02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

Hello, just wanted to show everyone that's interested the heat shield that I fabricated for my Frankencar Intake. I've had it on my '02 Maxima for about a month now and it works great. It seems to keep alot of the heat out. It's made from a clear plexi glass/acrylic sheet. I can't decide if I want to paint it or not. Anyway, check it out and let me know what ya'll think. If anyone is interested I may be willing to fabricate a few to sell. Here is the link to all the pics.

http://www.netsnapshot.com/pcw/build...1&ACCOUNT=9246

Here's a couple small pics.

2K2_6spd

iTrader: (1)

how much to make me one?

mattattax

me 2

ajahearn

iTrader: (3)

This is probably a stupid question but I would have thought plexi-glass/acrylic would not be able to sustain the high temperatures normally found under the hood. Is this some special form of plexi-glass? I know they make kitchen baking pans out of different types of glass so perhaps this is that kind of stuff. Anyways, just curious.

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

I could probably make them for about $45. It's alot of work and the materials are kinda expensive. Just shoot me an email if your interested.

mzdaspeed@hotmail.com

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

It's high impact acrylic. I've had it on my car for about a month here in the Hot Texas weather and have had no problems. It's held up just fine.

NYC2SD

I agree, are you sure that thing won't melt? What temp is plexiglass rated to?

MichaelAE

iTrader: (1)

http://www.boedeker.com/acryl_p.htm

150-200F degrees. Not so sure you want that stuff in your engine bay. It has a relatively low degree of thermal conductivity, but that number is rated at "room temp" of 73F degrees...doubtful that it is really doing such a great job at engine bay temperatures.

A much better choice would be an industrial laminate. Operating temperatures into the 400's and reasonable conductivity.

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

Not sure what temp it is rated to. Maybe thats something I need to check into. Like I said before it's been on my car for a month and the last few weeks here in Texas the temp has been in the 90's. I also went on a 300 mile trip last weekend and it held up just fine. If it was going to melt I think it would of done it then.

MichaelAE

iTrader: (1)

Try to track down some Silicon Resin Industrial-rated Laminate. The key property of this thing which is good is that once formed, it cannot be reformed....in other words, it won't bend or warp and it has an operating temp close to 500 degrees. Another positive property is that they are flame-retardant...they will "put themselves out."

NYC2SD

The way its positioned, it maybe receiving additional heat from the rear exhaust manifold and block fresh air coming from the grill.

MichaelAE

iTrader: (1)

FYI...Bodecker is in Texas...in Shiner.

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

I'll check into the temp rating on the acrylic that I'm using and let ya'll know. I'll also look into the industrial laminate. That might be better to use.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

I was thinking the same thing, NYC2SD.

MichaelAE

iTrader: (1)

That's kind of like saying that you'll check to see what temperature YOUR water boils at and let us know.

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

MichaelAE

iTrader: (1)

Plexiglass melts at the same temperature whether it is your plexiglass or my plexiglass or anybody's plexiglass. Physical properties of substances don't change based on who you get them from.

jconway

compared to a regular intake with approx 5hp gain, how much can be expected with the heat sheild?

[maxi-overdose]

iTrader: (3)

0 hp gain...u just slow down the hot air coming towards to ur filter. esp when u running at low speed. Heat shield will help in preventing low low-end torque.

and frankencar doesnt just yield a 5hp gain...it actually go up to 10hp gain. the owner did a dyno.

one thing that I would consider is that if there is enough space for the mid pipe and the shield. too close might make them contact and vibrates the MAF...which leads to one of the many possible causes of MAF failure.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

OK. Here's my question. If a heat shield prevents the air filter from ingesting hot air, does it inadvertantly prevent the air filter from ingesting cold air as well? Think about it. The way hot air is removed is when the car is moving and cold air circulates under the hood. If you put something on or around the air filter that slows down or prevents cold air from circulating around it, what have you accomplished?

Steve's idea of introducing a 2" diameter tube to provide cold air to the intake is interesting. We'll see if that really makes a difference.

[maxi-overdose]

iTrader: (3)

if the cold air source is blocked...than I will see the filter might not pick up as much cold air as before. y2kse.....I think you are making things too complicated and I know it is all in ur head recently The hard part about this task is where we are going to insert the heatshield. I would say a good position would be giving the filter as much space as possible and also a good opening for cold air source. hope someone can do a temp study w/ and w/o the shield.

Steve's idea of a cold air duct is good at lowering engine bay temp once the car start to pick up the speed. But from a dead stop, I doubt it does much....I think that's why he wanna combo a heat shield with it.

spaaz14

Does this heatshield truely make any difference? The air in the CIA isn't exposed to this heat source for very long, and really doesn't time absorb the heat (Unless maybe the instant off the line when the volume flow is low).

The reason I say this is in regards to the design of radiators. The grill and misc stuff infront of it actually serves the purpous of slowing down the airflow past the radiator. It was found that high speed airflow doesn't allow a good transffer of heat.

The Max probably draws about 340cu?feet of air a minute under WOT. Roughly ~? 60~80mph flow velocity down the pipe?

MichaelAE

iTrader: (1)

I think the primary purpose of the heat shield is for precisely that situation...off the line when the air flow is low or non-existant. The loss of power, low-end torque, off the line is what everybody is trying to prevent.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

Well it's fun to conjecture about all this. But as [maxi-overdose] said, it's all in my head until somebody builds a heat shield and tests it on a dyno or, better yet, the track!

hawks25

I think a cool air tube providing cool air to an enclosed box combined with heat wrap would be the best bet (I suppose a shield would work too, but not as effectively).

This is my stock setup on my Volvo and I am astonished as to how cold the air is at the intake manifold. The air is taken from a scoop above the radiator and is routed to the stock airbox, then to the turbo, the intercooler, and finally the TB. I have heat-wrapped the tubing from the intake scoop to the airbox, from the airbox to the turbo, then from the intercooler to the TB. On a cool night, after a vigorous 30 mile drive home, I could place my hand on the intake manifold and leave it there. Even after whooping a WRX (didn't know how to launch and had a 300+ lb. passenger..how could you not pass that up?), the manifold was cool to the touch. I honestly believe this is the sole reason that my T5 does not ping, or so much as give me the overboost code, at 15 psi (I have been told by many Volvo owners that we cannot go above 12 psi on US pump gas (UK has 98 octane on the pump...sons a beeyotches)).

Something to think about...

Colonel

This design does also...did anybody notice he left the existing "scoop" from the original airbox in there? Its no different than Steves in principal. Steve draws from the bottom..this guy from the top.... so why are we saying it "blocks" cold air?

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

It couldn't block cold air, Colonel. If it did, the engine wouldn't run with the stock airbox installed!

Why intake manufacturers would rather route tubing over, under and around the engine looking for a source of cold air when that source is sitting right under their noses and doesn't cost them a dime is a complete mystery to me. Talk about reinventing the wheel . . .

Whoever's first to come up with a heat shield that uses the stock air scoop to deliver cold air to the filter will definitely have a winner on their hands. And if that's not enough, consider this. Once you've got the air scoop providing cold air to the filter, you'll be able to use your OSCAI to increase the flow. If anyone thinks they can outdo THAT combination, I'd suggest they're sadly mistaken.

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

If you saw the pics I posted you would see that I "DID" use the stock air scoop to deliver cold air to the filter.

Colonel

I know...that is why I am confused about all this "blocked" talk. Unless they are wanting to derive cold air elsewhere?

I dont know about the heat soak of the material being used or if it indeed makes any difference or not, but I do know that if you look at the later pictures, when you install the Ram Tube to the TB, you will notice that the stock scoop is very visable and incorporated into your design.

I was going to show the exact pic but I think your bandwidth has been exceeded or the pics removed...?

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

The pics should still be there, I think the site just went down. Maybe it will come back up later.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I did see that 02MAXSE. Simply leaving the OEM air scoop in place will deliver some cold air to the filter when the vehicle is moving. That's why I left mine in place. But what I had in mind is something more enclosed than your heat shield . . . something along the line of Steve's prototype design. If you look at it, you'll see that the fresh air source enters from the rear of the shield. That doesn't make any sense to me at all. Why not attach the stock air scoop to the shield and let air enter from the front? Of if Steve absolutely, positively has to have cold air enter the shield from the rear, why not connect it to the stock air scoop as well and have cold air enter from both directions?

I'm prepared to be wrong about this if anyone can explain to me the fault in my thinking. Batter up!

Colonel

[Takes a swing] I agree with it in part...but not the part you are. My thoughts are get the "cold" air in the box as soon as possible.

IF you run the tube further throught the engine bay, you will be dealing with heat soak of that air supply tube. If the box is feed cold air...really it should not matter where, as I dont think any testing has been done on the patterns of airflow within our theoritical box. So if he feeds it in from the back...ok no biggie. But if he is running supply tubing from the bottom over the tranny and then into the back of the box....seems like more heat can be absorbed?

If you can use the front air scoop and just "jam" it into the front you might have cooler air more consistantly. Plus depending on the length of the supply tube, you might even be able to suck the cold air from the tube. But I dont know the air movement patterns and such to even promote this as anything more than an idea. [/Takes a swing]

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

We appear to be on the same team, Colonel. You've just provided one more good reason to use the stock air scoop to deliver fresh air to a fully or partially enclosed heat shield. Thanks!

This much I will say. If Steve hasn't figured out a way to connect the stock air scoop to his heat shield by the time he's ready to go into production, that will be the first thing I mod when I get mine.

MichaelAE

iTrader: (1)

I think 02MAXSE has got the right idea. Two points for creativity. I'd like to hear other's feedback about his design if he builds some of those boxes for anybody else. I just voiced my recommendation that he change materials to something with a melting point a little higher up the thermometer.

Colonel

Yup...I would like the person to mount a temp point inside by the intake and one just a couple inches from the outside of the box. That within itself should give us testing point. I am interested in his design on the simple principal of how sharp it looked and time was spent on the design.

jconway

I have a question, mainly due to my inexperience (but you have to learn some how). This heat sheild creates more of a box. I'm wondering the effect of a sheild surrounding the intake like the ones made by Injen. How does it vary, and how much performance is lost even though it doesn't absorb as much heat?
-jc

02MAXSE

iTrader: (2)

I was planning on doing that this weekend. I'll post results as soon as I have them.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

Well that's where you and I separate paths, Colonel. If I could figure out a way to do what this guy did for $2.99 and connect it to my stock air scoop, the story would be over!

http://www.540i6.com/heatshield.html

Talk about taking out the trash. I just LOVE ingenuity!

dmbmaxima2k2

iTrader: (1)

mine should be otu soon for about 25 bucks.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

That's great, Steve. Two questions:

1) Will it work with any HAI or only with a Frankencar HAI?

2) If you're utilizing an enclosed design like the pic you posted recently, will it be possible to drill a hole in the front of it and connect a tube to the back of stock air scoop?