Amazon: Firewall insulation/heat blanket

[BLS07]

Hi All

Would love to know what you all prefer & recommend for fireball heat insulation on your Amazons.

Not interested in sound deadening; I love the sound!!

Am interested in reducing cabin temp, so to speak.

Current carpets from previous owner but tatty & super basic; near zero heat insulation at firewall. Previous owner based in Finland, so quite probably had it exactly how his environment required it to be.

Great under floor, with rubber matts atop.
So don’t want to change anything there either.

Dynamat?

HeatBlok - I’ve heard good things.
http://www.heatblok.com/index.html

Most grateful f any tips, recommendations and advice here!

Cheers!
BLS

[Burdekin]

3m thinsulate or this copy https://www.carinsulation.co.uk/prod...hobic-acoustic

You use to be able to buy the bulkhead insulation for a left hand car and use inside out for a RHD car, not sure how good it fits.

[Derek UK]

You appear to have a LHD car. The standard felt kit is available for LHD and not RHD. I don't think it's quite a simple as using the LHD one inside out but I'm sure Brookhouse can get you one if you want to try. Even the LHD kit has to have some "sewing" done. You may like the noise but after a 1500 journey you might change your mind when you see what even the original felt can do for easy cruising. Note the number of big bore ricers cruising at 50 on the motorways!

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by Derek UK

You appear to have a LHD car. The standard felt kit is available for LHD and not RHD. I don't think it's quite a simple as using the LHD one inside out but I'm sure Brookhouse can get you one if you want to try. Even the LHD kit has to have some "sewing" done. You may like the noise but after a 1500 journey you might change your mind when you see what even the original felt can do for easy cruising. Note the number of big bore ricers cruising at 50 on the motorways!

Few years now Derek but it was Simon that said about using a LHD one reversed as RHD ones weren't available. He said a customer had done it but I never saw the finished product.

[142 Guy]

Thinsulate is an excellent acoustic and thermal insulator; but, it needs to be uncompressed. As such, it does not work well under anything that might compress it (i.e. not for the floor or transmission tunnel where it will be compressed with floor covering). Mass loaded vinyl with a foam decoupler is probably a better choice for under carpet thermal insulation (although primarily sold for noise reduction). The foil faced under hood thermal insulation blankets can be used; however, the foil facing is on the wrong side (cold side) and it is in physical contact with the covering so would be rendered useless as a radiative reflector. Straight closed cell foam would work just as well and be less costly.

Thinsulate will work well on the inside firewall. Cutting and mounting will be fussy.

As an observation, the radiant heat released to the cabin by the B20 in my 1971 142E is not a material issue. In the summer, the primary cause of high temperatures in the passenger cabin on my 140 are solar gain, solar gain, solar gain, and leakage of hot coolant through the heater core caused by failure of the heater valve to shut off. Elevated cabin temperatures caused by solar gain are exacerbated by the all black leather interior on my E / GL model.

What is doable short of adding air conditioning and changing the color of the interior?
- add a lining of thinsulate between the roof skin and the head lining
- get some IR reflective film for the window glass - does not have to be 'privacy dark' to block IR gain
- make sure that your heater control valve is completely shutting off coolant flow. You may need an external summer only shut off valve to make this happen.
- open the windows. Should not be an issue since you don't mind noise.

A thermal blanket on the firewall won't hurt. If you think exhaust system heat is contributing to interior heating it may be more effective to wrap the exhaust tubing under the floor with thermal blankets made specifically for that purpose or you can purchase stick on reflective barriers to apply to the bottom of the floor directly over the exhaust pipes. The latter does not work so well once the reflective surface gets dirty.

You could consider Llizardskin ceramic; but, that is a product that needs to be applied to a clean surface. Typically sprayed after a complete body restoration.

[BLS07]

Originally Posted by Derek UK

You appear to have a LHD car. The standard felt kit is available for LHD and not RHD. I don't think it's quite a simple as using the LHD one inside out but I'm sure Brookhouse can get you one if you want to try. Even the LHD kit has to have some "sewing" done. You may like the noise but after a 1500 journey you might change your mind when you see what even the original felt can do for easy cruising. Note the number of big bore ricers cruising at 50 on the motorways!

Hi Derek

Cheers for the help & advice here!

Yep, it’s a LHD 2-door.

Haven’t driven as far as say Scotland yet.
However, I have done a few 150-200mile drives; great fun!

All good never a bother about the sound of the car; guess I just like the sound cocoon it’s put me in..??


One day I'll make the drive to Sweden + ferries etc.
Likewise the fjords throughout Norway, in particular Norway's Atlantic road!!


OK great, the LHD felt pack, sounds promising.

Maybe on top of some mass loaded vinyl (MLV) per 142Guy suggestions too;
what do you all think about that approach?

Issue
I’ve noted heat through firewall as a drive progresses, largely / most noticeable in slower/dense traffic as engine temp generally lifts a tad in those conditions.

Am looking to improve heat insulation, reducing the emanating heat from engine, exhaust, trans tunnel from entering into the cabin...via trans tunnel + firewall

Ideas to help alleviate issue
- replacing all grommets
- rubber sleeve at base of heater box etc is knackered.
- all heater foam gaskets, as I am refurbishing HCV anyway
- around gear lever/gater needs a look
- Anything suitable to wrap around the exhaust running under the floor?


Anyone used the Heatblok product with a positive result?

The Heatblok - was a suggestion I saw posted by Phil Singer

Being ex-USA it mightn't be the most practical option; but potentially willing if it's indeed an optimal installation option;

Really appreciate all the help, feedback and comms here.
Tremendously!

cheers all

[BLS07]

Sorry just to add

Any tips on the below would be terrific;

- Exhaust blankets for under floor area
(per 142Guy suggestion, cheers 142Guy!)

- Mass loaded Vinyl; source of supply
(lots about, but super grateful for recommendations)

Cheers & huge thanks

[Burdekin]

It’s confusing what are you wanting to achieve and where do you want to insulate? MLV or similar is used to dampen vibrations and block noise. Closed cell foam is used decouple the sound deadening layer and sound blocking layer and also will reduce heat transfer. Blocking all holes into the cabin will reduce a lot of the noise transfer. Personally a properly insulated cabin makes it a much more pleasant environment, you can then hold a conversation without having to raise your voice or listen to some music without having it really loud. I use tecsound 50 which is similar to MLV and got my closed cell foam from https://www.carinsulation.co.uk/prod...am_car_heat_pe
The 5mm thick foam can be built up in layers so you can add more where needed. So if you are just wanting to block heat then thinsulate and closed cell foam are what you need.
Big cavities can be stuffed with thinsulate to block noise transfer.
Wrapping the exhaust will result in it rusting out faster.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showt...=305180&page=9

[142 Guy]

Mass loaded vinyl (MLV) looks like a solid rubber sheet and by itself would be a modest thermal barrier. MLV is frequently sold with a foam de coupler attached to it which would provide more thermal insulation. The source provided by Burdekin lists dual layer MLV with a closed cell foam lining

https://www.carinsulation.co.uk/prod...ing-insulation

MLV is a heavy product (there is a reason why Mass is in the name) and you do not want to be shipping it across an ocean so it would be best to find a local supplier. If you really don't mind road noise then I would not use MLV and just use layers of closed cell foam for thermal insulation under the carpets. You could also apply closed cell foam to the inside of the firewall using a spray adhesive; but, thinsulate would probably be more effective as a thermal barrier.

Burdekin is correct that wrapping the exhaust system can contribute to rusting if you use those woven tapes that are typically fiberglass / Nomex / Kevlar based. The exposed woven stuff can accumulate moisture. I was thinking something more like this:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hsp-120620
effectively solid heat shields applied around the hot parts. Not cheap, requires some fabrication skill and also requires clearance space for installation.

The following product is probably easier to apply directly to 'hot stuff'. Edges and seams would have to be sealed up with high temperature tape to prevent moisture from getting trapped between the blanket and pipe / muffler and requires external stainless tie wraps or bands for fastening.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hsp-170105?rrec=true

Thermal barriers applied to the exhaust system would be a last resort. Personally I would pursue closed cell foam under the carpet as it would be much less work to install and more permanent. Unless you have switched to a stainless steel exhaust system anything attached to the exhaust system will likely have to be replaced when the exhaust system is replaced.

[c1800]

I have Heatblok installed on the tunnel and firewall and it does make a difference in heat level in the cabin.