Rain Tray or Not? Options

[VWTortuga336]

When I bought my car, it did not have a rain tray installed on the engine bay cover. I was going to buy one, but now I'm building a 2366 and want to do everything I can to keep it cool. Are there any cooling benefits to not having a rain tray? If I don't add one, how do I stop water from getting in the engine?

[r_towle]

A few tests were done years ago by a member, I recall there was not a enough difference to take it out and then deal with all the rainfall.

[era vulgaris]

A few tests were done years ago by a member, I recall there was not a enough difference to take it out and then deal with all the rainfall.

I actually tried this this past summer, just to see for myself. I've got a 4 channel digital CHT gauge in my car with sensors under each spark plug so that I can monitor all 4 head temps in real time. There was no difference in temps whatsoever between running with or without the rain tray.

I keep it on. I don't drive in the rain, but there's a surprising amount of stuff out there (leaves, bugs, etc) that'll fall into your engine bay without it. What annoys me are the little side vents on either side of the engine lid, neither of which have a rain tray. So water gets all over the battery on one side. It baffles me why Porsche would place the battery in a spot where it would come into direct contact with water. It's literally right behind the rain gutter on the roof, so at speed you'd be just pouring water right into that open vent and onto the battery. It seems like a poor design to me...really the only thing about the 914 that I don't like. No other air-cooled Porsche or VW has the battery in a spot where water would get dumped right on it. It makes washing the car kind of annoying. Does anyone know why they put it there?