Heat Shield failing

[mjposner]

How necessary is it to replace exhaust manifold heat shield for week-end car?

These are the original shields.

[TobyB]

100 percent necessary.

You can use something else heat- resistant to protect the wires, (there is some
sleeving that works, but it's really expensive) but they need help.
Otherwise they melt- usually on a long, fun, sporty drive, and suck all the fun out of it.
Then you get misfires and loss of power.

Ben there dun that.

t

[mjposner]

Could I wrap the existing shields with exhaust tape temporarily?

[vpilarrt]

If you're looking for a temporary fix I'd wrap them in several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.

[mjposner]

Aluminum Foil

If you're looking for a temporary fix I'd wrap them in several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.

Seriously?

Would this be better:

https://www.amazon.com/Heatshield-Products-340020-Thermaflect-Shield/dp/B000QFN3DU

[TobyB]

Isn't that what exhaust tape is? Sticky thick aluminum foil?

Yeah, anything to keep the wires a bit cooler will do it. It doesn't have to be fancy.
That wrap would certainly do it- but the aluminum foil (around the heat shields)
would do it too, as long as it'd stay on there.

t

[ak-]

My turbo's downpipe proximity is closer to my wires than a stock m20 and the compressor housing is touching a wire.
I used these heat shield sleeves and it's been happy for 2+ years now with extreme heat abuse. (track/autox/mountain drives)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PUDVFT2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

To make them fit though, you have to take needle nose pliers and remove a hog-ring that is inside the sleeve that has a diameter too small to normally fit over the plug. It's located where the white stitching is.
Once that's out, they slip right over.

If you look at the reviews, that's my m20 in the pictures explaining. Same avatar.

[mjposner]

So they are not too long?

[ak-]

No. Tucked all the way down, they will still expose the highest part of the wiring that enters the long plastic casing parallel to your valve cover.

[jeffnhiscars]

I bought a sheet of exhaust gasket material from Napa for about $12. I cut 2 pieces to fit and wired them to what was left of the old gasket. No brainer til the manifold comes off...and yes, mine looked exactly like yours