Starter motor heat shield

[Classic Chim]

Here’s a snippet of information I found interesting.
My gearbox used to transmit a lot of heat up through the gear knob.
This was markedly reduced by replacing the gearbox oil much more regularly.

Then I took the body off to restore chassis etc.
I noticed the original piece of cut so size heat and sound proofing around the gear-lever area was in tatters and hanging on. It’s upside down directly above the gearbox glued to transmission tunnel.
Carefully removed it and remade a new one
Hardly any heat is coming through gear-lever even after prolonged running while stationary although it’s also got band new oil in it again
Odd but true. It tells me heat deflection material does it’s job if in place properly.
I bet 90% of cars that protection has all but disintegrated and replacing that when you have an oil change might be a good move and I’d have a good old TVR sportsman’s bet with you your knob will stay cooler for longer It’s all percentages that add up.


And we all know a cooler knob means we can go harder for longer

Edited by Classic Chim on Wednesday 25th October 12:29

[TJC46]

I remember making a metal heat shield out of stainless steel for the starter motor. It sat around it approx. 30mm off the starter body.

I lined the inside of it with a high temp cloth and aluminum perforated metal. It made removing the starter a bit more trickier but totally shielded the starter motor from heat.

Never had any issues with the starter in 14 years.

Just wrapping something in heat shielding cloth will give some protection from a nearby radiated heat source, but it is better if there is also an air gap between your shielding and the item you are trying to protect.

[Classic Chim]

That may well be the case but without 3 cars going head to head in at least 4 tests using a heat gun we will never really know.

1 car starter unprotected
2 car starter wrapped
3 bespoke manufactured shield offering air gap.

All tests to last at least 30 mins

1 test at idle
2 test at 30 mph so some air movement
3 test at a constant 80 mph
4 test 5/10 mins after shutdown

[Polly Grigora]

Now you're motoring

Agreed there are far too many calculations that need to be made to give a half decent result

This is why

Polly Grigora said:

It would be great if someone probed their engine

was posted earlier although probing the starter motor would be far more beneficial

Classic Chim

I do get where you're coming from about lack of space around the engine, engine bay crammed full, heat build-up rather than air cooling

If sometime in the future you were able to measure your starter motor temperatures under different conditions and post the results here.....Such a big unknown that nobody seems to have tackled

Cheers

[Classic Chim]

It’s probably never been tackled because although starter motor issues have hit owner it’s rarely been the starter at fault.
Overall as Tvr do around 3000 miles a year in a mild climate such as the U.K. the starter has never been high on the list of faults to consider.
I had no idea just adding a bit of heat protection would cause such debate lol.
I did it as I had the starter off to remove the manifold so as I also had a handy piece of heat shield thought it couldn’t do any harm and might actually work.
For all I said supporting my arguments I don’t actually think it’s necessary for most owners cruising the Cotswolds on a Sunday morning.
I’ve driven my car for 1000 miles with nothing more than service and food breaks in less than 24 hrs so concluded that I tended to use the car for prolonged periods more than most so added the shielding material to make myself feel better about it

[Polly Grigora]

Classic Chim said:

I had no idea just adding a bit of heat protection would cause such debate lol.

Am of the same opinion. How did this debate start?

Anyway - Debate is great

Cheers

[fieryfred]

Classic Chim said:

So if we left out the heat shield or tin foil as you put it from the bulkhead and inner wings would we be good to go!
It clearly provides protection from the worst of the heat and that is often enough to protect vital components.
My point all along is there is a constant flow of hot air going the starters way when moving which inevitably causes more residual heat around the starter. Wrapping keeps the starter cooler for longer and in that way it rarely gets extremely warm.
All in my humble opinion of course.

You open the bonnet and go for a loo break. I suppose people think it’s broke so don’t try to thieve it away.
Every time I’ve ever tracked a car I open the bonnet directly afterwards.

I have no idea why you said.
"So if we left out the heat shield or tin foil as you put it from the bulkhead and inner wings would we be good to go!"
You have gone off at a tangent. I never mentioned heat shield, bulkhead, inner wings.
The starter motor is bolted to the engine. You are trying to protect it from radiant heat for above. If it makes you happy fine.
I dont think it will make much difference.
As for a loo break we both dont together. By the time she has pratted around combing her hair ( i dont have any ) i am back.

[Classic Chim]

fieryfred said:

The engine bay is like an oven. Cladding something in tin foil is not going to protect it from the heat.
When its hot all i do is open the bonnet when we stop. By the time we have both been for a leak its a lot cooler.
No problems so far. Its a magnet, people come to look at the heat haze & ask has it broken down.
All agree its hot.

You mentioned my heat wrap as nothing more than a bit of tin foil not me?
I responded by asking if this tin foil was removed from the engine bay we’d be good to go because you seem to be questioning if it deflects heat which it does or it wouldn’t be used.
We can agree to disagree and you can keep opening the bonnet whenever you pull over.
For others information I’d like to point out 90% of TVR are known to run cool at speed so engine heat will be minimal while exhaust heat will be maximum. If heat wrapping deflects the exhaust heat my starter will be cooler when we pull up. Yours will be hotter quicker because yours is already cooked from exhaust heat whilst moving.
My simple view is if that’s correct then my starter might not have reached a critical point quite so quickly when 5 mins later we both take off again.
Apart from that I just think it looks good
At this stage it might be better if a few experiments were undertaken to test starter body heat in the various scenarios rather than argue the toss about something that costs pennies to effect and might just add that vital protection when moving.

Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 28th October 06:47

[Polly Grigora]

Classic Chim said:

At this stage it might be better if a few experiments were undertaken to test starter body heat in the various scenarios

More than better, it would educate all

[Sardonicus]

Classic Chim said:

fieryfred said:

The engine bay is like an oven. Cladding something in tin foil is not going to protect it from the heat.
When its hot all i do is open the bonnet when we stop. By the time we have both been for a leak its a lot cooler.
No problems so far. Its a magnet, people come to look at the heat haze & ask has it broken down.
All agree its hot.

You mentioned my heat wrap as nothing more than a bit of tin foil not me?
I responded by asking if this tin foil was removed from the engine bay we’d be good to go because you seem to be questioning if it deflects heat which it does or it wouldn’t be used.
We can agree to disagree and you can keep opening the bonnet whenever you pull over.
For others information I’d like to point out 90% of TVR are known to run cool at speed so engine heat will be minimal while exhaust heat will be maximum. If heat wrapping deflects the exhaust heat my starter will be cooler when we pull up. Yours will be hotter quicker because yours is already cooked from exhaust heat whilst moving.
My simple view is if that’s correct then my starter might not have reached a critical point quite so quickly when 5 mins later we both take off again.
Apart from that I just think it looks good
At this stage it might be better if a few experiments were undertaken to test starter body heat in the various scenarios rather than argue the toss about something that costs pennies to effect and might just add that vital protection when moving.

Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 28th October 06:47

Agreed Alun, as worked for me never had the so called hot start issue in over 15 years so .......

[Loubaruch]

My griffith still with its original starter no heat shield and never failed to start the car in 27 years.