Thread: Best way to shield header heat

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My clutch slave cylinder is too close (IMO) to my headers. Whats the best way you guys have found to protect vulnerable parts from heat?

-Header wraps?
-Some sort of sheet metal guard between the two?
-Wrapping the slave cylinder?
-Something else from Home Depot...???

There is not much space between the two, I may end up hammering a relief in the header.

Originally Posted by Gusaroo

My clutch slave cylinder is too close (IMO) to my headers. Whats the best way you guys have found to protect vulnerable parts from heat?

1-Header wraps?
2-Some sort of sheet metal guard between the two?
3-Wrapping the slave cylinder?
4-Something else from Home Depot...???

There is not much space between the two, I may end up hammering a relief in the header.

I would go with both two and three. That would seem to be the best solution IMO.

How close is too close? I'm not aware of any spec that identifies a minimum distance from fluid carrying lines or components. I thing my master cylinder under the floor may be too close to my header pipe and my fuel line too close to the header pipe on the other side but I have not noticed any operating problems. On a hot day cuisin the car show at idle speed everything is workin' good. I have maybe two inches clearance. I would agree with what Lynn said above if you feel you need to do something.

How about an aluminum heat deflector around the M/C????

the slave is about an 1/8 of an inch away...

Not much space for anything, so that is why I was asking. I want to make sure whatever I do use is tried and true by you guys...

This reminds me of an old story about how Henry Ford's heart was broke when in the 1934 or 1935 Indianapolis 500 several stock block Ford V8s were entered and were doing really well for about 300 miles or so until the heat from the exhaust manifold seized up the steering box and none of the Fords finished the race. As I recall (just from reading racing history) the mechanics on those cars were the Granatelli brothers! Moral: what looks clear when cold may be too close together when the engine gets up to operating temperature! Maybe an aluminum plate between the headers and the MC will abosorb some of that heat; make sure it is BLACK for best heat absorption! I have the same problem with the starter solenoid on my SBC 350 but so far it has been a problem to find a shield that will fit in that tight space as well as fit the bolt holes. The usual situation is that what you buy may or may not fit!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

How about polished and shiny on the header side, with some heat insulating material on the M/C side??????

The heat issues are one more reason I like to run both brake and clutch M/C's inside the car and away from the heat......

It has been my experience that the best fix for this type of problem (if you really can't move either piece) is two sheets of aluminum with an air gap between them. You might be able to remove the slave cylinder and do a little grinding on it where it is closest to the header. This should provide enough space to mount two pieces in between. Separate them with whatever air gap will work, like maybe 1/8" air gap. Drill the plates and sandwich them together with 3 or 4 small bolts and nuts, using flat washers between the plates to maintain the sandwich. If you think ahead and engineer this properly, you'll include tabs that will allow you to bolt the sandwich onto the car for a nice, stout installation. Allowing some means of providing additional air through the space of the sandwich at speed will help also. I'm talking about bending the leading edges out a bit to form a "scoop" to the oncoming air and channel it into the gap. A trip to your local heating, ventilation and AC contractor's shop should score you a couple of pieces of scrap to make the piece. Doesn't necessarily have to be aluminum. Any thin sheet metal will work.

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

make sure it is BLACK for best heat absorption!

I understand wanting to absorb as much heat as possible, but if you are absorbing that much heat on one side, it will pass right through to the otherside, making it even hotter. Maybe a piece of that galvanized sheet from Home depot with some sort of heat tape on the MC side. I would also wrap your headers if it will fit.

I ended up heating my header with a torch until cherry hot and giving it a nice whack with a ball pean. The resulting depression was just enough to make me feel comfortable. Ill drive it and see how it goes. Unfortunately, I am adding a second floor to my house, so working on the car is on hold for while (at least while my wife isn't home)...

I am hoping to at least get the car started before winter.

I would suggest pulling the header and having it Jet Hot or Ceramic coated. That reduces radiated heat a bunch. It's not that expensive and the bonus is it looks really great. Then if needed build some sort of shield. for the MC.

Pat

For sure add some type of heat sheild plus Jet Hot the header. In the early 1980's had a '28 A roadster that had been on the road for years on stock chassis with 283 and '39 box. Stock rear end. It was put on a new repo chassis with Corvette IRS and Supper Bell with the same motor but a TH350. Around town everthing was fine. First road trip, on first gas stop after apx. 100 miles on interstate made the off ramp.

The brake pedal went to the floor(and no e-brake). The heat from the exhaust 4" away from M/C boiled out the brake fluid.

At 1/8" clearance even adding Jet Hot and "ball peen" clearance, IMO you will still boil fluid. Is there someway to move header? Is it one tube or at collector?

Earl

I tried wrapping headers once, and if you opened the hood after running a while, it was like standing in front of an oven, it was so hot. Swapped to ceramic coated and temp went down drasticly.

I think I would try ceramic coating, heat shield, and "ball-peen" spacer, all together, then see what happens.