After a few off-road trips, on purpose and accident, my heat shield between the exhaust and driveshaft is all bent and stuff. Now it rubs on my uv joint until I go and bend it around again. So how bad would it be if I were to remove this thin piece of aluminum?

Tell it bye-bye and don't park in the high grass and leave the engine running. Shouldn't do that anyhow with any cat equipped vehicle.

spend some time in the older-generation forum, lots of people over there are running without heat shields with no ill-effect. i usually don't have them in place on mine.

The only ones that serve any purpose are the ones between the floor of the car, and the exhaust. Thas only if after you remove it you notice the floor of the car get hot.

 

Otherwise dont park in tall grass or weeds.

 

nipper

Sweet! Thanks guys! It may even help keep my car warmer too

The work truck, and 89 Mitsu Montero, has no heat shields on it. It is always driven through grass taller than the windshield....and parked, while idiling, becuase the starter solenoid cable gets ripped off in the high stuff and you will burn yourself trying to put it back on. We have never had a grass fire or anything remotely close. However, the CO2 and heat the thing puts out almost makes me wish it would just go up in a ball of flames!

The only ones that serve any purpose are the ones between the floor of the car, and the exhaust. Thas only if after you remove it you notice the floor of the car get hot.

 

Otherwise dont park in tall grass or weeds.

 

nipper

The shields on the front pipes are there to keep the exhaust hotter when it enters the catalytic converter. Hotter exhaust means more efficient operation of the cat and quicker light-off.

Main problem with removing heatshields= surrounding rubber componants deteriorate faster. So if the steering rack boots or the halfshaft boots aren't protected from the radiant heat of the exhaust, they cook and tear.

 

Other than that, don't worry.

 

Btw, I think it was an EA81 wagon that torched a field and forest in montana this fall. The cat lit the grass after they got it stuck, and the fire melted the block and tranny, which flowed down hill.

The shields on the front pipes are there to keep the exhaust hotter when it enters the catalytic converter. Hotter exhaust means more efficient operation of the cat and quicker light-off.

 

Personally i keep all of mine on the car. i laughed when the dealer told the previous owner 500.00 to replace them cause they were loose.

 

nipper

I keep mine on the car because I go off road occasionally. At least two Subarus have been the culprit in major fires.

Mine actuallydropped enough to get rolled into a ball underneath the car on the way home one day. No salvaging it.

 

 

Been 2 years, car hasn't burned up yet! And it's insured if it does..........

Dealer wanted $39 to tighten one heat shield panel on mine. He kind of said it was near (or over) the "y" of the exhaust system.

 

I was told the same trick, to bang on it with a hammer until I find one loose. Any hints at finding it? I haven't actually looked for it yet, but a general starting point would help me.

 

97 Leg outback.

Thanks.