Heat Shield Material

[Richard Dziak]

I am looking for a high grade "heat shield" material to place on the firewall of my Phoenix F1000. I recently added some new heat shield material, but notice after my last race weekend over labor day, the material was actually burning up. Not on fire, but singed, and burned. It was a self stick product and the heat from the header destroyed the sticky material and where the heat shield material lifted. it singed and burned.

So, I need some advice on products available. The heat shield material originally on the on the car has deteriorated. I want that extra degree of safety in reducing heat against the firewall between the firewall and the engine header.

I am not worried about price, but need the highest rated material. Size about 16" x 22"

I have searched the internet and find many of the same products.

Does anyone have an idea on what the heat temps are coming off the header to the firewall during racing conditons? Both radiant heat and direct heat?

What are other F1000 car builders using for firewall heat shield protection?

Your input and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Direct links to product is greatly appreciated or vendors that may specialize in the heat shield material.

What is your opinion on header wrap. If the header is wrapped with a header tape will it damage the header as the header will actually retain the high heat temps. Advise your thoughts on this.

Many thanks.

[lancer360]

I bought some stuff from BSR Products. They are local to me, but they do mail order also. I don't remember the exact name, but it come on a 3 ft wide roll and you order it by the linear foot. It was the only silver foam backed self adhesive on a roll. It wasn't cheap, but it has several layers of a metallic film on top of a soft foam maybe 1/8" thick with a self adhesive backing. I put it on my firewall in my F600 only a couple of inches from my header and some other pieces less than 1" away from the exhaust pipe just past my collector and it works just fine. I took a scrap piece of it and held a lighter on the edge and it won't burn. The foam shrivels up a bit and turns white and chalky but it didn't turn into a molten flaming piece of plastic.

Hmmm, just went to look up BSR's web page and it looks like they went out of business and their inventory was bought up by CV products. http://www.cvproducts.com/

[starkejt]

This stuff is pretty impressive, but the $$$ adds up @ $1.11 per sq in.

http://www.koolmat.com/heatmast.shtml

It is basically 2 thin sheets of inconel with some insulation sandwiched between. Also, on the Citation, I put a thin stainless heat shield with gold foil between the headers and the fuel cell, which also has an aluminum shield. So it goes gold foil, stainless 0.030 sheet, air gap, aluminum, fuel cell. This worked well enough to keep any evidence of heat from the fuel cell during an engine fire. Also, if you get your headers coated with Jet Hot inside and out, there will be a lot less heat in there.

[DonArm]

Couple of links,

http://www.heatshieldproducts.com/in...eat_shield.php

http://www.gizmag.com/zircoflex-flex...-shield/12249/

http://merlinmotorsport.co.uk/produc...S&currency=USD

[Wren]

This stuff is pretty impressive, but the $$$ adds up @ $1.11 per sq in.

http://www.koolmat.com/heatmast.shtml

It is basically 2 thin sheets of inconel with some insulation sandwiched between. Also, on the Citation, I put a thin stainless heat shield with gold foil between the headers and the fuel cell, which also has an aluminum shield. So it goes gold foil, stainless 0.030 sheet, air gap, aluminum, fuel cell. This worked well enough to keep any evidence of heat from the fuel cell during an engine fire. Also, if you get your headers coated with Jet Hot inside and out, there will be a lot less heat in there.

This is the stuff to use. Brandon puts this between his header and his fuel cell and between the header and the engine. When the car comes off the track, you can put your hand on the fuel cell side of the insulation. It works that well.

Everyone should put this between their engine and their header. It will prevent oil from spilling on the header and starting a fire.

[Tom Sprecher]

What ever you use try to have an air gap between the shield and what is shielded.

[starkejt]

Everyone should put this between their engine and their header. It will prevent oil from spilling on the header and starting a fire.

This is information that could have been brought to my attention last week, before the rod plunged through the block, dumped oil on the headers, and burned up a bunch of Brown and Miller lightweight plumbing and several wires. The post-fire reconstruction has included a piece of that shield between the block and headers.

[Wren]

This is information that could have been brought to my attention last week, before the rod plunged through the block, dumped oil on the headers, and burned up a bunch of Brown and Miller lightweight plumbing and several wires. The post-fire reconstruction has included a piece of that shield between the block and headers.

If you would stop feeding Schweitz you wouldn't have to buy that stuff.

[starkejt]

If you would stop feeding Schweitz you wouldn't have to buy that stuff.

Schwietz tips the scales at about 244 lbs. Is there anyone that qualified for the runoffs in FB, weighs less than that, and would like to take his seat? BYOB (bring your own ballast).

[kea]

Check out this cloth at the bottom of the page.

http://www.racing-stuff.com/plumbing_bits.htm

We have used it successfully on many applications like yours (Jedi hill climb car converted from 600cc to 900cc road racer comes to mind), where the headers run up close to the firewall. It is not self adhesive, we use an RTV to attach it, which also works better when a surface is inconsistent.

[Wren]

Check out this cloth at the bottom of the page.

http://www.racing-stuff.com/plumbing_bits.htm

We have used it successfully on many applications like yours (Jedi hill climb car converted from 600cc to 900cc road racer comes to mind), where the headers run up close to the firewall. It is not self adhesive, we use an RTV to attach it, which also works better when a surface is inconsistent.

We've tried that to protect a shifter cable in the past and it was ok. Nothing works like the inconel stuff though. It can be 1000 degrees on one side and you can put your hand on the other side.

[Messenger Racing]

We used this Dei heat shield on the MX-1 with great success. It is best for flat panels as it can only stand right angle bends, no compound curves.

http://www.designengineering.com/cat...und-insulation

JM

[RobLav]

We need something besides a heat shield between the block and the fuel cell. I had a piece of connecting rod go through the block, between the header pipes, and almost punctured a hole in the fuel cell aluminum. I like the inconel idea...

[Ivinsea]

I was thinking of trying this Thermo Tec kevlar heat barrier.

http://www.thermotec.com/products/16...t-barrier.html

The Kevlar Heat Barrier is made from Kevlar with a Mylar finish. The Barrier can withstand up to 3000deg F of radiant heat and can withstand direct contact up to 1100deg F. Size: 26" x 40"
The product can be installed using standard rivets with a backup washer or weather strip adhesive. The use of clamps or straps such as Thermo-Tec's Snap Strap can be used to hold the blanket in place for applications on manifolds or exhaust systems. In applications such as a heat shield on the undercarriage above the exhaust the material should be held in place by fasteners as decribed above.
When used as a heat shield, the barrier is installed so the bright metallic surface faces the heat source. When used to retain heat in applications such as exhaust manifolds, the barrier is installed with the fabric side facing the heat. This allows the metallic surface to act as a barrier to prevent the penetration of liquids.