Heat Sheild Issue revisit

[Guest canedog18]

I tried doing a search on the subject but didn't find the fairly large thread I thought was out there on the subject.

Anyway my 97 Outbacks heat sheilds have rattled loose again and I'm looking for any long term fix for this. I don't want to just remove them because I think they are there for a reason. I've also thought about using that header heat wrap stuff. What is the concensus on this nagging issue? Thanks !!

[Guest Setright]

Stuff steel wool or glass wool (Rockwool) into the cavities between pipes and shield. You might want to test the material for flammabilty before you go ahead - catalyst gets hot enough to start fires!

[Guest Suzam]

Get a couple of BIG metal hose clamps. I got the ones used for the waste lines on motor homes. Thread the two together at the screw tightners, first one only, then wrap around heat shield connect the other one and tighten. If you get it on a good spot to grip, it won't move, just check it later for tightness. I like this better than jamming steel wool or brass scrub pads in there because they act like heat sinks and don't allow air circulation.

[Guest Strakes]

I agree with Suzam. The two very large metal hose clamps threaded together solved the rattle permanently on a previous car of mine. I believe that Suzam's method is the best way to secure it.

[Guest gbhrps]

A heat shield rattle on my 97 OB drove me crazy, and the muffler guy (notice that I didn't call him a technician) wanted to tear all the heat shields off. I said "NO!" and told him to put an ordinary exhaust pipe clamp on the end of the shield and tighten it down until it crushed the one end of the shield, where it had broken its mount, onto the exhaust pipe itself. The rattle was gone, the shield was still in place, the cost was negligent, and the shield is still going strong 3 years later.

[Guest canedog18]

Well the clamp idea seems to be the method of choice. Cheap and easy, I like it !! Thanks everyone

[Guest Commuter]

I've had good luck with the large worm gear hose clamps on a previous car.

 

My 97 OB has remained surprisingly rattle free. I have noticed however that someone (I think prior to my buying the car at 2 yo) strategically inserted some screws into the ends of the header heat shields (like a wedge to tighten things). Whatever... it seems to be working. The dealer must have known what he was doing, because the prior owner didn't do anything himself to my knowledge.

 

Commuter