Downsides to removing underbody heatshields?
 

After 2x 1st Gens, I'm finally sick and tired of getting cut up and overly greasy trying to work around the heat shields around the bottom of these cars! Put in the new driveshaft from Mazdatrix last weekend and had to work around the big, wide heat shield which partially obscures the transmission crossmember, and completely obscures easy access to the trans tailshaft which would make insertion of the driveshaft so much easier. These look like they're designed to prevent heat from the exhaust pipes from making their way into the transmission tunnel, but would make working under the car a whole lot easier if they weren't there.

I'm running a RB header (13b - GSL-SE) to PP presilencer to stock mid-pipe to PP rear muffler. 6-port operation is off of the PP presilencer, and have an O2 sensor there, as well.

Any downsides to removing ALL of the exhaust heat shields from the bottom of the car? Just some around the transmission tailshaft & driveshaft area? Any reason to leave them on? TIA,

I had mine completely off for a long time on my turbo FB. It never really posed a problem or made much difference when i finally sourced another set of heatshields and installed it.

It will keep you passenger warmer thats all.

Heated seats!

Toasty tootsies!

Some Mazda engineer spent months of his life designing, redesigning, perfecting those heat shields. It might have been his crowning achievement in life . . . and you heartless bastard, you're going to just throw them away.

Shame!

Shame!

Never Remove Air Pump

Uh, why never remove Air Pump?

Mine is currently installed, but the belt doesn't run to it; about a month ago, I posted about how it self-destructed, seized, and caused the Air Pump Belt to squeal until it shredded. I removed the metal springs from the inside, along with 1 out of 3 fiberboard 'blades' on the inside, which was so far destroyed that it was unrecognizable.

FYI, a member here does have an air pump currently F/S: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...parts-1129102/