Ok, so over the last few weeks I've had to give a friend of mine a ride to my school in the morning. Unfortunately, her apt is down a short rode with ~ 5 HUGE speedbumps, what a major pita. Even when i take them skewed and at 1-2mph, sometimes i still hear a scrape. Well, thank god i don't have to do that anymore but today on my way to work I heard this wince of metal tapping pavement when I hit a dip ... the sound never reproduced itself but when I got to work I checked under my car and surely enough the lower heat shield around the cat was dangling from one side. I had to snap it off from the other side due to my lack of tools on hand.

The side that fell off (well both sides) where the notches that bolt to the undercarraige extrude from the shield itself rusted off, the otherside was just about to let go as well.. so snapping it off was painless.

I guess all those speedbumps caught up with me.

But while I was at work I called both autozone and NAPA and both told me they couldn't find the part I was looking for, and oddly enough, both told me that their computers said that even a catalytic converter wasn't available for my car. ('97 se)

What's up, does anyone know the PROPER name for this heat shield, and where I might be able to order one, or if an exhaust shop (midas/meineke) might be able to get one for me?

 

anyone? ....

 

my lower heat shield rusted off long ago and I haven't replaced it, don't really see a need. In fact, the heat shield fell off my mothers car, she didn't know what it was, so she brought it to her mechanic, and he said they don't usually replace broken ones.

 

you don't need the heat shield, thanks to the speed bumps you have now started stage 1 weight reduction!

 

The heat sheild is part of the catalytic converter (at least thats what my dealer told me).. it can't be replaced on its own... (who designed that?)...

 

bummer and super glue~!

 

That heat sheild does have a purpose but I have run without mine for over a year. As a matter of fact I don't have any heat sheild or splash gaurds. Back in the day I was wondering why the hel! there would be a heat shield facing the ground. And then I remembered that I lived in Wisconsin where there is the wonderful thing called snow. This heat shield is an effort to stop the snow from turning to slush on the road and becoming more dangerous.

 

i was told the only reason it is there is to not set dry grass on fire if you happen to park or drive on it a lot. mine rusted and fell off last year and i have no plans whatsoever to replace it. i asked a mechanic guy that helps me out sometimes and he said don't worry about it at all.

 

This is what I thought it was for - and dry leaves during Fall - the whole neighborhood's leaves seem to collect in my driveway

 

cat heat shields always fall off. so dont worry. Some aftermarket cats have a built in heatshield, my Carsound has a shield on one side only, which i have facing the floor.

I have the one below the shifter removed and the one above the muffler. no problems.

id just leave it be.

 

im sure if u lower the car the heat sheild doesnt stop so much snow from melting since u would be shoveling the snow with the heat shield.. if anything it might keep small rocks or bumps from hurting the cat.