Does anybody know the purpose of this piece of exhaust shielding? Is it just for protection or does it help disperse heat?

 

i think it helps deter people from stealing cats

 

ditch it, the way i see it is its there maybe for protection from rocks and stuff, but it gets hot and then there's just that much more heat to worry about, plus a few lbs of weight, the only ones i left are the ones right beside the gas tank.

 

I believe that sheilding is after the cats correct? Looks like its over the intermediate pipe, and the end of the muffler that goes over the axle. Since thats by the tank, Id keep it on there

 

I would think it would keep you from setting a pile of leaves on fire when you park on the side of the street in the fall. I've seen cats do that back home in Ohio. Beyond that, I'm sure its worth keeping because ita aluminum and hardly weighs anything. I keep as much of the stock shielding as I can, even on my race cars.

 

it helps so that the 1000+ degree exhaust temps don't ignite intrusive things under the car. none of my 7's have that heat shielding and i've had no problems. but also, in the same regard, i'm careful not to park over anything that may be flammable or combustable. the owners manual strictly advises against parking over flammables. i would keep it in place. its also part of the maitenance schedeule, falling under items to inspect.

 

I hadn't thought of the underlying combustibles, thanks guys. I guess I'll keep it. Yes it does run from behind the cat back to the point where the pipe runs over the back axle, it doesn't extend up to where the stock cats would be.

 

SAs don't have those shields, only the ones fastened above the
exhaust to keep heat out of the cabin.

 

without the shielding, that section gets hot enough to start a fire if parked in grass that's tall enough.

 

Sorry to have to disagree, but my SA does have both the upper and lower heat shields.

Lower shield begins at the rear of the heat exchanger and extends all the way back to just in front of the rear axle.

Forward of the heatex, the air duct (front exhaust segment from thermal reactor to heat exchanger) has welded-in-place tin-plated steel shielding, insulated with glass matting, all the way up to the front flange. There's also a small piece of bolt-on shielding that covers the heatex/air duct junction.

And the TR has the three-piece insulated steel sheilds that bolt around it.

 

I stand corrected. I just don't remember any being there back when I first installed the RE exhaust but maybe I just threw it away and obviuosly forgot about it