Stock DP heat sheild question

[T is for TURBO]

So my car has been raddling like crazy the last few days, and only when the car was good and warm. I was confused as to what the raddling was comming from and it only happened at idle... Finally one day, after the car was off i shut the door and heard the rattle. I just figured a loose heat sheild or something along that line, and sure as shit, about ten minutes ago I took a look under the car while it was running and the heat shield that rests on top of the stock downpipe is no longer attached, its just chillin like a homie on top of the downpipe. My question is... should i replace it, or should i just remove it? Could the heat damage anything if the heatsheild was removed? I figure its there for a reason... but I also figure most aftermarket exhausts don't have it... suggestions?

Thanks
-Shawn

 

[dave99gst]

i would prob just loose it.

 

[project_tsi]

loose it, but make sure you have a heat shield on the manifold, too many things get broken when that sheilds not on.

 

[97GS-TSpyder]

I removed all heat shields minus the manifold. Not a porblem at all from it.

 

[CanadianTSi]

My lower heatshield has no chance of fitting over my RNR o2 elim. so I ditched it about 2 years ago, it's been fine for that much daily driving plus about 100 1/4 mile passes.

 

[T is for TURBO]

okay.. thanks alot for the quick responses guys!
-Shawn

 

[DSM LoVeR 96]

lose it fosho bro dosent realy protect anything there

 

[Icarus]

I know most everyone with an aftermarket O2 housing don't have a heat shield, but I believe the top 2 causes of alternator failure are leakage from the PS pump and heat from the O2 housing.

Just food for thought.

 

[lccynmbr13]

loose it, but make sure you have a heat shield on the manifold, too many things get broken when that sheilds not on.

Word... I didn't have my heatshield on and my manifold got so hot it completely melted the fan blades on my ac fan. When they broke off and scattered under the hood I thought I threw rods, freaked out pulled over and found what looked like birdshit stuck on my manifold and figured out after 10 minutes of screaming at my car and a ton of F words that it was in fact melted fan blade.

 

[Icarus]

Just read a little farther down the forum. Other owners have issues related to the lower heat shield removal.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/260188-alternator-heat-sheild.html