Aftermarket Header - OEM Heat Shield
 

Hi all:

I just installed my hytech last night..I was debating if I should run the black heat shield that protects the battery and the fuse box ??

Do you aftermarket guys run it ?

Thanks.

Of course it's a no brainier

yes. Run the shield

YES! Learn from my mistake. I took it off cuz it "looks" cool to show off my header, but car caught on fire at track and could have saved some stuff if the heat shield was there.

Okay, thanks guys...I will be picking up the shield from my friends house tomorrow and installing it right away :tipwink:

Yes, heat is an evil evil thing. The more heat you can prevent from escaping throughout the engine bay, the better. Heat not only causes heat soak, but also can damage sensors, make wiring more vulnearable to damage etc. The stock header heatshield has some thick insulation inside that makes it very effective!

I mean this header runs piping piping hot....it's insane. I guess the only thing the heat shield will protect is the battery and fuse box there but as far the bay it gets pretty hot under there.

This is the main reason I'm still running the OEM air box and surpurisingly the box is still fairly cool.

Have you considered coating your header or wrapping it to minimize radiative heat? I'm currently running my PLM header with DEI header wrap and definitely a lot cooler than without the wrap.

Yeah I guess that's not a bad idea....what wrap do you use and is it fairly easy to do ?

I'm using DEI titanium exhaust wrap 2"x50' for the header, more than enough to wrap the header. Works well to keep the heat to a minimum in my engine bay. If you have a buddy then it's an easy job. Just take your time to make sure it's wound as tight as you can get it.