Hi guys. Regarding the heat shields around the precat pipes. - I was wondering if there are replacements for them. My parts manual does not show any, but the shield would be the part that would seem to go fairly regularly in this system. On my TR, the end pieces that are like tube wraps, not the fat parts that go over the precats themselves, are rusted a bit at the end, and need to be changed out. I think the right side pieces are rattling. I removed the right side precat to check it and the shields come right off by prying on the lip that holds the two halves together. And I can't see a thing inside those precats. - Shining a light in one end doesn't do anything that I can see from the other end. Also, I'm thinking of getting precat replacement pipes and I noted that Steve has a set that are insulated. They look pretty neat Do we need that insulation on simple pipes to drive on the street? What are the pros and cons? I don't believe that the EU cars had that shield on their early TRs at all, or at least the parts manual doesnt show it. Thanks in advance, guys. -g
"And I can't see a thing inside those precats. - Shining a light in one end doesn't do anything that I can see from the other end" Can you clarify that? You are shinning a flash light intot he precat, and you can't see through to the other side...or you "can" see through to the other side?
Sounds like your precats were gutted. If the matrix is in there, its real obvious. Why spend tons of money on new precats?! Here are your options: 1) Peel off the metal shroud/heat shield. Wear a mask...asbestos involved.... Then sand blast the precats. Then apply high temp paint. Total cost 20-50$. Looks great. I painted mine flat black, as that is the color they oxidize to anyway. They look like brand new. 2) Send them off to get them ceramic coated, 200-300$. They will make them look like chrome/new.
>You are shinning a flash light into he precat, and you can't see through to the other side... Thats it. No light shows through at all. On the end closest to the engine you can see screens in there, but shining a light in one end does not show at the opposite end. There is no insulation under the heat shields at all, just the metal shields themselves. The pipes that I am thinking of buying are not precats, they are bare tubes.
Sounds like they are still intact then. I've heard of people pounding the honey combs out of them. Using impact type chisels, long lug wrench & sledge hammers....Anybody ever done it?
No -- the exterior heat shielding on the precat is only available as part of the precat AFAIK. With regard to the insulation on a precat bypass tube, there's two minor reasons why it's not a bad idea: 1. keeps the heat in the exhaust gas to help the cats warm up at cold start-up (same reason the US headers are insulated), and 2. lowers the underbonnet temperature, but I doubt that you'd ever have a noticeable problem without it (when the precat catalyst is not present). Here's a shot of the insulated factory TR precat bypass pipes 142166 and 142167 as used on the CAT version TR (no precats, but with cats) Image Unavailable, Please Login
>but I doubt that you'd ever have a noticeable problem without it (when the precat catalyst is not present). At this time it is. I will have to Southern engineer a patch repair to keep them on. And now I have to match up those 3 donuts.
