in half, and a short piece of copper tubing all soldered together. Once painted with black paint, they don't look so noticable.

It took me about an hour to make, but distracted me enough to give me a break from cleaning

.

eluwak · May 19, 2003

You live up to your name fine sir... truely amazing!

Someone should make these and sell them for a couple of bucks

Wingnut · May 19, 2003

I got the idea from those fancy chrome valve covers I used to have on my Monte Carlo 350. They had long (4") nuts that you could hand tighten. But with this being a metric car, I figued there were no retail products that I could use, so I made my own.

Not enough people take of their covers on a regular basis to make it worthwhile to manufacture, but with this idea, maybe folks can make their own. Obviously the more time you spend the better the look. I don't have a welder, so I went with copper & solder, but a steel one could be made much nicer looking. Then theres the chrome dipping that some people could do to dress it up. I prefer economy & functionality over flashiness though. Total price was about .15 worth of washers, tubing & solder I had lying around anyway.

stayalert · May 22, 2003

GASP.....you'll void your warrentee....Just kidding...pretty slick. Nice work! Your mod is on my list....thou the way my list works it'll never git done...Now that its Spring I may remove the cover so I can enjoy the sound more....Rob M Concord MA

Rob Mayercik · May 22, 2003

Very nice. I'll have to remember this one, and do it when my warranty ends.

Rob

MrMetal · May 22, 2003

Very nice. I'll have to remember this one, and do it when my warranty ends.

Rob

I hope you're kidding here and don't actually think that a couple of fabricated engine cover nuts would void any sort of warranty...

Btw Wingnut, very nicely done!

madrean · May 14, 2004

Actually you just might.. or in the least, if the post mounted on the block that the nut screws down onto comes out of the block when you are trying to take off the nut so you can take the cover off, VW will tell you "we're sorry, we cannot fix this as you have stripped it."

Give me a break. They even told me this is their reaction when a customer does his own service instead of bringing it in to be ripped off.

Is it my fault the hole damn thing comes out when I want to take the nut off????

WoodysTDI · Nov 24, 2004

Dipping them in that colored rubber would look nice also like you apply to tool handles.

Octavian · Nov 25, 2004

Dipping them in that colored rubber would look nice also like you apply to tool handles.

I would also recommend an Electronic Management Unit to and piezo actuators to automatically control and adjust torque on the wingnuts

But more seriously, they sure could come handy.
I have fished the original nuts from the engine bay more than once with a magnetic rod. Not to mention stripped intake bolt seat (I have a new hole drilled next to old one, was lucky this did not mess up the intake). Since that occured I only hand-tighten the cover nuts with 10mm socket on a 250mm extension (no ratched used whatsoever).

volvopunk · Nov 15, 2005

Wingnut, this has to be asked: How did you get dissimilar metals to solder so well? If you wouldn't mind, could you tell us what you used as flux or metal prep?

jasonlee · Apr 5, 2006

Nice design Wingnut.Very good idea .

Too bad I cant use these nuts as I dont care for this trend of the last few years to cover up all mechanicals parts.
In my Golf I just discarded the engine cover so when I open the hood I can see that engine and I dont waste time removing the darn cover.. There is no real increase in engine noise .

Why the %^&*$#$@#@ are car mfg. trying to sanityze engine bays ?

Is it to please women or something like that ?

Instead of sanitizing engine bays they should spend more time designing for easier accessibility.
That`s another story in itself.

LNXGUY · Apr 6, 2006

If only VW would design a proper cupholder, my world would be a better place

compu_85 · Apr 6, 2006

I don't get why people don't like the cupholders in the ealry A4s. Mine work perfectly for cans, which is what I prefer to drink from anyway...

-Jason

LNXGUY · Apr 6, 2006

Man, I hated the cut out circle design of the old cupholders.. Nothing more then a large coffee or medium pop would fit in there. I upgraded to the claw style and will never go back..

I would REALLY like to somehow light up the little cup symbol the same red as the dash...

wny_pat · Apr 9, 2006

eluwak said:
Someone should make these and sell them for a couple of bucks

Somebody did make them and sell them for "a couple of bucks". Think they were brushed aluminum. Almost think it was Old Navy. They looked nice but were somewhat pricey.

whitedog · Apr 9, 2006

LNXGUY said:
If only VW would design a proper cupholder, my world would be a better place

You are easily pleased.

Mike_M · Apr 9, 2006

LNXGUY said:
If only VW would design a proper cupholder, my world would be a better place

Weren't we just talking about this in chat the other night?

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=115330

joevat · Apr 23, 2006

PD engine cover

thats what i love about my PD engine cover. it just clips in and clips out. i owned a non-pd and a pd tdi so i know how annoying the ALH covers were compared to my BEW cover. PD's are so much more easier and practical.

LurkerMike · Aug 11, 2006

volvopunk said:
Wingnut, this has to be asked: How did you get dissimilar metals to solder so well? If you wouldn't mind, could you tell us what you used as flux or metal prep?

Probably plumbing soldering method, NOT electronics soldering techniques... acid core or acid flux and no-lead solder heated with a propane torch instead of an iron or gun with rosin flux.

Me? I do both methods but prefer the air conditioning silver solder method that requires an oxy-acetylene torch to get hot enough to melt the much harder silver solder. Or I might braze them with good old 40,000 psi tensile brazing rods (most mild steel MIG and arc is only 60,000 tensile).

Strength-wise, brazing makes solder look like Elmer's glue...

LurkerMike · Aug 12, 2006

Oh yea, if you braze them, toss the soft copper tube and use steel brake line tubing sold at any auto parts store...

whitedog · Aug 12, 2006

What is the bolt size/pitch for those knutz? Is it just a standard 6 MM coarse knut?

dusty67 · Sep 9, 2006

Nice idea Wingnut, I'm going to get right on that. Got to ask...what does &amp mean?

whitedog · Sep 9, 2006

dusty67 said:
Nice idea Wingnut, I'm going to get right on that. Got to ask...what does &amp mean?

There was a software change and all of the & got changed to &amp.

ejectionseat221 · Jul 20, 2011

brilliant!

Lightflyer1 · Jul 20, 2011

5 years ago it was. Now it is just "old" news!

Redneck Truck · Jul 20, 2011

It's nice when an old thread is exhumed now and again. I find it troubling, though, that Wingnut would create another persona solely for the purpose of congratulating himself, though. Come on man, you're better than that!

zootman · Mar 2, 2022

Hey there, I have a question on the size and thread of the bolt that holds the cover on. My wingnut has come off and the rattle under the hood is driving me crazy. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Tina 2005 VW Jetta Wagon TDI Silver

wonneber · Mar 14, 2022

I would just use US thread maybe 1/4 inch threaded rod. Easier to get.
Drill the proper size hole, tap it, a bit of blue thread lock (not on the wingnut end), and maybe a fender size washer.
Cut the excess rod off, file it a bit and back on the road.
Just my thought.

Engine Cover Mod

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