I think I have fried the engine insulation of my Stook (the gray tissue right underneath the hood) at a track day during my holiday!
There seemed to be everything allright with the car that day so I didn't notice the problem until I smelled something terrible coming from the engine bay right after the event. As I opened the hood to take a look the problem I was unable to locate the source of the smell because I expected it to be some melted rubber hose. Since the smell had already dissipated I was about to close the hood when a friend of mine pointed out that the engine insulation was cracked at several spots. It certainly seems that the insulation just got too hot, cracked and developed the stink I smelled.
Did anyone experience anything similar (stink and/or damaged insulation) with his/her Stook?
As I want to replace that part as soon as I get home I decided to quickly order a new one online during my holiday so that it will wait for me when I come home. I would greatly appreciate any tips on removing the damaged insulation and installing the new one (anyone with a service manual?) because I hope to be able to do it without the help of my unreliable dealer . Thanks for all of your help.

 

I have done it to replace one damaged by painters. The plugs pop right out; some plugs clips may get damaged so prepare to order new ones. You'll have to remove the windshield washer tubing as well. The whole thing is not difficult to do, imo, and can be figured out intuitively just by proceeding to do it.

Your car must have gotten very hot. Shows how the insulation might protect the hood from cooking the paint.

 

I don't think that smell was your hood insulation. It was either your clutch or your brakes (probably both).

 

WOW! I just emailed Trevor at H and A Accessories to get the part # for this, as I need to replace mine, as well. Niot for the same reason, but mine is history...

I will post the PN tonight when I get home...but the piece is about 45 dollars.

More later...

 

Nachtmeister, have you removed your stock exhaust manifold heat shield, or installed an aftermarket header with out one?

 

Thanks for your help so far! At least it seems to be an easy job to replace the part.
Allan: My car is stock except for exhaust, air filter and brakes and it never showed more than three bars on the temp gauge. I really don't know why the heat insulation got damaged.

 

According to my friend in Toschigi....it's you brakes. The hood insulation may crack but unless it goes thermal (i.e. fire) it won't smell:
1) Brakes
2) Clutch

PS-Hope its the brakes