Brake master heat shield options
 

For the last year and a half, I've been running the "license plate" heat shield. Two license plates riveted together and hung off the valve cover to cover the hot side of the turbo.

When i tore everything apart to do timing belt, I noticed that the heat under there has caused a bit of damage. The WGA rod bent down the WG arm thingy (the metal arm on the turbo itself) and the circlip that holds the rod on the WG was melted and falling apart.

I verified that the tab still has good movement clearance (I think it was slightly bent before to make a better angle, but it seems to be more-bent now) and I replaced the circlip, but I left the heat-shield off this time, and I've just been driving a bit more carefully and not really beating on it for now.

My tentative plan is to buy some cheap ducting metal and try to mount it to the fireway, bend it around the brake-bits, and then mount it iether back to the firewall, or to the fender side or something.. just curious if anyone has any other neat ideas that don't involve covering the top of the turbo, as I'd like to let it breathe a bit more.

There's no way that arm is bent from heat. Also I find it hard to believe you melted the circlip unless you had that thing glowing so bright you could use it as a light tower on a regular basis.

I mean yes, heat shielding is a very very good idea, I'm just not sure you melted your turbo

What the heck do you mean "let it breathe"? lol that sounds silly. You want to melt your hood/paint?

*edit:

both of these work great

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1432320696
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1432320696

I'm not sure either. like I said, I believe the WG valve-arm-thingy was already bent, but the clevis did not want to slide off of it, which made me think the angle had changed a bit.

I do know for a fact that the circlip was fucked up. I'm not sure why you find that part hard to believe. The one that was on there (from begi) was paper thin, and I bent it easily in my fingers after pulling it off.

When i say the circlip was "melted" i mean that it was slightly deformed, only half of it was left, and that it was barely holding the clevis on to the WG valve.

I'm sure the heat will stay down a bit on the hot side now with e85. Maybe I'll just do a license-plate-esque solution again, just wasn't sure what other people are doing.

Because it's made of metal, and unless it was damaged or a crappy one was installed on there that's not from Garrett, you shouldn't be able to "melt" it.

You can do this and it should still not melt:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1432321240

Seriously though, those two from begi and fm that I posted are IMO about as good as it's gonna get for heat shielding. Simple and effective.

If you want to be even more thorough add a turbo blanket

:nono: blankets suck and cook your housing, ASK ME HOW I KNOW! (better off with a swaintech ceramic coat)

I have the Begi shield on my vehicle, works great.

For clarification sake, I'm NOT talking about the circlip that holds the turbo together. (that one already failed once, loooool)

I'm talking about the itty bitty tiny one that's about the size of your pinky finger nail that holds the WGA rod clevis on to the WG valve. It's literally smaller than my pinky finger, it's paper thin, and it was broken and melty.

Also, I believe the kit from BEGI included a different WGA than normally comes with this turbo. They call it the "big can" or something, and it actuates at 6psi. So I wouldn't be surprised if that tiny circlip was non-oem.

Yep, the little circlip was likely non-oem, because that's what I'm talking about too.

on a street car?

My MSM, was abused by a previous owner :cry: she doesn't like to talk about it.

I ended up just re-doing a "license plate style" heat shield, but with a piece of aluminum instead.

http://chattypics.com/files/IMG_1079JPG_a7ru0eecam.jpg

http://chattypics.com/files/IMG_1080JPG_8wdv1ygtfp.jpg