After installing my IRS I was evaluating how I was going to set-up my diff oil cooler. The Tilton pump was going where the evap canister was but the HE itself presented some challenges as there was not much room for one behind the fuel tank where there is 0 airflow. Looking at the catback exhaust proximity to the differential and how both pipes cradled the housing. What it resembled was 2 fat heat emitters had me thinking about a different approach to keeping the diff cool. since I already finned the cover why not adopt a passive cooling system over an active system (pump/HE) which is always more desirable being simpler, lighter, more reliable and won't sap the alternator for more power so I came up with a plan to insulate the top half of the portion of the catback that surrounds the diff housing.
I purchased a 3" dia. 180 degree mandrel bend stainless steel tube from Performance Tube Service in Irwindale and sliced it right down the middle and with is what I ended up with.
I wanted a way to keep this portion of the tube cool so I only insulating the top half of the pipe and I slit it into 2 sections to prevent the pipe from distorting from having such a long section of pipe welded over the existing pipe causing some heat distortion which may cause the tail pipe to move where it exits the exhaust cutout in the body work. The holes are to allow for heat that gets trapped to escape.
Here you can see the 3/16" risers welded to the pipe to space the insulator off the pipe
I polished the inside of the shrouds to reflect the IR heat radiating off the pipe
After welding
Finished results
The insulating material is 1/4" thick ceramic fiber sheet from Heatshield Products. I was going to rivet it on but decided to use SS CV joint boot straps instead.
clearance check
Here's a bottom shot which is off center because I had to lay my camera phone on the floor and could see the view finder
These heat shields should reduce the IR radiation off the exhaust the differential housing is exposed to quite substantially and will probably drop the diff temps down 5-10 degrees. not huge but I should help the finned rear cover shed the heat more effectively not having to deal with the exhaust heat.
:rockon:
I purchased a 3" dia. 180 degree mandrel bend stainless steel tube from Performance Tube Service in Irwindale and sliced it right down the middle and with is what I ended up with.
I wanted a way to keep this portion of the tube cool so I only insulating the top half of the pipe and I slit it into 2 sections to prevent the pipe from distorting from having such a long section of pipe welded over the existing pipe causing some heat distortion which may cause the tail pipe to move where it exits the exhaust cutout in the body work. The holes are to allow for heat that gets trapped to escape.
Here you can see the 3/16" risers welded to the pipe to space the insulator off the pipe
I polished the inside of the shrouds to reflect the IR heat radiating off the pipe
After welding
Finished results
The insulating material is 1/4" thick ceramic fiber sheet from Heatshield Products. I was going to rivet it on but decided to use SS CV joint boot straps instead.
clearance check
Here's a bottom shot which is off center because I had to lay my camera phone on the floor and could see the view finder
These heat shields should reduce the IR radiation off the exhaust the differential housing is exposed to quite substantially and will probably drop the diff temps down 5-10 degrees. not huge but I should help the finned rear cover shed the heat more effectively not having to deal with the exhaust heat.
:rockon:
