Heat shields between exhaust and bottom of chassis

[zebedee]

Are these strictly necessary?

A chunk of mine came off a few years ago and now the back section has detached too and is lying on top of the exhaust silencer box (but can't be pulled off, so it won't fall off). I am going to get underneath at the weekend and cut it out or something (unless I can work out how to fix it back up again, but I suspect the rivets will have torn like before).

Or should I get the garage to put it all back on?

Does anyone have any tales of woe from not running with heat shields?

[zebedee]

yes the grass argument doesn't follow. I guess it could be in the vicinity of the fuel tank (wrong side though) but I'd be amazed if the heat from the exhaust would cause the fuel tank to melt!

Edited by zebedee on Thursday 25th April 15:36

[zebedee]

currybum said:

Probably a good idea that you assume that the manufacturer added it the design for fun, and there is no way having a hot exhaust component a few cm's away from a big plastic box full of highly flammable hydrocarbons can be in the least bit risky.

Well if that is the one way they stop it exploding, fitting a flimsy piece of dimpled aluminium, I would be even more surprised.

It is the big box the tail pipe comes out of, right behind the rear wheel. I am going to have a poke around underneath tonight and see what if anything it seemed to be protecting but I think there is quite a lot of space/room back there and think the exhaust actually hangs well beneath the body at that point, as opposed to further forward (where the earlier shields came off with no consequence)

[zebedee]

6cylGolf said:

Why are a number of you unable to read and consume? He knows where the cat shields are. Explains the purpose, and so deduces the importance of ones between the body and exhaust.

fair point, I see what he was saying now, I read the later post first and then skimmed back through this one. But the whole run of the exhaust was originally laid out with this heat shield material

[zebedee]

thanks, I'll get it looked at then

[zebedee]

Captain Muppet said:

I've done some work on exhaust heat shield design, you'd be surprised how much of a difference you get in radiated heat from a flimsy bit of shiny metal being in the way. It's the equivalent of several extra inches of fresh air.

During development critical components are marked with temperature sensitive strips. The results from testing dictates where extra heat shilds need to go. However, some of these are to protect delicate componenets (fuel system, bushes, electrical, etc) and some are to stop your ice cream melting in your boot on the way back from the shops.

Whether a heatshield can be safely binned is a question of engineering judgement, but something somewhere will be getting much warmer.

thanks again, I guess there could be fuel lines and brake lines in the area, will get it up on ramps at the weekend and see if I can reattach it somehow