Lower exhaust heat shield now off!

[BahnStormer]

My lower exhaust heat shield was all over the place: the rear bolts were both gone and it was just sliding up and down around the exhaust and bouncing and rattling all over the place.

I have now removed it, but how urgently does it need to be replaced and what are people's recommendations?

[Iain]

If it doesnt bother you just leave it, will be fine without it.

[BahnStormer]

If it doesnt bother you just leave it, will be fine without it.

Thanks - I was worried about it accelerating wear on the rear subframe, other than that, I'm just happy that it no longer sounds like I'm dragging a metal bucket of bolts behind the car!

[Iain]

Thanks - I was worried about it accelerating wear on the rear subframe, other than that, I'm just happy that it no longer sounds like I'm dragging a metal bucket of bolts behind the car!

Easiest thing to do if it does worry you is get some exhaust heat wrap round it. But i doubt it'll cause any issues like it is

[BahnStormer]

if it does worry you is get some exhaust heat wrap round it

I was considering that... I think I'll aim to do that next weekend if it isn't raining.... it'll be a PITA to do on the car, but possibly worth it in the long run.

[Ardent]

Assuming it fell apart in the end due to rusty fixings disintegrating. Clean up, bolt back together with some new stainless nuts n bolts.
Do you still have the semi circle spacers or have they been lost along the way?

[Joesson]

As @Ardent says.
I did mine some years ago when I removed the pre cats, when that was the thing to do. My heat shields, top and bottom cleaned up very well with a powered wire brush and matched the new stainless fixings.

[Ardent]

Still baffles me now. High quality stainless steel heat shields that are tickety boo condition 20 + years later held together by the cheapest nastiest tin worm ridden fixings. Go figure.

[BahnStormer]

The bolts and fixings had almost all gone.... I've got the wrap (same stuff I used on the Toyosport manifold), just need an afternoon when it's not p!ssing with rain.

[Beachbum957]

The welds broke on our Y pipe shield many years ago, and it was removed.  We don't use any wrap - no issues.