Engine Cover Reinforcement???

[RM1SepEx]

I've found that my engine cover sits quite a bit wider than the "slots" that they need to sit in on the side panels. I've made up a board with blocks to hold the engine cover to 57 1/2 wide. I bungee corded the ears of the engine cover in place and turned it upside down. I'm adding reinforcement with some very heavy fiberglass cloth and polyester resin.

Small cracks have appeared where the two cut outs are for the roll bar supports. (BTW why do they not attach to the roll bar itself? I could see racing organizations fail the design.)

Anyone else worked on stiffening this area? I added a couple layers today and think I'll add one more tomorrow. It's a PITA since its pretty cold here, I used propane to get the garage up to 50 today and I have a small ceramic heater to keep it there tonight (I hope) for the cure to finish.

[metalmaker12]

I barely reiforced it and built a scoope to do so. I am unsure of what you mean it does not fit. You need to brace the middle higher so it bends in, reinforcing it to much will give it too much rigidity and not allow for the flex you need to get lines close. Remember I put a brace in above the rear tower brace. Pm me so we can talk more about were your at and see if I can help.

37499
37500

[RM1SepEx]

Chris if you place my cover on the body you have to twist it and force it to be narrower to .fit into the sides of the body. It is now 18 months old and sat flat.

[metalmaker12]

Bring it inside and let the heat at it supported in the middle only

[wleehendrick]

I had a couple panels warp from sitting flat. Since I've been coating the inside with 3M rubberized underspray, I find letting it sit upside down (black coated side up) outside gets the panel quite warm and the fiberglass flexible. I then brace it and let it cool to the correct shape. Note: this works in sunny California now; you might have to wait a few months!

[RM1SepEx]

No more waiting!

I can't bring fiberglass pieces inside... wife doesn't like the smell of fiberglass

I want a stiffer hood too

[CHOTIS BILL]

Whenever I wanted to make a section stiffer I would make a T-Pee structure by taking some thin cardboard strip 2” or so wide and making a 90 degree bend along the long axis or by taking some ½” PVC pipe and splitting it in half the long axis. I would then place the
T-Pee on the underside and glass over it using 3 strips of 7 or 8 oz cloth. This made a very stiff and light stiffener.

Bill Lomenick

[RM1SepEx]

great idea Bill...

[tmoretta]

The front of my engine cover now measures 59 1/2 inches wide. I really have to push on it to get it to sit squarely down into the side sails. Can the side sails be pulled out from the frame (widened some), or do they have to sit flush/tight against the frame? Should I instead re-curve the cover and add fiberglass, or should I just depend on warm summer sun to re-shape the cover?

[RM1SepEx]

the warm summer sun will help, I think storage distorts the shape, it has to curve to sit flush, support it in the middle rear as shown above by Chris in post # 2

[tmoretta]

Yes, I have fitted a support at the rear of the engine cover, but that does nothing to curve the front of the cover.

[RM1SepEx]

supporting the rear curves the entire cover, making those "ears" twist into their correct position. When it flattens the ears twist and spread