Thermotec disaster

[JCoop]

It took me 2 evenings to line the engine clip with Thermotec "Cool It" in the hope of reducing some of the transmitted engine noise as well as protect the exterior paint directly above the bundle of snakes. It hit 60 today and so I fired her up to test results of my soundproofing efforts. after a few blocks, SMOKE! Well, the heat melted the material directly above the headers, dripping the asphalt-like material onto the pipes and everywhere. What a mess! I've managed to clean up and remove most of the tar but now that she's cooled down, the thinnest layer on the pipes won't come off. It looks like it's baked on. I've tried heat gun, acetone, and I don't want to use a razor blade for fear of damaging the chrome ceramic coating. I've called Thermotec and they don't have a clue. They said, maybe eventually it will just bake off with the exhaust heat. I don't know about that...

Help?

Thanks
Ray /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

 

[Frank Catt]

Ray, I use a fine metal polish to remove burnt on material on cerma chrome exhaust pipeing, it has worked well on all sorts of accidentally burnt on deposits, try it. Frank

 

[JCoop]

Thanks Frank.

I've gotten most of it out; except some really hard to reach areas where the melting tar dripped under a couple of the pipes. I used the blunt side of a box knife to gently scrape off the blackened tar, then I scrubbed hard with a rough cloth wet with carb cleaner. Then I used a fine metal polish, as you suggested, to polish off the fine scratch marks. I'm exhausted!

I ordered some regular heat barrier material. I guess there's no other choice as you can't really use that heavy sound AND heat barrier stuff. over the motor. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nono.gif

Hard lesson learned...

Ray

 

[Juan Samartin]

Are your pipes Jet Coated?

The reason I ask is on a Cobra we built a few years back we had a similar problem with radiated heat. In our case, it was coming into the passenger footwells, so we spoke to an exhaust guy and he recommended jet coating the headers and side pipes. Viola! The problem was solved. I'm not sure how the stuff works, but it does, and it looks good too. Not too expensive either, it added around $200 to the cost of the custom headers.

Just food for thought.

Good luck.

 

[JCoop]

Re: Are your pipes Jet Coated?

They are done in a similar coating; I believe it's Cermachrome ceramic coating. Basically the same thing. It looks great and works too. I don't have a heat problem, really. I was on a "quiet" kick and started lining everything I could get to with Dynamat. In my searches, I came accross Thermotec's new product called Cool It and thought it may work on top of the motor. NOT. So now I have to reline it with the standard aluminized heat barrier.

 

[Juan Samartin]

I\'m not certain on the chemical properties...

... of either product. I do recall however that Jet Coating was not available in a chrome formula (that could have changed). Either way, I feel your pain, it seems way too many products advertised these days lack the proper testing before hitting the market. So... we purchase them, install them and more often than not it seems, the results are bad. A pisser.

Sounds like you got the mess cleaned-up though!

 

[JCoop]

Thermotec had no answers...

>>... it seems way too many products advertised these days lack the proper testing before hitting the market. So... we purchase them, install them and more often than not it seems, the results are bad. A pisser.<<

They certainly are very good at identifying a need for the product; so we jump on it and get burned. I double checked everywhere to see if there were temp. limits on any spec sheet on the product - none. And Thermotec themselves had no definitive answer. The gent who I spoke to when I asked for technical assistance certainly did not sound like an engineer. More like a shipping clerk., no offense to that position.

Yeah, got it all off except for a few I really couldn't get to but couldn't really see either. I just hope it doesn't smell when I fire her up. Thanks for the moral support, Juan. It's tough to admit I did something stupic.

 

[Gary Gibbs]

Re: Thermotec had no answers...

From my post a year or so ago:

I recommend the Thermo-tec heat shield (www.thermotec.com, #14001). I do not recommend their spray adhesive. I do recommend using RTV applied by a cauking gun. RTV is rated at 600 deg F and sticks very well to both parts. Have put a couple hundred track miles with no problems.