Transmission tunnel heat barrier

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:09 pm

For various reasons I took the carpet out of the passenger side of the car today. I'd always thought the carpets did an awful job of insulating the heat from the gearbox, exhaust etc. But without the carpet on the passenger side today, I was noticing heaps of heat on the drivers side of the cabin (with the roof down), and the missus was complaining that the passenger side of the tunnel was too hot to touch and was heating up her white wine which was behind her seat. So that proves the carpet, or more likely the thick felt, does a reasonable job. I really don't want to put the felt back in though as when it got wet recently it was properly smelly and took ages to dry out.

So, I already have some Design Engineering insulation. It's designed for the outside of an MX5 trans tunnel but I've never got round to installing it because my car still leaks oil into that area. This is the stuff: https://www.designengineering.com//cate ... insulation

Can anyone share their experience of using it on the tunnel inside the car instead of on the outside?

And any thoughts on further layers of other materials to add since there's heaps of spare thickness left over from that pesky felt? Air con ducting insulation maybe?

Postby **beavis** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:27 pm

also interested in trans tunnel heat.
my laptop melted in the race car sitting on the floor when i was last at phillip island.

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:43 pm

beavis wrote:also interested in trans tunnel heat.
my laptop melted in the race car sitting on the floor when i was last at phillip island.

Not surprised. My right leg felt like it was melting when you passengered me at Winton.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:58 pm

Why not try reducing the heat that gets to the tunnel. Insulate the exhaust. Then the exterior of the tunnel (seems funny calling the inside of a curve the outside) then worry about extra inside. ...like felt and carpet

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davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:20 pm

sailaholic wrote:Why not try reducing the heat that gets to the tunnel. Insulate the exhaust. Then the exterior of the tunnel (seems funny calling the inside of a curve the outside) then worry about extra inside. ...like felt and carpet

Because most of that would involve my getting involved in oily bits. And I don't want to reinstall the felt.
However, it begins to look as if the quickest way to fix the oil leak from the sump might be to lift out the motor, in which case the 'box might as well stay attached, then everything you mention can be done, albeit at a cost.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:27 pm

Why not replace the carpet?

it sounds like it did the job previously, so surely new carpet will work just as well.

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:32 pm

Because I never want to experience the smell of that felt again, and because the felt did not stop enough of the heat transmission, especially onto my left leg in the summer (which is why I said the carpet and felt did an awful job). The carpet alone has virtually nil heat or sound insulation.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 6:55 am

No offence Dave but it sounds like your creating a problem for yourself.

Felt dosent stink if it's not wet and it shouldn't get wet. Fix the problem not the symptom.

Brand new engines shouldn't leak oil. Fix the problem then but your heat shield on the tunnel.

It's the same as IAt isn't the problem with idle so don't go screwing with the bonnets and radiators fix the tune.

Tuner can't figure out how to make the haltec run the alternator so fits a na8 alternator...

I get that your at the end of the build and must be frustrated as F?&k with it and have limited abilities to do the work yourself.

BUT..... Doing a dodgy fix / not attacking the real problem inevitably ends up in your going back again/ costing / you being unhappy with the end result.

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Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:12 am

The Mazda 3 has a reflective heat shield on the underside of the car running down the length of the transmission/exhaust tunnel.
You could try going to a pick-and-pull yard and getting some of that (cheap) and cut it to fit.

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 11:01 am

I'd like to wrap my exhaust, bit it's all fiddly work.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 12:05 pm

http://www.jegs.com/p/DEI/DEI-Floor-Tunnel-Shield-II/1798884/10002/-1

http://australia.vividracing.com/thermotec_clamp_on_pipe_heat_shields_ther_11624_51131804.php

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 12:16 pm

Magpie wrote:http://www.jegs.com/p/DEI/DEI-Floor-Tunnel-Shield-II/1798884/10002/-1

http://australia.vividracing.com/thermotec_clamp_on_pipe_heat_shields_ther_11624_51131804.php

Thanks. The DEI stuff is what I've got. I'm looking to find out if it'll work on the tunnel on the inside of the car instead of under the car.
The Vivid Racing solution looks good too.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 12:19 pm

No problem, I'm looking at the same sort of stuff as I have no carpet in mine, however I will more than likely go for covering the exhaust.

Roadrunner · Postby **Roadrunner** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 2:23 pm

Any update on this?

I'm looking at shielding too. I have my phone plugged in in the centre console and it regularly overheats and turns off.

If you can get the shielding to fit on the inside I'd be very interested in seeing the photos etc.
Can you get those exhaust shields for Cat's too? Mine is almost directly below the gear stick, just back a little.

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 4:10 pm

Done nothing further yet because the car is soon going back to the provider of the sump for them to do a complete check for leaks, to finally reseal them and to remove all traces of oil from under the car. They'll then fit the heatshield under the transmission tunnel with perhaps something also on the exhaust and cat.

The same dealer is familiar with the issues with that particular ECU on SEs and is near to the ECU manufacturer and has offered to liaise with them to get the tune and other issues finalised.