B2601 side panels

[Irrigation Guy]

Hi I was wondering if anyone knows if the plastic side panels on either side of the engine are necessary, for air flow maybe? I have them removed to hopefully deter rodents from continuing to take up residence in the engine compartment. I have read that they don’t like open areas so I figured it might help. Honestly I like how it looks without them anyway.

 

[Steve67]

That’s a great question, which I cannot answer. Only thing comes to my mind is the plastic panels might provide some protection to the engine compartment if operating in a brushy environment