Here's a heat shield to extend the life of your transmission. | Ford Explorer Forums

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Here's a heat shield to extend the life of your transmission.

Runnin'OnEmpty

Explorer Addict
Joined
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Messages
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City, State
Southeast USA
Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 Sport
Heat Shield
I used one of these to shield the catalytic converter heat from the transmission on my 2000 Sport. Since the cat and trans are so close together on our Explorers, I thought this would help some.

That small heat shield that Ford uses to shield the servos is a joke. These aluminum shields are much larger, and should allow the trans to run a lot cooler.

Regards,
ROE
 



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Those are nice!
I got some sheet aluminum and built 3 for my truck.
they mount using existing transmission bolts.
I also wrapped my down pipes where ever they are close to the trans.
My trans pan tempature does not get nearly as hot as it did before this
 












Runnin'OnEmpty said:
Heat Shield
I used one of these to shield the catalytic converter heat from the transmission on my 2000 Sport. Since the cat and trans are so close together on our Explorers, I thought this would help some.

That small heat shield that Ford uses to shield the servos is a joke. These aluminum shields are much larger, and should allow the trans to run a lot cooler.

Regards,
ROE

Post a picture, please.

Thanks ....
 






I have taken to adding a layer of aluminum muffler/leader wrap material onto the FORD shield as an added layer on the outside. The Ford shield is actually a sandwich with an asbestos like material inside, and pretty well designed IMHO.

I am curious, these shields you mention are marketed as "muffler" shields... how do they hold up against CAT heat ? Can you snap a pic of yours installed for us ?
 






Wonder if it is a wise thing to keep to much heat in the cats, mine actually have vented shields on them.
Like 410 I wrapped my down pipes, knocked 15 degs off the pan temps.
 






temperatures will rise and fall in converters as your driving and idling. I'm sure those vents are there for idling purposes (no air flow). Converters need to stay in the 500-600 degree range and, as I think about it, I can't see anything negatively coming out of a "hotter" converter.

-Drew
 






I built a simple sheet guard for two sides of my trans, one bolts to two of the trans two foremost pan bolts and then to where the factory scatter shield on the bottom of the 5.0L bellhousing fits. This guard adds a layer of aluminum between my d side cat and the bellhousing, if anything it keeps the torque converter cooler. May not be needed but I only have about an inch between the cat and the trans, I figured why not.

the second one I built is on the solenoid side of the trans, where the pass side cat is about 1.5" fromt he trans shift solenoids. Ford already had a guard here, I simply added another layer of aluminum and made it much larger. It also bolts to the trans.

I made a 3rd guard, but it is attached to my frame and protects my fuel filter and fuel lines from the d side down pipe. the down pipes were wrapped with copper header wrap pre and aft the cat converters.

I should get some pictures :)
 






heh that's right, you all should get some pictures. I should wrap my downpipes too. That will be a pain with the headers in the truck but it should be worth the trouble.
 






I did mine in the truck, it wasnt too difficult, but its nowhere near as clean as Spindles wrap job.
If it wasnt friggin snowing out I would get some pics
 






Thx 410
Did mine on the bench, makes it cake
 






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