Carpokes Porsche Forum

Welcome to my thread chronicling the development of my projects related to a clear engine cover for the 718 Cayman models. You may have seen my clear engine cover installed by @71eh hereviewtopic.php?p=32501#p32501. The clear engine cover was originally designed in 2017 shortly after I got my 981 Cayman S. No such clear engine cover existed yet (only ones for 987 models), so I did what I always do: start taking things apart and see if I can design something good. After removing the stock engine cover and carpet, I used my trusty old 3D scanner to make a digitized model of the engine bay (as supervised by my daughter in the photo below):


Here is what the 3D scan looked like:


From there, I designed the clear engine cover and mounting hardware. Throughout the design process, I hand-made mockups in materials such as foamcore in order to do test fitments. This helped catch mistakes before going to the expensive step of making real parts:


I eventually had real parts prototyped, as hand-making mockups didn't have the accuracy to completely ensure that all the parts fit as intended. While developing the clear cover, I also wanted to ensure that the small details were properly taken care of such as isolation from fumes, heat, and noise. This involved adding many features that no one sees but are important, such as dozens of gaskets, flocking tape to prevent rattles and chafing, and braces to account for differing rates of thermal expansion between materials. I tested my clear engine cover in the rain and sweltering heat waves stuck in L.A. traffic. I also tested it with a carbon monoxide meter and sound level meter. It took 6 months to troubleshoot a squeak that occurred only while the car was warm, which I eventually found out was my rear hatch trim, not related to my clear engine cover. In the photo below, you can see a sound level meter being used to measure the loudness across a range of RPMs. I tested the sound levels of the stock car and various configurations of the clear engine cover with different gaskets until I found the best sound tuning and consistency.


I ended up with a clear engine cover that most onlookers assume is how the car comes stock. Although I was mainly interested in making this for myself, I made (and still make) more of them for other Cayman owners around the world. Fortunately for the 718 crowd, the same clear engine cover fits without any changes.

(To be continued...)

Hey Henry. Thanks for making this post. It was such a blast working with you on this engine cover. It's just beautiful! The lighting too that you included is amazing. I appreciate all the hand holding you had to provide me when installing it haha!

I can't wait to see what you come up with next (718 Engine center piece, etc). Glad to have you on Carpokes!

I believe @ReidMcT also installed one of you engine covers, and did a kick ass job buffing out the charge cooler!

Here is what mine currently looks like, with a few cosmetic engine mods I did.

My 981 was eventually due for an oil change, and I asked the dealership for a 718 loaner while my car was being serviced. For the 2 hours that I had the 718 Cayman S loaner, I scrambled like a madman to do a test installation of my clear engine cover and take as many measurements as I could. Before anybody criticizes me, I'm sure there's much worse being done to loaner cars than taking a look at its engine bay.


The clear engine cover fit like a charm in the 718, which was a relief. Amusingly, I noticed that this brand new car (it had less than 100 miles on it) was missing a few small bushings and rubber bumpers inside the interior trim, which could cause rattles and squeaks. It appears that Porsche manufacturing isn't perfect.

The 718 turbo flat-4 engine isn't an instantly good looking engine, but at least I knew I had something I could work with in the future. In the meantime, lots of 981 owners were asking for more accessories to spruce up their engine bays: painted intake caps, something to cover the ugly shifter cables (what I call an engine centerpiece), etc. Then the 987 owners started asking for the same parts too. Fortunately for 987.2 owners, their engines are similar enough to the 981 that many of my parts could be adapted. (981 Cayman S with red intake caps and engine centerpiece below.)


Eventually the 718 4.0 flat-6 powered cars came out: the 718 GT4 and 718 GTS 4.0 Cayman models. Since these models have an engine that's more similar to the 981 flat-6, it became my next parts project. The biggest issue was that I didn't own a 718 4.0 car, so I'd have to do all of the development virtually. The first step was to get a 3D scan of the engine bay, which an owner (I think he was in TX) was very helpful with. The engine bay was professionally scanned, though the output was much less comprehensive than scans I do myself:


The scan literally looks like the scattered remains of dinosaur bones, but it was enough for me to design an engine centerpiece and painted intake caps for it. I had the first batch of parts manufactured, and it was a nerve-wracking experience to see if I spent thousands of dollars on parts that might not fit.

The 718 Cayman 4.0 with clear engine cover, painted intake caps, lighting kit, and engine centerpiece:


That was almost 3 years ago. Just recently, I updated the engine centerpiece design and added a "4.0" badge in carbon fiber:


Throughout this entire time, many 718 turbo flat-4 owners have been asking for parts for their cars too. I had been hesitant because designing parts for this engine is so much more challenging, plus I need a high quality 3D scan if I were to stand a chance of success. Fortunately with the help of some 718 turbo owners online, I've been able to get a good 3D scan as well as an airbox and charge cooler in my hands. Finally, I can start designing parts for the 718 turbo flat-4.

The 3D scan of the 718 turbo flat-4 engine bay was done with a relatively inexpensive modern 3D scanner, and it turned out to be better than anything I got before. It's amazing how much the technology has progressed in the 10 years since I got my first scanner. Here is what the scan looks like:


I'm currently in the process of designing an "engine centerpiece" for the flat-4, which ends up being separate covers for the airbox, shifter cables, and charge cooler that can be mixed and matched together. Considering that owners might not want everything covered, for example if they have a nice looking aftermarket charge cooler, I'm designing each cover to work well on its own. After going through a few design iterations, I fired up my 3D printer and made the first mockup:


Since it's a mockup, it doesn't look nearly as nice and polished as the real parts will be, but it's good enough to get an idea of the proportions and overall look. The side covers (the ones that cover the airbox and charge cooler) are a bit plain, but this is because they are designed to accept a Porsche crest mounted on them if they're installed alone. Still, I know that I should break up the plainness somehow. The latest design iteration adds some "wings" on the center cover that go over the side covers:


This is where I'm at with the design currently, but it'll likely continue to evolve. When I make design changes, I like to let it sit for 1-2 weeks before revisiting. This lets me see the project with fresh eyes and decide if the changes are in the right direction or not. I'll keep this thread updated as I continue with the design process.

Impressive work!! The design process and development details are fascinating - very cool.

Impressive indeed!
The creativity, engineering, and tenacity of the CARPOKES community, started by Tom (not to mention this website) with his 911 style gauge bezel and ALL the fittings and instructional directions on disassembly/re-assembly he's published, useful tools developed and then shared in an open thread, the custom pieces developed for Cayman interiors by Crazy Eddie, the steering wheel tutorial done by Jotronic on installing a 996 steering wheel into a 944/968 and now this OEM level development for the engine cover just amazes me.

cool beanz!

There is a lot of talent on Carpokes!

Wow! Just saw this and am impressed with your results! I really don't want to spend money but I've been needing a 3D scanner for a while now... This forum is expensive.

Maruscmn wrote: Mon Dec 09, 2024 5:01 pm Wow! Just saw this and am impressed with your results! I really don't want to spend money but I've been needing a 3D scanner for a while now... This forum is expensive.

Goes with P-car territory I guess!