Lower heat shield question Options

[technicalninja]

I've got the beginnings of a performance T4.
I bought a decent 73 2.0 core complete from 914Sixer.
I got a set of 1.8 SSI aftermarket heat exchangers from another member that are also pretty nice.

What I am missing is the bottom tins that go between the heat exchangers and the engine case.

Anytime folks put dedicated headers on a T4 these are left off...

How important are they?

I'm thinking "not much" but I would like insight from others.

Thanks

Rick

[rhodyguy]

What’s the upside to not using them? A few bucks? Losing a few ounces of original weight? New ones are reasonable $. Nice used originals? Dirt cheap.

[wonkipop]

What’s the upside to not using them? A few bucks? Losing a few ounces of original weight? New ones are reasonable $. Nice used originals? Dirt cheap.

one of the more amusing aspects of those warm air guides is not something any of us with our fuel injected cars would have need to notice.

but if you were one of the lucky european owners of the plucky little twin carb 1.8 that went in the 74/75 small engine cars you got a standard low pressure mechanical fuel pump - which in a type 4 engine is in the strangest location.

check the photos (from haynes manual).



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would not have given a bus or a 411/412 owner the slightest bit of trouble tucked there.
the warm air guides are sending the hot cooling exhaust towards the other end of the engine.

but i'm betting the euro 1.8s had a fuel vaporisation problem worse than anything the fuel injected cars ever had. cause i reckon those VW and porsche engineers might have had one too many beers when they thought that one up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

on the other hand in a standard type 4 rear engined car the oil filter basks in the beautiful hot air flow of both the exhausted engine air and the oil cooler. gets a double barrelled dose.

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but honestly if i could get hold of a set of warm air guides i'd probably stick them on just to stop things getting hot around the fuel pump when i'm sitting stuck in traffic because i do think that is a bit of a problem and i have noticed it. but not sure they really do much else.