LivinTheDream

Hello folks,

Having read a number of posts regarding shielding the driver side cat, I purchased the DEI b/c it's not overly expensive, and can be easily removed. To my knowledge, none of the vendors publish numbers stating the temperature drop one can expect. Forum members have shared anecdotal data suggesting the oil temperature does not appear to drop--so I knew what I was getting into.

I used a FLIR 165 camera to read the temperature at the middle of the cat, shielded and unshielded sides. I think the 165 is well suited for this kind of test. For the shielded side, I used emissivity settings of .9 and .95, which seem reasonable given the type of material and texture. The unshielded side was more of a guess, as it's metal, but not polished, so I used .3, .4, .7, and .75. I did not capture any images this time.

I put the car up on the QuickJack, installed the shield, then started the car, letting it idle for 15 minutes. I then took measurements from approx two feet away. There is little difference between sides (240 degrees F +/10 degrees), when using the .3 or .4 coefficient for the unshielded side. Using .7 or .75, the unshielded side read cooler, so those measurements were thrown out. The temperature on the shielded side was basically the same at .9 or .95.

Are these shield wraps worth it? I don't know, but it seems reasonable to expect the shielded side to read a noticeably lower temperature, even after idling for 15 minutes. Perhaps the test is invalid b/c the cats did not get hot enough. Maybe my methods (coefficients) are wrong for one, or both materials. I'm sure the vendors monitor the forum, so perhaps they will weigh in with their own test results, and the methods used.

Curious what others think, and thanks for reading--

Bill Dearborn

I asked a Ford Engineer I know to review that design. He said the cat shouldn't heat the oil due to radiation. The cat doesn't have a high emissivity and the cooler doesn't have a high emissivity/absorption.

Bill

LivinTheDream

Thank you for commenting, this makes sense. I've presented the results to DEI and asked for their test methodology. Will follow up with a phone call.

Will keep folks posted. Worst case scenario, yank it off and get a refund.

LivinTheDream

UPDATE: DEI has not contacted me, which suggests they have no proof to offer. Shame on me--an engineer that knew better. Products like this must back their claims with data. Time for a refund!

Flame Red

Got to agree, I installed the DEI and did not notice any difference. Another feel good product.

Gonzo

I have to say I am disappointed in the results. I expected some benefit ......

ersatz928

You should measure the temperature of the oil cooler, with and without the shield installed. Who cares about the temperature of the Cat?

BrunoTheMellow

Very true. Just use an IR gun pointed at the bottom of the cooler.

Problem is, the oil and water will keep the cooler at the same temp. Just circulating through the radiator more often.

Only way to truly test is at the track, which I did, and it showed zero tangible improvement. A feel good product. Worth a shot.

subieworx

If the outside of the cat is cooler everything else around it should be.

In general wraps of this nature are useless. If they had a purposes you would see F1 teams wrapping their exhausts. Instead they use a dimpled metal sheet formed to a clam shell design where necessary. More robust and better at separating hot air from cold.

badhabit_wb

I have a heat shield for the oil cooler if you're interested. It actually bolts to the cooler. I never installed it because I decided to remove the og cooler and install an external cooler. I agree with you on the converter shield I think the only thing they do is ruin the converters. I haven't used this shield so I can't tell you how well it works but if you're interested in trying it let me know.

Gonzo

what does it look like? is it for the specific oil cooler we have??

Gonzo

Why would it ruin the cat's ??

Do you think the heat shield for the oil cooler would help, or just prevent heat from radiating off of it??

ersatz928

Actually the opposite : Assuming the same heat being input to the cat (from the reaction with the exhaust), if the surface of the cat is cooler, that means it is radiating/transferring MORE heat to its external environment (the air, the oil cooler near it...…)

badhabit_wb

I think it may trap too much heat in the converter and cause it to overheat. Several people with wrapped converters have had to have them replaced. The shield for the cooler has an air gap. I think it will keep any heat radiated from the cat from getting to the oil.

BrunoTheMellow

I haven't had a problem in my 570 rwhp z51 with coolant temps up to 250+ °F several times. 100 °F ambient.

badhabit_wb

The ones I heard about were z06.

Statoot

Hello Badhabit, I def would be interested in trying out that heat shield . I cant seem to find them anywhere. Everyone is pushing those DEI wraps, with no real positive results. I think they do more harm than good. Can you send me a pic and a number to cover it and postage @: statoot@hotmail.com. I have a 14 z51 manual trans. It has an elliptical, not square shaped cooler. I think the square ones came out in 15 or 16.Thanks C

badhabit_wb

I emailed you pictures and a quote. Thanks
Herman