Hey,

I'm looking at removing the exhaust heat shield to make my engine bay look a bit nicer and reduce a bit of weight. Is it safe to remove and is there any legal implications?

Thanks

Matt

Yes. No.

Sorry to hijack thread somewhat, but can anyone shed a little light on how it actually comes off?? I have a small rocker cover gasket leak and need to clean the manifold but can't get it free. I remove the 4 bolts at the top and the 2 stud nuts at the bottom, but it wouldn't budge. What else needs to come off??

Cheers,
Thomas.

Eklipze3k said:

Yes. No.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your help! Whipping it off when I get a chance!

tp0tter said:

Sorry to hijack thread somewhat, but can anyone shed a little light on how it actually comes off?? I have a small rocker cover gasket leak and need to clean the manifold but can't get it free. I remove the 4 bolts at the top and the 2 stud nuts at the bottom, but it wouldn't budge. What else needs to come off??

Cheers,
Thomas.

Click to expand...

I had to cut mine up to get it out. Did eventually budge.

Okay thanks, if I ever get around to taking the engine out I'll have a crack at it then

Every part fitted to the car is a cost for the manufacturer. The less they fit, the more profit they make. So they chose to fit this heatshield. There must be a reason.
The manufacturer considers that if the heat is allowed to radiate from the manifold, nearby components may suffer from exposure to that heat. They may not have undertaken fully exhaustive testing, but have erred on the safe side, to prevent any issues.
Experience of others, having removed it, may indicate no problems. But there is still a risk.
After removal, might be a good idea to check regularly for any signs of damage.

The plastic bonnet pull guide can melt. Happened on mine so re-fitted a heat shield.
The radiator and pipes have to come off. Removing front bumper make life a lot easier but some mounting screws can be a pain.