Heat shields for headers

[Nicad]

Just wondering what those of us running headers are using for heat shields? Pamp has some nice looking ones on his car that he adapted. I am considering buying these steel Bavaria Heat shields to adapt .

I heard some Bavarias came with cast aluminum heat shields? Were these found on a particular year?

 

[Sven]

Bob,

Try to find the cast aluminum ones. They look and wear much better. I believe they are on 72 and earlier cars (both e3 & e9). Attached are some photos. The front one, on a carbureted car, will have the sleeve/hole in the top that fits the air cleaner hose. Try CoupeKing or LaJolla. I have an extra front shield (the middle one in the photo), except it has a media blasted sand-like finish.

 

[Nicad]

Hi Sven, the photos did not come through. I guess ideally getting two rear shields without the hole would be preferable for my setup.

 

[Sven]

Forgot to upload. I added them to the original post. Yes, with most EFI systems, or when not using the stock air cleaner, using two rear shields is best.

 

[decoupe]

Bob:

Also try http://www.double02salvage.com/product/default.asp

 

[Stevehose]

I bought a second rear shield from Coupeking, even got the same year in the casting :mrgreen:

 

[aalto]

Those cast aluminum ones look nice! However, all of the heatsheilds shown so far appear to attach (bolt) to the stock cast iron exhaust manifolds (ie. not real header setups?). I have a set of Stahl headers on my car and they don't offer any point for mechanical attachment. How would these heat shields be adapted to work? I've been running my exhaust sans heat shields and i get panicked every time i look at those poor spark plug wires getting cooked!

 

[JFENG]

Weld some studs

And two o2 bungs for future diagnostics

 

[pamp]

Here is what I did.....longer stud for #2 and #5 so as to sister on a second nut. Fab'ed some brackets as you see and drilled the cheap heat shields to mount. Not the best but what I worked out at the time and am still running with. To use the alloy shields I would need to fabricate something more elaborate....hate to punch holes in NLA parts. What I can tell you is that even with ceramic coating the under hood temps. were in my mind excessive without the shields, never mind the durability of plug wires. I was surprised to see what a difference it made with the shields in place. I tested with a temp. probe under hood and Fluke on the dash. Over 30 degrees F drop with the shields in place. Well worth doing for reasons of heat soak and intake air density. The bung for the wide band O2 belongs just after the two into one merge and just before the center can, in line with the transmission shifter hole for EZ wiring. Nicad is working with very rare period headers and knows I would fly to Toronto and beat him if he modified these pipes by welding or drilling anything of the original.

 

[Sven]

How would these heat shields be adapted to work?

aalto - another option for those with headers would be to weld a bar (1/2" x 3/16") across the top of header group and either tap for the 6 mm threads or weld on a nut to the top of the bar - at two locations at each shield. I am not sure if the bar would need a spacer underneath. The third photo shows the idea. Obviously the towers under the bar are not there in the header situation. The other potential conflict is in the shape of the header flange bar. If it is too large between ports then it could interfere with the shield (see photo #2).

 

[JFENG]

And, you can fab your own alloy heat shields

Get some 050 al sheet, make up a wooden blank if needed, anneal the alloy panel and bend/beat it into the desired shape.

 

[aalto]

All great ideas! This seems like a nice little winter fabrication project- something that can be accomplished without lying on my back under the car!