23 replies to this topic

[DrDomm]

Anyone have recommendations on any products/methods to keep my right foot from igniting?

[Glenn]

Anyone have recommendations on any products/methods to keep my right foot from igniting?

3/4" plywood, I'm mounting my seat on it after my experience last weekend LOL

[Todd Green]

http://www.designeng...ls/reflect-cool

Put it on the outside of the footwell (under the car). Before people say it isn't legal read Fastrack (it is supposed to be updated to say it can be on the inside or outside.)

There is this one as well, but it is more expensive and the stuff above works great:

http://www.designeng...ound-insulation

[Jim Boemler]

I tried some heat-reflective paint on the underside of the tunnel. I think there may have been a slight improvement, but it's not much. If I had it to do again, I wouldn't bother -- the stuff is pretty expensive.

One thing I always wanted to try was a little sheet-metal vane attached to the exhaust. The idea would be to cause air to swirl up the passenger side of the tunnel, and down the drivers side, to direct heat down away from the car. Obviously it doesn't help in grid, and is arguably illegal anyway.

Some folks are using the quilted metal heat blankets under the car.

[Vance J]

I install Cool Mat on the tunnel and floor before the race this past weekend at CMP. My feet never got hot and the inside of the car was cooler overall. IT's about 1/4" thick and grey in color, which added a little padding under my feet.

[Alberto]

I used this stuff DEI Floor and Tunnel Shields:
http://www.summitrac...rts/DEI-050503/

Description:
DEI's floor and tunnel shields add a new dimension to heat control with minimal clearance needed--only 3/16 in.! Constructed utilizing an embossed aluminum face bonded to a composite fiberglass insulation and backed with an aggressive adhesive that holds past 450 degrees F., they're capable of handling direct temperatures up to 1750 degrees F. These shields are tough enough for under vehicle applications. They're great as a sound barrier, blocking out up to 50 percent of unwanted road noise. Self adhesive for easy installation, these shields can be cut with tin snips to any shape to suit your application.


The key to heat management in this area is the fiberglass insulation combined with the reflective aluminum 'face'. Just the reflective stuff w/o the fiberglass insulation doesn't seem to be enough to isolate the passenger compartment from consistent heat exposure in my experience.

This stuff works incredibly well. I have never had hot feet or a hot trans tunnel with this stuff installed. I installed it on the firewall in front of driver's feet and in the transmission tunnel (sides and top). The engine and trans were in the car when I installed it. I cut it into ~8-12" strips and stuck it on. I cleaned the surfaces thoroughly and scrubbed/wiped it down with a hard bristle brush as best I could so that it would stick and not come off. I did a less thorough job of cleaning on my street car and it is still sticking well but not quite as well as the SM.

Just to be clear - install from the engine compartment and under the car. Not inside the cockpit.

[Jim Boemler]

You added the stuff INSIDE the car, Vance? What did you do to be sure it stayed in place? If the stuff wadded up during a race it could be a bad scene.

[DrDomm]

Great info people. Thanks.

[Todd Green]

The key to heat management in this area is the fiberglass insulation combined with the reflective aluminum 'face'. Just the reflective stuff w/o the fiberglass insulation doesn't seem to be enough to isolate the passenger compartment from consistent heat exposure in my experience.

That's what's in my second link several posts above yours. I have some of it as well, but never needed it. The first link is quite a bit cheaper and my foot never gets hot, even when it hits 110 ambient out here. I got the 12x24 sheet and didn't even use all of it. But if people want to spend a bunch of extra money, go for it. Did you actually try the material in my first link and found that your foot still got hot?

Edit looks like the 24x24 sheet is actually cheaper right now than the 12x24.

[Armando Ramirez]

I used this stuff DEI Floor and Tunnel Shields:
http://www.summitrac...rts/DEI-050503/

Description:
DEI's floor and tunnel shields add a new dimension to heat control with minimal clearance needed--only 3/16 in.! Constructed utilizing an embossed aluminum face bonded to a composite fiberglass insulation and backed with an aggressive adhesive that holds past 450 degrees F., they're capable of handling direct temperatures up to 1750 degrees F. These shields are tough enough for under vehicle applications. They're great as a sound barrier, blocking out up to 50 percent of unwanted road noise. Self adhesive for easy installation, these shields can be cut with tin snips to any shape to suit your application.


The key to heat management in this area is the fiberglass insulation combined with the reflective aluminum 'face'. Just the reflective stuff w/o the fiberglass insulation doesn't seem to be enough to isolate the passenger compartment from consistent heat exposure in my experience.

This stuff works incredibly well. I have never had hot feet or a hot trans tunnel with this stuff installed. I installed it on the firewall in front of driver's feet and in the transmission tunnel (sides and top). The engine and trans were in the car when I installed it. I cut it into ~8-12" strips and stuck it on. I cleaned the surfaces thoroughly and scrubbed/wiped it down with a hard bristle brush as best I could so that it would stick and not come off. I did a less thorough job of cleaning on my street car and it is still sticking well but not quite as well as the SM.

Just to be clear - install from the engine compartment and under the car. Not inside the cockpit.

Glad to hear it worked for you.

I just installed this on mine, but did not go as far front as the engine compartment.
I will find out this and next weekends at HMS.

[Duncan]

You added the stuff INSIDE the car, Vance? What did you do to be sure it stayed in place? If the stuff wadded up during a race it could be a bad scene.

Jim,

I use the same product. Mine is held in place with silicon adhesive and rivets. It works very well. No complaints of hot feet. Below are some pictures from installation.





Duncan

[Alberto]

That's what's in my second link several posts above yours. I have some of it as well, but never needed it. The first link is quite a bit cheaper and my foot never gets hot, even when it hits 110 ambient out here. I got the 12x24 sheet and didn't even use all of it. But if people want to spend a bunch of extra money, go for it. Did you actually try the material in my first link and found that your foot still got hot?

Edit looks like the 24x24 sheet is actually cheaper right now than the 12x24.

Oops. You are correct. I only clicked on your first link.

I did try the single layer, non fiberglass stuff on my RX7 (turbo rotary) but not on the Miata. It did not provide as much heat reduction as with the fiberglass stuff in my link / your second link. Granted, the turbo rotary will generate more heat than the Miata but even when used in the trans tunnel, which should be comparable, I noticed less heat with the floor and tunnel stuff.

The install was annoying. IMO, If I'm going to go to the trouble of cleaning a difficult to reach part of the car and install this stuff, I don't want to ever have to go back there to do it again. I don't mind spending the extra few bucks for that small luxury

[Alberto]

Glad to hear it worked for you.

I just installed this on mine, but did not go as far front as the engine compartment.
I will find out this and next weekends at HMS.

To be clear, I only added this to the firewall directly in front of where my feet would go. Rather small section.

[Jim Boemler]

Thanks for the pics, Duncan!

[Bench Racer]

I've added the mat external to an F production car & to a Spec Miata. Heat is no longer an issue.

[Vance J]

As Duncan said, I glued mine with 3M contact. Then used pop rivets around tithe edges. Have about 6 hours on the car after the mats were installed with no issues. Currently the mat stops at the seat. I going to extend it under the seat and over the tunnel.

[AW33COM]

So where is the heat go once you glue the entire tunnel and engine firewall? The heat has to go somewhere. Is some of the heat from the engine going back to the engine bay and the power drops?

[Alberto]

So where is the heat go once you glue the entire tunnel and engine firewall? The heat has to go somewhere. Is some of the heat from the engine going back to the engine bay and the power drops?

The stuff we are talking about has an aluminumized reflective surface. The stuff essentially gets glued to the surface of the trans tunnel and firewall. The reflective surface reduces the transfer of radiant heat (from the exhaust, engine, trans) to the area behind it - i.e. the car's interior - by reflecting it back into the air space in front of it - i.e. the trans tunnel and everything in the tunnel.

If you install it under the car / outside the cockpit, it reflects the heat before it gets absorbed by the sheet metal which then heats up and acts like a radiator radiating the heat all over the interior. You can tell just by touching it.

I reckon that when using the stuff that installs inside the cockpit, the trans tunnel and cockpit and floor boards under the mat still gets hot and is hotter than if you were to install something on the underside.

Hope that helps answer your question. Wikipedia has some good info on thermal dynamics if you're ever bored enough to re-learn the physics we all forgot from college and high school...

[Jim Boemler]

The short answer is that the heat goes the same place most of it does already: out the back of the car as heated air. These blankets don't enclose the tunnel, they just nestle up against the top and sides of it.

[pitbull113]

I'm bringing this back from the dead. Any new ideas on this subject?