Topic

Been in and accessed the engine again today! its always a pain removing and refitting the sound proofing and top plastic/fabric sheet.

The more I do it the more of a jigsaw I end with as bits fall off.

Question should the top plastic/fabric layer be attached to the sound proofing? Its half attached so I cant work out if it is supposed to be separate and has stuck together over time, or its supposed to be stuck but has separated over time.

L.

I think it depends who put the car together.

I have had one where the carpet and sound proofing are separate items, one where they were glued together and one where the sound proofing was stuck to the actual metal engine covering.

I bought my car new in 1998. The top carpet and soundproofing were never glued to anything.

On the underside of the engine lid, the silver heat shield was/is glued.

Julian, Were the carpet and sound proofing glued together?

Nope. One just lies on the other.

Not glued on mine and I've never seen one that was. n ~5.

Replaced mine on both cars as they were crap and falling in bits. Used dense foam yoga mats cut to shape using a cardboard template.
Cheap, lighter and looks better.

I thanks for response. It is amazing how heavy the sound proofing is.

The engine lid gets very hot to the touch so I suspect that it is for heat insulation as well.

agreed but still nearly gave me a hernia lifting it off!

Yeah I think we can do better than the decomposing dead dog of an insulation mat, that MG decided to lump us with

The bituminous layer is a good vibration damper and the heavy padding does a good job of cutting noise down. I don't think Yoga mats alone will give as much attenuation. I would try a bituminous pad on the engine cover as well. The mad scientist in me wonders if a few bits of plastic flexible conduit and a computer fan glued to the engine cover would act as an airscarf or rear window heater.