MGB: heat shielding

Hi everyone,

In your experience, what's the best brand for heat shielding out there? I'm willing to spend some money (within reason) to do this right, because once the weather warms up again I'm going to need to put some in the engine bay so I don't melt.

Thanks,

Darian
San Antonio Texas, where a heater is just extra weight...

http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/

some interesting reading for you. There's also a spray on product called lizard skin that has a heat shield product as well as sound shield - Dan Master's car has it I believe.

t.lay Wrote:

You could also try NASA they have some sort of bricks they use, something like that. I used them in front of my RD, it stoped burning the paint in the hood and fenders while traveling a high speed. LOL

1744 Wrote:

Darian, if there is room it's hard to beat a good air gap and a second piece of sheet metal. I made up some aluminum panels and mounted them about 1/2" away from the firewall around the areas of the headers etc and it has helped a lot. It also protects some of the wiring and brake lines that run in close to the engine. I did something similar between the catalytic converter and the floor.

Bill said: "Darian, if there is room it's hard to beat a good air gap and a second piece of sheet metal."

I agree. Here's an article about that... and it also discusses some of the commercially available options:
http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Muffler-Heat-Shields.htm

1744 Wrote:

Darian, just having fun.
Lizar skin is great for interiors and firewalls. It all depends on what you are trying to shiled from heat. For exhaust is best to use what Bill and Curtis sugested.
It works better is if is aluminum. If extreme heat occurs, then two sheets space about 1/4 " from each other and insulated. The first sheet facing the source of heat should be perforated with small holes 3/8 to 7/16" and without insulation, the second one sould have some sort of insulation.

For engine compartament, spray the Lizard on the firewall facing the engine and also spray inside the foot well with Lizar. Also a heat insulating mat can be used and it is very effective to use as padding.

The bricks are to heavy and do no look good on the B and some of them may fall out. :-)

Bill G. I agree with the lizard skin or similar products along with mat on the interior surfaces along the firewall and trans tunnel. Under the hood even some aluminum heat shields do work pretty well if you have room. The photo shows one on my Midget on the passenger side that protects wiring and lines as well as cuts down on the radiated heat from the headers.

1744 Wrote:

Darian, the Lizard is a spray and it really works. You can buy it from Summit or Jegs. That stuff really works.

Darien, the idea of the heat shield is that it's on the outside and cooling air can circulate between it and the firewall. Putting one inside won't really help as the heated air would still be in the cockpit.

That makes sense, I just hadn't thought about it. But how can cool air circulate in an MGA engine bay? That thing has no airflow.

I may give the Lizard Skin a try, but since my engine's going to come out anyway, I can put a mat. Which is better?

both
lizard skin on the engine side of the firewall/floors
mat on the people side of the firewall/floors

If I only did one - I think I would lean toward the lizard skin because I could always add mat later.

I agree with Mr. Tom

I know a guy with a cookie sheet mounted above the cat in his Miata-powered MGA. He got one of the double layered cookie sheets (are they just air inside?), then installed extended bolts holding in the floorboards, and mounted the sheet with an air gap. Says it works very well.

I hope you find a good solution and pass it on. Even with just an 1800 the cockpit of my A is pretty hot, so I'm dreading the heat from the 3.4l on those smokin summer days.

My wife used to complain about how hot it was on the passenger side, claimed the heat must be always blowing on her side or something. Then she drove the A on a hot day and got to experience actually sitting on the exhaust! No more complaining about the heat on the passenger side...

Mine's worse than most though (for noise as well as heat), as I don't have carpet. I drive it year round, and the water that gets in has to be able to get out!

The stock heat shield that mounts on the underside of the tranny tunnel works great

1744 Wrote: