This HeatShield protects the rear upper rubber bushing on the passenger side from exhaust heat given off by both the exhaust manifold and downpipe. With stock or reproduction exhaust manifolds, these hot pipes are only 2 inches away from the rear bushing on the upper control arm. HeatShield is compatible with stock and stock appearing headers and downpipes and all aftermarket high performance 3-inch downpipes. HeatShield will not work with ATR headers or other headers with large diameter pipes that extend further from the engine.
HeatShield is the only product available to deflect radiating heat from both the exhaust header and down pipe. It’s the shield GM forgot to put on the car. This shield is designed like the starter solenoid shield GM installed to protect the starter from the heat off the exhaust header. Even stock cars should have this shield as the maximum temperature of the bushing occurs with a hot engine idling at a stop light.
Header temperature at engine idle is approximately 600 degrees and can reach 1500 degrees under full throttle conditions. The rear rubber upper control arm bushing is exposed to more heat from the downpipe and header while the engine is idling and standing still or slowly moving in traffic. Long exposures of heat will cause the control arm bushing rubber to lose its elasticity, turn hard and ultimately shrink and fall apart. Signs of bushing deterioration can be found on new bushings that are only 1 year old or have as little as 12,000 miles. Most Turbo Regals owners have had this bushing replaced or are unaware of its deterioration. A failing bushing will cause inconsistent front end alignments, tire wear, and poor steering response. The cost to replace this bushing is many times more than the cost of the shield.
HEAT SHIELD TEST COMPARISON
| |
Header Temp. |
Down pipe Temp. |
Bushing Temp. |
Shield Temp. |
| Stock, no shield |
630 degrees |
340 degrees |
200 degrees |
|
| Shield mounted on down pipe |
625 degrees |
340 degrees |
185 degrees |
275 degrees |
| Shield mounted on control arm |
625 degrees |
340 degrees |
145 degrees |
370 degrees |
Test Date: February 6, 2000
Test Equipment: Raytek 750 degree digital thermometer, plus or minus 2 degrees accuracy
Test Conditions: 52 degrees, partly sunny
The above test results show when HeatShield is installed around the rear upper control arm bushing, the bushing temperature is reduced from 200 degrees to 145 degrees at idle or during stop and go driving. For comparison, the front upper control arm bushing was recorded at 125 degrees during these tests. Note that installing a competitor's heat shield around the downpipe only reduces the bushing temperature to 185 degrees.
The HeatShield is formed from heavy 14 gauge aluminized metal that will hold its shape, has a high temperature reflective paint finish and comes with a nut and lock washer.
HeatShield installed on control arm stud
HeatShield comes with instructions and is very easy to install, takes only a few minutes with one wrench to attach the HeatShield to the control arm bushing stud. HeatShield provides a very clean factory installed stock looking installation and is difficult to detect since the majority of the shield is below the downpipe.
Price $28.00 plus $4.00 shipping & handling |
