Finally got time to do maintenance on the 92 Loyale. The embarrasingly noisy rattle is definitely the driver's side exhaust pipe heat shield - one bolt out of about 8 remains and the thing is just rattling around. Plus the steering rack boot above it is toast. Any suggestions on replacing the heat shield so the new rack boot doesn't fry?

I got a couple long hose clamps that held the heat shield in place for a while, until the hose clamps rattled completely loose and fell off ( ).

 

I need to put it back on, but this time I'll JB weld the clamps so they can't come loose.

 

-Dave

Exactly what I woke up thinking. Thanks for the JB Weld tip. Did you clamp at all the original bolt locations? Or just the ends?

Mine just had a tack-welds on each corner of the heat shield that broke. I just put the clamps on either end.

Take the thing off and remove the broken bolts so you can bolt it back up?

 

Cobbling things together with hose clamps like that is just going to cause more problems in the long run. Better to invest in some drill bits and taps to fix it right - then you have the tools to fix the next similar problem the right way as well.

 

GD

Take the thing off and remove the broken bolts so you can bolt it back up?

 

Cobbling things together with hose clamps like that is just going to cause more problems in the long run. Better to invest in some drill bits and taps to fix it right - then you have the tools to fix the next similar problem the right way as well.

 

GD

GD, no argument from me on that statement - BTDT . However, the ears on the 3-section heat shield are badly rusted, and have been tack-welded at some time in the past. So, next question - how important to the cat and the rack boot is the driver's side shield? (Pass. side exhaust pipe has no shield, and the rack boot is OK) Meanwhile, hose clamps are it for the short term.

Well - it's mostly the cat that gets hot and needs the heat shield to protect the pass. axle boot. If your problems are with the runner's to the heads then I would probably just toss them. They shouldn't get hot enough to cause problems with the rack boots. Many of the older EA81 y-pipes didn't have heat shields on the runners anyway.

 

You could wrap them in fiberglass heat cloth if you are concerned. It's just as effective and arguably more so - plus it will never rattle.

 

GD

I agree with the removal, but if you have ANY oil leaks, do not use the fiberglass wrap. The oil will saturate the wrap and it may catch on fire!!!

OK, it's comin' off. And guess what? The cat has no heat shield at all on this car, whereas my old 84 EA-81 went through right-side axle boots until I made one up for the cat.

I agree with the removal, but if you have ANY oil leaks, do not use the fiberglass wrap. The oil will saturate the wrap and it may catch on fire!!!

 

You can wrap over the fiberglass cloth with silver heat tape and then the oil will just drip off.

 

GD