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Exhaust manifold heat wrap


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HI all, I'm looking to install a lucas 17/18 ACR alternator on to my standard TR4.

So I've bolted on a old  stock alternator and am in the process of waiting for Moss to send the top adjuster bracket to complete the physical install.

Wiring is a doddle with a new loom and plug connected up to a modified regulator with no guts and a few internal connections.

Also tempted to make a connection directly from the battery connection on the solenoid to the new regulator wiring and effectively bypass the ammeter as this will become some what redundant.

I do have a 45Amp ammeter and the coloured cables to make myself additional wiring to and from the ammeter, but not sure if I can be bothered given  the above. 

 

The main point of my post is to ask about heat shielding the manifold mainly to stop the plastic cover from melting, but also to stop the regulator from cooking in its own juices.

If I wrap the standard cast iron TR4 manifold with a heat wrap material (2" wide from a roll), am I going to  cause any issues with the manifold overheating/cracking etc or am I just pushing the heat further down and casing me another problem somewhere else, starter motor or my feet cooking from under the floor?

 

Any thoughts or experiences gratefully received.

 

Regards

Mark 

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Hi Mark,

 no need for wrapping on the TR4 manifold. Simply make up a steel heat deflector to sit between the manifold and the back of the alternator.

The ammeter is worth using as it shows that things are working well.  If you do your wiring correctly then it should not burst into flames :o

 

Roger

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I have the manifold heat wrap since about 50k miles with no issue. Heat shield is sort of whack-a-mole solution to me as it conducts and reflects heat about everywhere in that area. What matters is proper cool air circulation so I've done something simple like on the pic.

IMG_3264.jpg

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14 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Mark,

 no need for wrapping on the TR4 manifold. Simply make up a steel heat deflector to sit between the manifold and the back of the alternator.

The ammeter is worth using as it shows that things are working well.  If you do your wiring correctly then it should not burst into flames :o

 

Roger

Thanks Roger, will try to keep the wires in the right order :D

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10 minutes ago, Geko said:

I have the manifold heat wrap since about 50k miles with no issue. Heat shield is sort of whack-a-mole solution to me as it conducts and reflects heat about everywhere in that area. What matters is proper cool air circulation so I've done something simple like on the pic.

IMG_3264.jpg

HI Stef, I was going to ask if the air ducts caused carb icing in the winter, but realised you live in a  warm climate so winter is a relative concept:rolleyes:

 

Mark

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Hi Mark,

 as Stef states, the heat shield will radiate heat in all directions but when moving there is an ariflow that sorts things out. 

When stationary the manifold isn't glowing (usually)

The air ducts should not cause freezing even in winter.

 

Roger

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3 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Mark,

 as Stef states, the heat shield will radiate heat in all directions but when moving there is an ariflow that sorts things out. 

When stationary the manifold isn't glowing (usually)

The air ducts should not cause freezing even in winter.

 

Roger

Thanks

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No one yet has mentioned the Zircotec coatings that are supposed to reduce temperatures from exhaust manifolds. Have thought about doing this on my 4A but wonder what others think? Also I assume that wrapping the manifold simply transfers the heat to the exhaust pipe and then you need to insulate the floor. Changing from a single mild steel exhaust to a twin stainless one certainly increased the temperature inside my car when the roof was up and I had to put a layer of insulation under the carpets.

Keith

https://www.zircotec.com/exhaust-coatings/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk7DwvoCR4QIVyr3tCh248wNKEAAYAiAAEgJp5fD_BwE

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36 minutes ago, Fireman049 said:

Hi Mark ~

I fitted a heat shield between the exhaust manifold and the alternator. I covered the inside face with exhaust manifold tape and sprayed it with Sperex heat resisting paint.

I have since covered the outside face with heat reflecting material so the shield is adequately insulated.

I have refitted the shield but it is no longer supported by the exhaust manifold downpipe as shown in the photo.

Tom.

IMG_1027 - Copy.JPG

IMG_1091 - Copy.JPG

Thanks Tom, what is the body of the shield made from is it steel or aluminium?

 

Mark

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1 hour ago, keith1948 said:

No one yet has mentioned the Zircotec coatings that are supposed to reduce temperatures from exhaust manifolds. Have thought about doing this on my 4A but wonder what others think? Also I assume that wrapping the manifold simply transfers the heat to the exhaust pipe and then you need to insulate the floor. Changing from a single mild steel exhaust to a twin stainless one certainly increased the temperature inside my car when the roof was up and I had to put a layer of insulation under the carpets.

Keith

https://www.zircotec.com/exhaust-coatings/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk7DwvoCR4QIVyr3tCh248wNKEAAYAiAAEgJp5fD_BwE

Hi Keith,

           I had my new Phoenix manifold ceramic coated by CamCoat.

It looks very nice, even 13 years later, it has a decent silvery/stainless surface. 

Does it reduce heat into the engine bay. I would say it is limited. The engine itself gives off a great deal of heat via the block and of course the coating does not affect that.

It must remove some heat as the exhaust gas is very hot - compared to no insulation.

Is it worth £300 or so - yes if you like a clean looking manifold. No, if you want t stop all manifold heat.

Having said that, the wrapping is also limited in what it does but can also be a fire hazard. Any oil/petrol dripped onto it stays there.

Regarding your new stainless exhaust - SS is thinner than a decent mild steel system and so it lets the heat out more readily.

 

Roger

 

Edited by RogerH
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Neil Revington re-built my car (4VC) in the early 1990s and re-fitted the heat shield which the Comps Dept had installed in 1962 between the original dynamo and the SAH exhaust manifold, but then, because I wanted to change to alternator, was between alternator and manifold.

When Neil brought 6VC back from the USA, he installed an alternator, but either didn’t have, or neglected to fit, a heat shield.  It wasn’t long before he cooked his brand new alternator!

FWIW, my original heat shield is a thin sheet of steel, to which I attached a small piece of a solder mat of the type which one uses when making plumbing joints.  Installing the shield is a bit of a fiddle, but well worth it.

Ian Cornish

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55 minutes ago, ianc said:

Neil Revington re-built my car (4VC) in the early 1990s and re-fitted the heat shield which the Comps Dept had installed in 1962 between the original dynamo and the SAH exhaust manifold, but then, because I wanted to change to alternator, was between alternator and manifold.

When Neil brought 6VC back from the USA, he installed an alternator, but either didn’t have, or neglected to fit, a heat shield.  It wasn’t long before he cooked his brand new alternator!

FWIW, my original heat shield is a thin sheet of steel, to which I attached a small piece of a solder mat of the type which one uses when making plumbing joints.  Installing the shield is a bit of a fiddle, but well worth it.

Ian Cornish

Would it be possible to share a picture or 2 of your heat shield in situ Ian ?

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Hi Tom, one  thing in your photo is the closeness of the yellow wire to the manifold which would concern me, I purchased some heat resistant sleeving on eBay to cover my wiring in that area.

Chris

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16 hours ago, ianc said:

Neil Revington re-built my car (4VC) in the early 1990s and re-fitted the heat shield which the Comps Dept had installed in 1962 between the original dynamo and the SAH exhaust manifold, but then, because I wanted to change to alternator, was between alternator and manifold.

When Neil brought 6VC back from the USA, he installed an alternator, but either didn’t have, or neglected to fit, a heat shield.  It wasn’t long before he cooked his brand new alternator!

FWIW, my original heat shield is a thin sheet of steel, to which I attached a small piece of a solder mat of the type which one uses when making plumbing joints.  Installing the shield is a bit of a fiddle, but well worth it.

Ian Cornish

Hi Ian, yes I have a spare soldering mat in my shed, you know what its like you can't find it when you need it, go and buy another then when you're packing away you end up putting the new one back in the same place as the one you couldn't find in the first place.

I've purchased a small piece of 1mm steel sheet so can combine the two, but I'm sure it won't look as nice at Rogers.

 

Mark

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I visited my local scrap yard, & found some heat shield material from a modern car.  a bit of re-shaping, & I was my own uncle.

This material is a double layer of aluminium which has deep "crinkles" embedded in it.

 

2081282536_Heatshield.thumb.jpg.8b82940a018ea5803c6009ceb1daa32c.jpg

Bob.

Edited by Lebro
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Hamish - my original heat shield is hidden by: the reservoir of my sealed cooling system, a micro-filter in the fuel line, and a duct feeding cool(er) air to the carburettors from before the radiator, so the shield is almost invisible and impossible to photograph in situ.  However, it looks much like Bob's.

Ian Cornish

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49 minutes ago, ianc said:

Hamish - my original heat shield is hidden by: the reservoir of my sealed cooling system, a micro-filter in the fuel line, and a duct feeding cool(er) air to the carburettors from before the radiator, so the shield is almost invisible and impossible to photograph in situ.  However, it looks much like Bob's.

Ian Cornish

Cheers for the info Ian

h

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The manifold on my TR4A is a tubular stainless, that I have had covered by Zircotec about 5 years ago. I have an ACR alternator and do not need a heat shield. The Zircotec coating means heat in the exhaust gases is dissipated further along the exhaust system. It has not been a problem. Zircotec is not cheap, but it seems to be effective.

Tony

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

HI All, just thought I'd share my efforts on the heat shield.

Simply design half an A4 sheet steel, 1.0mm, hole at the bottom to pick up the alternator bottom pivot bolt and a tab riveted to the top to pickup the Manifold stud.

Covered in a soldering mat folded around so it covers both top and bottom faces, again riveted using 5mm washers on the rivet to hold the mat. 

Total costs less than £20 plus my time.

 

Mark

HS1.jpg

HS2a.jpg

HS3a.jpg

HS4.jpg

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If, like me, you are not using the Lucas plastic holder for the Lucar connectors at the alternator, make sure to leave sufficient air gap such that the wires cannot fret against the heat shield and cause a short-circuit.

From the photo, I suspect that Mark has used the plastic holder, which makes a neat job and should make connecting/disconnecting easier.

Ian Cornish

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9 minutes ago, ianc said:

If, like me, you are not using the Lucas plastic holder for the Lucar connectors at the alternator, make sure to leave sufficient air gap such that the wires cannot fret against the heat shield and cause a short-circuit.

From the photo, I suspect that Mark has used the plastic holder, which makes a neat job and should make connecting/disconnecting easier.

Ian Cornish

HI Ian, yes I have used the plastic plug to hold the 3 connectors and the wiring loops around and over the top of the alternator to avoid and the heat and the danger of any rubbing on the wiring.

 

Mark

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