Exhaust manifold heat shield?

[jbuck1975]

Is it that important? My bolts are broke off of mine and it wont stay on.

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[bravekozak]

I have the opposite problem. My bolts are fine, but the heatshield rusted off around the bolts. If you decide to leave it off and not extract and tap the bolt holes, you have a customer for the shield.

[jbuck1975]

I don't know how to tap.

Couldn't you use washers to hold yours on

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[zoe60]

I haven't had one in years. Don' plan on ever replacing it. Seems to just be in the way.

[jbuck1975]

Good to know!

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[roycehof]

You don't have to worry about it. My started rattling a couple of years ago and I just ripped it off and there has been no detrimental effect because of it. I think it is only there to keep you from burning you hands on the manifold. It isn't worth losing any sleep over - that's for sure!

[zoom zoom]

I'd leave it off for speed gains thru weight loss anyway. That's like a whole pound or something.. maybe even get some cash for it at the scrap yard, that's like a double win!

[Pgh5spd]

More like a few oz.

Mine was rusting away at the bolts, but when I had the manifold off to great surprise it turned out to be easy to get the bolts out with little vise grips and so I just welded washers into the shield and re-installed. They haven't rusted thru after maybe 5yrs now.

[Bert]

Visible heat shields (as opposed to underbody deciduously-disappearing pieces of sheet tin between the floor, gas tank and the Cat) are likely 'consumer safety' items so that enthusiastic engine compartment 'touch-me' novices don't burn themselves as badly as they would have on a bare pipe. But if you have one, and it hasn't fallen off, don't be in a rush to tear it out. Radiant heat and other weird and wonderful things do effect wires and other important things in the long term.

[jbuck1975]

So how do I "TAP" the bolts out?

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[nitrofarm]

So how do I "TAP" the bolts out?

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No you dont "Tap" them out jbuck. A "Tap" is what you use to clean the threads of the hole where the bolt once was.

[Pgh5spd]

Drill a hole smaller than the bolt and use an Easy-Out. If you don't know what one is, ask at a parts place. Easier to ask than to try to describe except to say that it's a left-hand twist-threaded device.

[timmay89]

I did a BP swap 1.5 years ago. When I did the swap I took off the heat shield and replaced it with header wrap. So safety is not a problem. With header wrap I can quickly touch the headers at full heat and not be burned (not recommended). If you are looking for a good solution to keep heat away from the engine bay this is a great option.