Heat shields between exhaust and bottom of chassis
Discussion
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?
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?
I had a heat shield come loose on a focus I used to own. It rattled like a b
d and was really irritating but I couldnt get the damn thing all the way off.
The car went in for a handbrake cable and he told me he had ripped it off whilst he was there.
AFAIK they are usually under cats and things like that so you dont set the grass on fire if you park on some long dry grass, so I would assume as yours is between the exhaust and the car there must be something heat sensitive in that area, where is your fuel tank?
d and was really irritating but I couldnt get the damn thing all the way off.The car went in for a handbrake cable and he told me he had ripped it off whilst he was there.
AFAIK they are usually under cats and things like that so you dont set the grass on fire if you park on some long dry grass, so I would assume as yours is between the exhaust and the car there must be something heat sensitive in that area, where is your fuel tank?
s m said:
rosscobmw said:
How would they stop you setting fire to grass is they're above the exhaust? I've always removed broken ones and never replaced them
He might be thinking of the cat shields rather than the heat shielding stuck to the underbody above the exhaust run?gog440 said:
AFAIK they are usually under cats and things like that so you dont set the grass on fire if you park on some long dry grass, so I would assume as yours is between the exhaust and the car there must be something heat sensitive in that area where is your fuel tank?
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.
)zebedee said:
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?
Whereabouts under the car does this particular silencer and shield sit? If it's under the cabin or the boot floor the shield is probably there primarily for reducing heatsoak into the cabin. 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?
You might want to check for wiring nearby though (e.g. including under the carpet).
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)
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 materialzebedee said:
Does anyone have any tales of woe from not running with heat shields?
Civic Type Rs have a heatshield above the driver side drive shaft, there isn't one on the passenger side. Speculation abounds as to why it is there, all that is known for sure is that they pretty much all come loose and rattle. Mine has never had it on, and most people I know don't have it on, never done any harm.I don't think there is an exhaust heatshield, but if there was that would probably rattle and fall off too.
Not just plastic tanks,a few years ago a BMW caught light outside London bridge train station,the heat from the exhaust caused the tank to ignite because the owner had by his own admittion removed the heat shield around the tank.
A friend of mine was doing a dpf re-gen on a Mazda which had the underfloor heat shield removed,the nearside front carpet was smouldering apparently.
Also many manufacturers situate the air bag module on the tunnel in the centre console,this is directly above the cat on many vehicles,
Not something I`d want being cooked while doing 70 mph.
Removing heat shields exposes hidden dangers,where ever they are situated.
A friend of mine was doing a dpf re-gen on a Mazda which had the underfloor heat shield removed,the nearside front carpet was smouldering apparently.
Also many manufacturers situate the air bag module on the tunnel in the centre console,this is directly above the cat on many vehicles,
Not something I`d want being cooked while doing 70 mph.
Removing heat shields exposes hidden dangers,where ever they are situated.
zebedee said:
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.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.
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 somehowDuring 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.
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