There is a rubber mat under my engine on my 2001 Cherokee sport, I'm assuming it's stock, is it necessary? It gets in the way when I'm working on the jeep, can I just rip it out? Thanks

 

splash guard?

 

I ripped mine out. Was always carrying about 30 pounds of mud on top of it and making a mess every time I had to work on anything.

I have not noticed anything except maybe more splash on my fan which means more splash on other stuff like the alternator.

 

No, it's not behind the tires, it's directly under the engine

 

Is splash on the alternator bad?

 

that is the very first thing i took off my xj! Gets in the way of everything your trying to do

 

Yeah, dirty/wet alternators don't last as long. Neither do idler pulleys and stuff like that.

 

I took mine out and it broke into ten pieces. It was soiled in trans fluid, oil, mud, coolant, and everything else that a Jeep can leak. Just pay attention to how you drive in mud or water and it should be fine.

 

This.
Mine was falling apart with the majority of the front part torn off. I had to take it off to get to all my oil pan bolts. Just take it off, and make a mental note to check for engine skid plates next time at the junkyard.

Sent from my MB611 using Cherokee Forum

 

It's not going to keep water or mud from getting into your alternator regardless. I think it's more for rock protection, but it's really pretty useless and more in the way. I took mine off 3 years ago and have never had an issue.

 

mine fell off years ago. I toyed with the idea of grabbing some sheet metal to replace it with but i work on my engine too much to make it worthwhile, more of a headache.

 

Ok cool, thanks for all the replies, I guess I'll just tear mine off considering it's all ripped up anyway

 

Mine is stuck to a tree stump somewhere in the Sequoia Nat Forest.
Clean it after wheeling and periodically spray some wd40 inside to prevent water damage. That splash sheild didn't do much shielding anyway.

 

You mean spray the alternator with WD40?

 

Yes, WaterDisplacer Forumla#40. That is the type of thing the stuff was created for.