Plastic Engine Cover Removal...Question

I have a V6 and it comes with the plastic engine cover. There are 2 screws in the front then the back just pops off. From my understanding it really just to pretty up the engine bay. There is a thin layer of what looks like sound deaden er attached to the under side. I wasn't sure if it also acted as some form of heat shield to protect the hood/paint from over heating.

Is there any long term risks in not putting the cover back on? Has anyone been running with out this for a few years with no issues?

Thank you for the help!!

 

Not on a tacoma but on my wife's cobalt, I have had the engine cover off it for about 3 years and no change of color on hood.

 

My old Mazda 3.0L did not have the foam on the underside of the plastic engine cover. I never had any issues with that engine cover and that engine always ran very hot.

Its probably safe to remove the foam from the 4.0L engine cover.

 

i don't think it'll mess up your paint, plus supercharged and a lot of aftermarket intakes need the cover off, right?

 

I just put on a K&N cone filter, and now the plastic cover looks crappy; there's a big gap in the passenger-side of the engine bay. It really serves no viable purpose, and the V-6 engine has a clean enough look that the big hunk of plastic just isn't necessary.

 

I've had mine off for several years and have had no issues with my hood. My assumption was that my engine could run slightly cooler but I'm not sure.

 

I'm in agreement with you. I assume the plastic helps the northern climes more. I live in a desert area and heat buildup is a concern. I think I'll look into some insulation to put under the hood, but when it's already 110° in the summer, I doubt that the engine heat does much more hood-heating than good old sol...