In the previous installment of Wasting Time and Money, I encountered a significant issue. The turbo manifold, operating at high temperatures during track sessions, caused the cam cover to warp. This led to oil leakage onto the manifold, abruptly ending my test session.
Upon returning the car to the shop, I embarked on a mission to protect the cam cover from the heat. My solution was to craft a shield to deflect the manifold heat. I could use the mounts for the OEM manifold heat shield to secure it. First, I measured the dimensions and cut and bent the shield out of aluminum. I positioned it between the turbo mounting flange and the cam cover. To enhance its heat-reflective properties, I covered the aluminum with a heat-reflective tape. I also applied heat-reflective tape to the cam cover behind the newly fabricated shield as an extra precaution.
I felt the new shield would be enough to protect the cam cover, but I was worried that other components might be damaged by heat. I knew I could get a turbo blanket for the turbo, but the manifold was a different story. The only thing I could think of was ordering this form-a-shield stuff I found from a heat protection supplier.
Unfortunately, my initial attempts with a turbo blanket and form-a-shield were not successful. The turbo blankets, due to their bulkiness, interfered with the radiator fan, and the form-a-shield was too cumbersome to be mounted securely to the manifold. These setbacks highlighted the need for a more tailored solution.
I researched extensively and found a company that makes custom Inconel heat shields. The Inconel shields are much thinner than the turbo blankets and form-a-stuff, so they seemed like the best option. The only downside was the cost. They are super expensive, but I believe they are worth the price.
The company had the dimensions for my turbo model, but I had to ship them the manifold so they could custom-make a shield for it. Before I did that, I had bungs welded to each cylinder runner to add exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensors to the manifold. The sensors would allow me to record and monitor EGTs and send the data to the tuner for review. He could then do whatever tuners do with that information.
Once the manifold and shields were shipped back, I re-installed everything, and everything fit well. There was plenty of clearance between the turbo and radiator fan, and it looked pretty snazzy, too. The only thing left was to get it back to the track and prey that it doesn’t go up in smoke!
DS
