Heat shield: Important, or just for giggles?

I have this habbit of driving next to brick fences, or wall of some sort that reflect sound back towards the car while driving. I just drop the passanger window just enough to where the wind noise isn't so loud.

Well to come to my point. I just had gotten off work the other night and have to drive through a tunnel to get home. I pulled to the far right and dropped the window down a bit. And to my suprise... an annoyingly LOUD rattle (sometimes I could hear the rattle with windows closed, but very faint, but disappears when I concentrate on that sound).

My heat sheilds are rusted up pretty bad.

(after removing the old rusted pieces) Couldn't I just wrap this around it, then maybe this , and tie it down with these ?

It could prevent it from any further rust/rattles.... ...

[/end novel] :D

I think Dino hit the nail on the head. The heat shield does not affect performance and is there mostly for safety. I haven't had any problem with it on my VX yet (but then I've only been a member for a short while and preferred to concentrate on the other VX SNAFUs first - windows, CVs). I've removed most of the heat shields from my TLC over the years (as each succombed to cancer - believe it or not there were six). No problems since. Now for the horror story though - I have heard of carpet melting because the exhaust system got too hot close to the underbelly.

I would not try for a factory replacement. You should be able to find a shop that could fab something up for you @ less $$$ and would actually last longer. Metal tape will work but my experience on an old Dodge P'up was that it is very temporary.

I've seen some ceramic coatings in the past but that was very long ago and probably are very $$$. I've also seen some fiber wrap for exhaust but again long ago and very $$$ - it also wasn't recommended as it would PROMOTE rust.

I'd recommend some leg work to find a small shop with a good welder that could fab something up for you (I'm lucky - I found such a place). Don't bother with the big chain shops. Find JoeBillyJimBob who operates out of uncle Mikey's garage. The big shops probably won't touch a job like that for liability reasons.

I just called St.Charles and these heat sheilds are not sold separately. They come with the whole exhaust system ($800) so it looks like I am either going to repair my existing sheilds (tack on a patch) or come up with something entirely different.

I would like to know some opinions/options on the heat sheilding tape because this seems like it would be the easiest/cheapest route.

Anyone?

Thanks - Bart

That heat shield tape is good stuff for race car headers and such. Kind of hard to get into tight places though and it will hold moisture. I'd use that second product listed above and the clamps! That stuff won't hold moisture as much and still do the heat shielding job.

Good find! ;)

Those aftermarket parts look like they'd rattle even worse.

I don't have a better solution, though.

$800...jeez.

Last night I put my heat sheilds back on. I went to Home Depot and picked up 4 pipe clamps, ended up using 3 of them, but I was able to get the sheilds back on nice & tight. I still have one rattling down there that I need to find and clamp on better.

Bart

Are you sure it's a heat shield rattle - did it go away when you took off the shields?

I thought I had a heat shield rattle and hoped it would go away with the new exhaust system since the new system doesn't re-use the shields. It didn't, we found that it was an O2 sensor that rang like a bell when tapped - that was the rattle I heard. I replaced it and the rattle went away.

But now I have another one when I go over bumps.... :( another O2 sensor? dunno yet, too lazy and exhausted from Moab to look right now... :rolleyes:

i have a bad rattle that i thaught might be bad wheel bearings, but it didnt go away when they were re-packed....

can you describe this heat shield "rattle"? mine kinda sounds like bb's in one of those rain stick things... does that make sence? like a clikity-clikity-clickity shaking thing over and over again....

Oh yes, this was definitely the culprit of my loud jingling. Once I removed it, the rattling from the right side immediately went away. I still have a quiet rattle on the left side though, which I am going to find soon. I just figured that even though the sheilds are rusted, I am better off with them on. And quite honestly, it was pretty easy to do. Took me about 40 mintes to get them back on nice & tight. I don't know the source of the quiet rattle coming from the drivers side, but maybe its an O2 sensor like you said. I have to get under there again and poke around.

Bart

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kenny

Are you sure it's a heat shield rattle - did it go away when you took off the shields?

I thought I had a heat shield rattle and hoped it would go away with the new exhaust system since the new system doesn't re-use the shields. It didn't, we found that it was an O2 sensor that rang like a bell when tapped - that was the rattle I heard. I replaced it and the rattle went away.

But now I have another one when I go over bumps.... :( another O2 sensor? dunno yet, too lazy and exhausted from Moab to look right now... :rolleyes:

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Yeah, that's probably it. Slide under your VX on the passenger side about 2/3s the way down and look for the loose heat shield (looks the one I pictured above). Usually though, the rattling is coming from the rusted apart pipe clamps, at least in my case, this was the situation. I pulled everything off and put it back on with some new pipe clamps. Easy. Now these don't rattle.

Bart

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kelvin

i have a bad rattle that i thaught might be bad wheel bearings, but it didnt go away when they were re-packed....

can you describe this heat shield "rattle"? mine kinda sounds like bb's in one of those rain stick things... does that make sence? like a clikity-clikity-clickity shaking thing over and over again....

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by kelvin

i have a bad rattle that i thaught might be bad wheel bearings, but it didnt go away when they were re-packed....

can you describe this heat shield "rattle"? mine kinda sounds like bb's in one of those rain stick things... does that make sence? like a clikity-clikity-clickity shaking thing over and over again....

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I dont think that is the sound but I dont know that I've heard a rain stick in a long time, or ever. I have the same loose shields Bart is describing. Mine happens mostly while sitting at a stop light or when I first start the VX. I used to have a Chevy that made that noise but it was a catalytic converter that was falling apart.

The chrome on my wheels is peeling and I get a "clikity-clikity-clickity" sound from it timed with the speed of the wheels, I just reach in and peel off the biggest chunk of chrome and that usually fixes it for a few months. Don't do it barehanded, that stuff is sharp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PHO2GR4

$800...jeez.

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Sad thing is....that price is just for ONE SIDE of the exhaust!!!

Check your price listings :eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WyrreJ

The chrome on my wheels is peeling and I get a "clikity-clikity-clickity" sound from it timed with the speed of the wheels, I just reach in and peel off the biggest chunk of chrome and that usually fixes it for a few months. Don't do it barehanded, that stuff is sharp.

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well i dont think its the heat guard... things seemed pretty tight... and i have a 99... so no peeling chrome for my little wheels.... I hate sounds i cant identify and this things getting alot of those...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dino

That heat shield tape is good stuff for race car headers and such. Kind of hard to get into tight places though and it will hold moisture. I'd use that second product listed above and the clamps! That stuff won't hold moisture as much and still do the heat shielding job.

Good find! ;)

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My solution, as soon as I get all the parts.

Step 1.
Step 2.

It is way cheaper, but it all comes down to your personal preference.