I just want less heat, so thanks!

 

Available at Lowe's for $18:

 

Ended up going to Lowe's and bought a 16" x 25ft of Reflectix for $11. The cabin is much cooler than before. I also shoved some of it on the hole next to the tank along with some foam and the cabin is more quite now.

 

Sorry to bump an old thread, but this is relevant!

Do folks apply that insulation under the carpet or under the car? I'm doing a clutch job soon and was wondering if there was something I could just stick between the transmission and the trans tunnel underneath the engine so I don't have to rip up carpets.

 

I degreased the underside of the trans tunnel with brake cleaner and applied it there a few years and several track days ago. It hasn't moved. It is really good for reflecting the radiant heat away. And it stands up well to the exhaust heat.

 

The lowes stuff?

Awesome!

 

Same here. I used Themo-Tec 13585 adhesive-backed aluminumized fiberglass heat barrier.

@Blackbird does some fancy stuff in the same location with a junkyard OEM heat shield from some other car mounted with an air gap.

 

How much of it did you guys end up needing? 12x24 seems like it wouldn't be enough.

 

What you want is DEI heat shield. Super sticky and easy to work with, glue won't run. It helped me lower the temperature of the tranny tunnel. I've noticed it right after I bought a miata that the metal in that tunnel would heat up a lot and the whole car would start to get hot quickly. I'm in CA, so when added to high ambient temps - it was quite uncomfortable on long drives. 12x24 is just enough, but could use more for better effect. I've used 2' x 21" in the pic below.

 

Maybe I'll lay the pad down like you did and buy a roll of tape to go around the edges.

My GF and I were sweating in the car with the AC blasting on a road trip when it was in the 80's.

 

The Lowes/Frost King insulation really disappointed me with how non-stick it was. Even having cleaned the trans tunnel with brake clean, it had pretty poor adhesion. It also didnt make a night and day difference, but I didn't use it in the area under the dash. I wouldn't trust it outside the cabin, much less hanging upside down right next to the hot exhaust.

Focus more on keeping the heat off of the chassis in the first place by using a better insulation on the outside of the car.

 

12 inches wide and 15 feet long for under $20, lasts for years and works really well. What else do you need?

I also recommend getting heat shielding around the pipe itself just like it comes from the factory. It is necessary to keep the heat out of the transmission at stock power levels. It is twice as important at twice the stock power levels because you are theoretically putting twice as much heat in the exhaust. Protect your fuel tank bottom and your rear diff from the exhaust heat as well. I boiled the fuel in the tank without a shield. Pickup trucks and big SUVs in the junkyard will often have metal shielding that will fit over a 3" exhaust pipe.

 

I also use that stuff on my car. Along with cleaning with brake cleaner I also got some 3m spray glue and spray up before I put in the foam stuff. It has helped hold it all up. But yes that stuff made a huge difference in temps in the trans tunnel.

 

Thanks for the input shuiend! I figured I might as well do something about it if I'm going to be down there and taking everything off!

 

This is the stuff. I wish I'd known about it when I did my Miata clutch. I learned about it afterward. when I did my C5 clutch, and stuck some to the inside of the tunnel plate.

 

Was going to get the stuff six recommended for when the clutch is installed in the next week or so. Couldn't find the frost king stuff in any of my searches. Turns out it's entered by a different name now.

Here's a link to it at home depot: E/O 12 in. x 15 ft. Self-Stick Foam/Foil Duct Insulation-FV516 - The Home Depot

 

The ThermoTec 2000F Heat Barrier adhesive back sheets are really sticky and meant for this. But it still can lose it's grab if the tunnel is not rediculously clean and smooth. Good luck. I found adding some rivets with flat washers in critical areas stopped the poorly adhered areas to stay inplace and not unstick any further. Maybe something like that would be good for that home dipshit crap some of you guys are "playing with fire" with ;]

 

That is the correct stuff. Just make sure to buy some 3M adhesive spray when at home depot racing and use that in the trans tunnel before you put in the insulation.

The other option that Savington now swears by is this product. I have purchased it, but yet to get it installed in my car to see how well it works.

 

How much of that ish d
id you need? It's on amazon prime so I could have that here without changing out of my PJ's. Sounds like a win to me, esp if it's rated for a higher temp.

I'm trying to shield both passenger and driver footwell areas from heat. Last summer my GF and I were melting from the heat kicking up from the tunnel area. I only have a 2.5 inch exhaust, but I'll find something else to put around that (seen pat mention a bunch of stuff) so that there's less heat radiating to the trans.

 

You want this:


https://www.miataturbo.net/race-prep...shields-90059/

Genuine MAZDA 3 Heat Insulator BP4K-56-441F | eBay