JMF Heatshield for FP Cast Manifold - Modification

[Peepers]

For those who have a hard time installing the JMF Heatshield for FP's Cast Manifold here's what I did to make things a lot easier - especially since I'm still running a JPipe
Keep in mind I did all this with a basic hand drill and some steel bits. A drill press would have been a whole lot easier (and would have lined things up a little better )

I relayed this info to Jim at JMF, so who knows if the next evolution of these heatshield will have this design?

One thing to add - it's not my bracket design. It's the desgin that comes with the heatshield. All I did was add the two new mounting points

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Very intuitive! I would have never thought of that.

 

[Artago]

Very intuitive! I would have never thought of that.

Same here. Good work. I'll have to mod mine in the same way now.

Thanks for the pics.

Tom

 

[Grimis]

patten that thing and make some cash!! heck of job, i know who im going to pm when i get my cover :thumb

 

[T9S1i]

how does it work normally? Anyone have pics?

 

[Boosted98gsx]

patten that thing and make some cash!! heck of job, i know who im going to pm when i get my cover :thumb

*patent*

And he cannot, he is basing an idea off of someone else's product.

 

[Grimis]

well booh.

 

[Black_Bullet]

Thats great.....Ihad thought of something similar but never attempted anything. I have trouble myself with mounting that thing ,what a pain. Not to mention it rattling loose every couple hundred miles ,therefore i used the strongest locktite icould find on it and now a couple weeks ago i tried to unscrew it and take it off and i stripped the screws and cant unscrew it now so i left it alone.... Jmfab def needs to consider your idea towards their product to save future buyers the stress.

 

[Artago]

Jmfab def needs to consider your idea towards their product to save future buyers the stress.

I agree. I called them (JMFab) on the phone a few months back because the bolts on my bracket locked up and seized. I suggested several design changes to make the bracket easier to install, easier to remove, and more durable. They dismissed my ideas but they were nice enough to send me a new bracket free of charge.

After seeing the modified bracket above, I'm definitely going to copying that idea on my new bracket as well as making some other modifications.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[Peepers]

Tom, please post some pics of the ideas you come up with. I'd like to take a look
I too am victom of the main (long) bolts coming loose. I tried the loctite idea but don't think it worked to well. I'm going to go for a long drive right now and see if they loosen up?

 

[Black_Bullet]

I agree. I called them (JMFab) on the phone a few months back because the bolts on my bracket locked up and seized. I suggested several design changes to make the bracket easier to install, easier to remove, and more durable. They dismissed my ideas but they were nice enough to send me a new bracket free of charge.

After seeing the modified bracket above, I'm definitely going to copying that idea on my new bracket as well as making some other modifications.

Cheers,

Tom

I need to drop them a call myself then ,mines is siezed and stripped and will have to be broken free to get that bracket off the manifold......

 

[Artago]

I need to drop them a call myself then ,mines is siezed and stripped and will have to be broken free to get that bracket off the manifold......

Yeah I had to cut mine off...

I think the problem lies in the fact that the aluminum brackets warp over time. When they warp they create slack in the bracket which causes the heat shield to rattle. Once it starts rattling people naturally tighten it. The rattling stop and over more time the bracket warps again. This process is repeated until the bracket warps to such a point where the bolts seize.

Check out this pic. It shows how much the bracket warped only after about 3 times being tightened. I put the brackets side by side and you can see the curve that developed. The curve is more pronounced in the rear bracket because it has a notch cut into it which makes it weaker.

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/tomas.beblar/CarsPics/photo#5223767426839450834"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/tomas.beblar/SH6MzEoFlNI/AAAAAAAAFCY/SkKZR7J3fkU/s400/pics%20004.jpg" /></a>

 

[Boosted98gsx]

If those are made of aluminum, JMFab is full of dumbasses.

 

[Artago]

If those are made of aluminum, JMFab is full of dumbasses.

They are made out of aluminum and I agree that it's stupid. When I called JMFab I suggested they use a stronger material but they said it would be too expensive. Honestly I'd rather pay a few bucks more and have the piece last as opposed to have it made out of aluminum and have it seize up and then be forced to cut it and get a new one.

Maybe we should send a PM to JMFab and have them read over this thread. There are a lot of good ideas here on improving that bracket.

The added advantage of the bolt method is that you can also attach a lower heat shield to it which would be very helpful in keeping the temps away from vital components.

Tom

 

[dalatinromeo]

Good one!!!

I wont say there are that dumb they make some good products but it will be dumb idea.

 

[Artago]

Good one!!!

I wont say there are that dumb they make some good products but it will be dumb idea.

Wow. I have no idea what you are trying to say. You need to work on your English.

 

[dalatinromeo]

I was typing and thinking to fast.

What I was trying to say is they do make some great products so they aren't dumb. But if JMFAB made those out of aluminium that was a dumb move on their part.

Hope thats a clearer.

 

[turboglenn]

*patent*

And he cannot, he is basing an idea off of someone else's product.

You only have to change a product by roughly 10% in design or by adding something to re-patent it as your own "modification to an existing item"

I know a ton of rich fockers around here who i work on their porsches and they send so much ish of to china to be copied without even changin it that they make so much money before they get a "cease and desist" order that it's totally worth it to them to have products copied or just make slight changes and re-patent it.

 

[Artago]

I was typing and thinking to fast.

What I was trying to say is they do make some great products so they aren't dumb. But if JMFAB made those out of aluminium that was a dumb move on their part.

Hope thats a clearer.

Yeah that was a dumb move by JMFab. The bracket is made out of aluminum. The worst part is the the rear bracket is notched (see pictures from the first post by the OP). This notched makes it super weak which causes it to bend (see pictures I posted). The rear bracket is where the problem is. It needs to be stronger, either by making it out of stronger material or reinforcing it. When heated I'm sure you bend it with a pair of pliers.

Tom

 

[Black_Bullet]

Yeah that was a dumb move by JMFab. The bracket is made out of aluminum. The worst part is the the rear bracket is notched (see pictures from the first post by the OP). This notched makes it super weak which causes it to bend (see pictures I posted). The rear bracket is where the problem is. It needs to be stronger, either by making it out of stronger material or reinforcing it. When heated I'm sure you bend it with a pair of pliers.

Tom

Damn, well that explains everything. I really didnt believe the locktite would cause it to sieze like that as I put locktite on all my bolts without that happening.

Im going to give them a call, hopefully they will send me another as they did you.
If it siezes again I wont care since I will still be able to remove the heatshield in doing it how Peepers did.

This design does need to hit the drawing board again, especially since its not just affecting one person. They have to consider future buyers, as Im sure there are a lot of dsm'ers out there with this awesome Fp manifold; who just havent gotten around in buying a shield for theirs yet; and they shouldnt have to get stuck having to deal with high engine bay temps because of not wanting to buy this heatshield due to a bracket design that could use a little improvement..

 

[Boosted98gsx]

In all seriousness, who, with any kind of notion of material science, would make something that's going to be HUGGING an exhaust manifold that will get in excess of 800*c, out of Al, when aluminum's melting point is 660*C????

I stand behind my statement, releasing this poorly thought idea for use to the public was a dumb move on JMFAB's part.

 

[4g63Powered]

I'm imagining that they used Al for a combination of price, ease of manufacture, and the fact that if it DOES fail, it's not a critical component.

 

[Boosted98gsx]

The only thing that holds the heatshield in place not being a critical component?

 

[4g63Powered]

In the grand scheme, no. If your heat shield starts to rattle around, you're not going to get stranded along the side of the road. You're not going to throw a rod. You'll just rattle until it's fixed.

 

[Black_Bullet]

In the grand scheme, no. If your heat shield starts to rattle around, you're not going to get stranded along the side of the road. You're not going to throw a rod. You'll just rattle until it's fixed.

Yea but who the hell wants a rattling heat shield that they paid 90 bucks for....