IRANDY1948

I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER SEEN AN OIL FILTER SO EXPOSED AND POSITIONED WHERE ROAD DEBRIS COULD DAMAGE THE FILTER CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE.

IF I RAN OVER A CHUNCK OF RECAP IN THE ROAD, I'D RATHER LOSE A $60.00 PIECE OF
PLASTIC THAN A $6000.00 ENGINE.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

that link didnt work in texas .. http://www.jzz30.com/product.html

DoktorYes

If you like to keep your engine clean and keep road debri out of engine bay. Keep splash shield in place. I left my off for a job I did on the engine, what a difference. Also will help with air flow, better gas mileage.I keep mine on all the time now.1994 LS400. I think a 1995 LS400 shield will fit on the 1994LS400 with a bit of work.If it works saves big bucks.

forsythia

'94 ls400 and after the oil change yesterday, mechanic said he was not able to replace the engine undercover. the front will attach OK, but the back is too damaged. there's nothing for the screws/bolts to attach to. checked the threads here and seems my only option is a $300 OEM part. that's not going to happen. and i do not have the means to modify the $50-60 aftermarket parts that are being sold in ebay for the 95+. so...does anyone think that reinforcing that back area with strong 3m automotive tape might work? the bolts just need something to hang on to.

bradland

IDK how severe the damage but you could try adding fender washers to get a better hold...?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I wish I held onto the old one to experiment on, namely bonding this type of plastic with other substrates using epoxy. I've used fiber based phenolic and epoxied them to ABS type plastic that is a rigid tube and it has been holding well. On a flexible cover like this, IDK. Mechanical fasteners may work well using ABS sheet as a patch. ABS is inexpensive

This is a local shop I buy acrylic from that sells a variety of plastic type supplies:
http://gpbhh.byvdj.servertrust.com/p...x48.000hc1.htm

Fit1too

If you could find some sort of rigid black plastic, you might be able to fabricate a bridge or patch of sorts. I had a 99 Q45 with a similar dilemma and I scavenged around the garage and found something to use. I attached the patch with black push pins, reinforced it with black RTV and let it sit overnight to dry and bond. I used fender washers as a precaution to secure the undercover in place. These things are a bit more flimsy than I would have imagined.

oldskewel

iTrader: (1)

I modified a 95+ to fit my '91. Not too much work, but if that's too difficult, I'll make suggestions easier than that ...

First of all, an unattached rear is not as bad as an unattached front. If the front is loose, air will possibly push it down into contact with the road, where it will quickly wear through. A loose rear will be kept up in place by the air when driving, so it's not so critical.

I would try to clean the damaged area as well as you can, and then use a combination of duct tape and zip ties to strap it to whatever you can - e.g., the screw holes that it was supposed to use should be good options there. zip ties through the duct tape and engine undercover will help hold it in place. You'll need to drill small holes for that, or poke through with an awl. You just need to hold it up off the ground.

BTW, when modifying the '95+ to fit my'91, the toughest part was finding the right places to drill the holes, and that wasn't too bad. I also took a hole saw to my old engine undercover before throwing it out, making a few dozen washers, which I used on all the screw holes for the new cover, to augment the screws, distributing the load and making it less likely to pull through the new plastic.

Fit1too

If you think you could modify it, this one is reasonably priced, has free shipping, and the seller has decent feedback: https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Front-F...QAAOSwrFtaJvg5

oldskewel

iTrader: (1)

Wow, that price is amazing. $36.57
That's approaching the price of duct tape and zip ties.

If you're thinking about buying the 95+ and trimming it to fit on your 90-94, when I did it I took photos of one laying on top of the other to see the differences. Contained in this post, and the rest of the thread has other good pics and info for this task.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...l#post10221572

forsythia

so duct tape and zip ties will work? I have dilemma with a '94 ls400. no aftermarkets available and i refuse to buy a new OEM since not sure how much longer i will keep this car. watched a youtube video of a guy using zip ties. that was going to be my next step. the front is fine, it's the back area that is damaged. nothing for the bolts/screws to hang on to...

oldskewel

iTrader: (1)

Duct tape has been on virtually every manned spacecraft ever. The space qualified variety, of course. But yes, there is good stuff out there. I'd use gorilla tape in this application.

As with any adhesive, it is only as good as the stuff it is sticking too, so getting a clean surface is essential.

I'd still suggest the full replacement with the $36 eBay option, but yes, as also explained above regarding the wind issue, I have faith in a zip tie / duct tape solution if that's more what you're comfortable with.

forsythia

Thanks. What do I do with the duct tape? The youtube video i watched, the guy took a knife and jabbed it into the plastic and twisted it to create a space for the zip tie. He pulled that through, then threaded the tie /strip through the hole in the frame (where it usually bolts on). Then zipped it up and trimmed off the excess tie. No tape used. The location of the zip tie in the splash shield was a solid inch or two away from the damaged area.I wondered whether the tie would rub against the cut plastic and eventually give way. Tape could provide some padding where the tie meets plastic or metal edges.

Or were you suggesting using gorilla tape to cover over the damaged areas (to give the bolts something to hold on to) the bolting per the usual?

Still looking for one I can buy that will fit the '94. The tape, bolts, etc. + and ties will cost around $70, so spending a little more on a new one is looking (slightly) less offensive.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

I bought that 36$ undercover, as a spare.

aptoslexus

I bought one too for my 98. Just installed it. The important holes line up well. Not every screw hole does, but you can poke some holes where you need to. My old one wasn't terrible, but it had a small piece missing that made it droop, so I took a chance on the Ebay unit. Works fine.