geekdaddy
X1/9 Learner's Permit...
The heat shields on my X were pretty bang'd up, covered in undercoating and corroded-away in some areas. The factory fiber and paper insulation had also become a sponge for water which resulted in some (fortunately) minor corrosion in the trunk floor and trunk well areas which I treated/repaired.
I decided to build a system that would provide some minor insulation capability, minimal moisture retention, and would provide "layers" of heat reflection and air gaps.
I used a reflecting and insulating material which is very similar to the boom mat tunnel shield but costs less. Here are links to the boom mat product and the ebay dealer where I purchased mine:
http://www.designengineering.com/ca.../floor-tunnel-shield-ii-heat-sound-insulation
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230727441410?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
The adhesive is rated at 450 degrees and the material sits behind the main aluminum heat shields, and I don't have a CAT so I think I'll be ok.
I applied it to the underside of the trunk floor insert, the trunk floor, and to the sides of the trunk wells with reflective surfaces "aimed" towards the exhaust area. I've included some photos below. The material is all applied, and I will also use some high-temp reflective tape to "seal" a few of the exposed edges. I noticed the trunk area seems to be designed to "drain" when it gets moisture inside so I'm not completely sealing all the joints, and I left a drain area exposed in the rear corner of the trunk.
I also cut new shields for the top and sides of the exhaust area from thick plate aluminum that I purchased from Home Depot. I've bent the top/center section and hope to have the side pieces bent soon. I'm using a sheet metal bender that the paint shop owner is giving me access to. These shields are slightly thicker than the original ones. I noticed that the shields are fitted into position in the rear and sides in a manner where the edges can press on the inside of the body, so I purchased some inexpensive kapton tape to apply over the raw edges. Kapton has very high temp characteristics and is also applied with a silicon adhesive rated at 450 degrees.
Hope to have all this completed in a week or so. Just need to seal a few seems, bend the side shields and install them. I don't expect this will completely eliminate moisture issues (the insulating material is fiber-based) but should be better than the original config. Since I'm relying on less overall insulation and greater air gaps plus reflective foil, I hope the insulating capability is the same or better than what I had. Will know how well it works when I have the X back on the road in a few weeks.
Total cost of the job including the plate aluminum, insulation, and tapes wasn't cheap -- nearly $150. More than I wanted to spend but not too bad IMO. Hope this is helpful and/or inspirational for someone!
I decided to build a system that would provide some minor insulation capability, minimal moisture retention, and would provide "layers" of heat reflection and air gaps.
I used a reflecting and insulating material which is very similar to the boom mat tunnel shield but costs less. Here are links to the boom mat product and the ebay dealer where I purchased mine:
http://www.designengineering.com/ca.../floor-tunnel-shield-ii-heat-sound-insulation
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230727441410?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
The adhesive is rated at 450 degrees and the material sits behind the main aluminum heat shields, and I don't have a CAT so I think I'll be ok.
I applied it to the underside of the trunk floor insert, the trunk floor, and to the sides of the trunk wells with reflective surfaces "aimed" towards the exhaust area. I've included some photos below. The material is all applied, and I will also use some high-temp reflective tape to "seal" a few of the exposed edges. I noticed the trunk area seems to be designed to "drain" when it gets moisture inside so I'm not completely sealing all the joints, and I left a drain area exposed in the rear corner of the trunk.
I also cut new shields for the top and sides of the exhaust area from thick plate aluminum that I purchased from Home Depot. I've bent the top/center section and hope to have the side pieces bent soon. I'm using a sheet metal bender that the paint shop owner is giving me access to. These shields are slightly thicker than the original ones. I noticed that the shields are fitted into position in the rear and sides in a manner where the edges can press on the inside of the body, so I purchased some inexpensive kapton tape to apply over the raw edges. Kapton has very high temp characteristics and is also applied with a silicon adhesive rated at 450 degrees.
Hope to have all this completed in a week or so. Just need to seal a few seems, bend the side shields and install them. I don't expect this will completely eliminate moisture issues (the insulating material is fiber-based) but should be better than the original config. Since I'm relying on less overall insulation and greater air gaps plus reflective foil, I hope the insulating capability is the same or better than what I had. Will know how well it works when I have the X back on the road in a few weeks.
Total cost of the job including the plate aluminum, insulation, and tapes wasn't cheap -- nearly $150. More than I wanted to spend but not too bad IMO. Hope this is helpful and/or inspirational for someone!