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Plastic valve covers on new 3.5 L?


Buuls eye

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It's basically a cap. A cover. What difference would it make if it were metal or plastic? It isn't structural.

Yeah they said the same thing about plastic gas tanks on dirt bikes. Well, at least we don't have rust issues any more... or dents.

Edited by DRbillZ
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Well not the news i was hoping to hear but WWWPerfA_ZN0W thanks for confirming it is indeed a plastic cover and nice engine pics.

 

DRbillZ, i maybe wrong but i think gas tank does not go through the same heat cycle as the engine valve cover. My concern is that after a while the plastic cover start to deteriorate and develop leaks later. If 5 or 6 more years down the road no one has any plastic valve cover crack on their 2011 edge, then cheers I worried too much. :)

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Ask the people with 2007 Edges that sat on dealer lots for 8 months waiting for a new gas tank whether plastic is better than metal......

From what I've read it wasn't the tank. It was the strapping that was the problem. Most vehicles have plastic gas tanks now.

Good point about heat and deterioration but lots of stuff under the hood is plastic already.

Edited by DRbillZ
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From what I've read it wasn't the tank. It was the strapping that was the problem. Most vehicles have plastic gas tanks now.

Good point about heat and deterioration but lots of stuff under the hood is plastic already.

 

If it was only the strapping the tanks would not have leaked, right?

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Well at 152,000 miles not one leak or crack on my plastic valve cover. I will let you know when i get to 200,000 in about 10 months and see if they are still holding up and not leaking or cracking. I am willing to bet they keep on trucking. Keep in mind you have a plastic intake on yours and it is how old? And exposed to a lot of heat.

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Plastic engines have been around since 1980 when they developed a 2.3 liter Pinto engine. It weighed 152 lbs (vs over 400 for cast iron). There was also an engine developed for racing and had several top 5 finishes, finished 3rd once. "Plastic parts included the engine block, cam cover, air intake trumpets, intake valve stems, piston skirts and wrist pins, connecting rods, oil scraper piston rings, tappets, valve spring retainers and timing gears."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_automotive_engine

 

Good article in Car and Driver on plastic engines of the future. http://blog.caranddriver.com/is-this-the-engine-of-the-future-in-depth-with-matti-holtzberg-and-his-composite-engine-block/

 

Article in Design News on plastic parts Ford replaced in the curent 3.5 and 3.7 V6's.

http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?doc_id=270929

Edited by enigma-2
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I will add that the last car fire/accident I was at the plastic was holding up pretty good even though it was on fire. I had first hand observation because I put the fire out with my CO2 fire extinguisher.

Edited by macbwt
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