I am going to contract out another heatshield run in aluminum with powdercoat option. Interested? Please contact me at: heatshield@mycrobyte.com

Those of you who have driven a lot with the powdercoated boxes: can you give any feedback as to how the coating has held up for you? These should last as long as any other non moving engine part (brackets, etc...)

Based on the feedback, I will post a group buy with the costs and color options posted.

 

I have one of your original runs of the powder coated box. I purchased it, as new from a gent on eBay just a while back. It is black powder coated. It has been installed now for only perhaps 2 months. It has held up very well. It is a very good product with very high quality. For this I thank you.

One note however, For mine to fit in near the radiator, I had to perform a wee bit of tin snipping on the vertical wall of the engine side lower plate. Perhaps this is because I have an SC400 and I do believe you have that nice RED SC300. Possibly the fitment differences between the two cars is slightly different or perchance my install that I performed was faulty to some extent.

As an aside. I ran a nice bead of marine grade silicone clear adhesive to the bottom of the lower section to hold it in place. I did not drill and screw it down. So far it has held in place well using this adhesive which is water and heat resistant.

Now, as far as the upper plate or cover is concerned. There I used three short self tapping stainless steel brite philips head screws to affix the top in place. They are ok but can be improved upon.

I think the best way to affix the top in place is with the use of some sort of push in, twist and release attachment hardware or clip. I do not know the name of these things but have seen them in other applications where one needed to gain access to something via a removable panel facia. They are used in the computer industry and the aircraft industry. A spring is incorporated with either a knurled **** or screw.

If anyone knows what the so called trade name of these things are I would be greatly appreciative in knowing....

Again, thanks for making such a fine product for us and also, thanks for your hard work, effort and support and knowledge you provide on this board. Your personal SC300 website is very informative and a great resource. Tip of the hat to you amigo.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I will take another look at the fittings as well as the dimesions.

Of course, perhaps I should plan on giving these away for free, you know to help out the lexus community. Some people get all bent out of shape when you try to sell something or ask for a small donation for your work - even when it blows away anything they have done.

 

For the price you charged for the shield you were in my opinion offering this shield for free. There is no way, on a one off basis, that I could have designed, have fabricated and have powder coated a similar shield at your price. Not to mention the legwork, effort and time associated with those tasks.

 

My problem with the heatshield box was that it didn't have a backing. I was going to make one, but I decided to have another box fabricated instead.

 

What do you mean by backing max? Perhaps I can incorporate into the design.

I did consider instead of straight aluminum stock, to have the next run made from a special product which is two sheets of aluminum bonded together with a special insulating polymer layer between. This is more expensive.

Another option which I did include for those who asked, at additional cost, is an insulating aluminized layer to the inside of the box.

For some boxes it was requested that the entire back area (where the MAF comes in) be sealed. This was also done on a few boxes using fiberglass material, also at additional cost.

Each of these versions were tested using the DataPaq datalogger and no significant (+/- 3%) intake charge or manifold temp variation was noted. The most significant temperature change and power improvement was with the install of the unit. Please let me know if this was not what you meant or if your results were quantifiably different.

 

That's what it was, a sealed enclosure. I haven't put a thermometer in there or anything, but even after an hour of hard driving the tube connected to the manifold is barely warmer than the outside air. It's worth the extra effort, trust me.

 

I will get a quote to have that incorporated. Can you provide details of the new box you had fabricated? Pics, Cost? Perhaps it may be a better option for the others on this board instead of the ones I've got.

I wasn't making much on these anyway at $70 ($85 custom powdercoated) a piece and am only considering as a favor to members of this site.

For a while my shields were on www.lexussc400.com for around a hundred bucks.


Either way, if I get enough yes's then I'll go ahead and contract the fabricator.

 

933005spd, do you have pics of your heat shields? I made a couple on my own: one model using just sheet aluminum, and one model with one of those foam insulated camping mats sandwiched in between two sheets of aluminum. Actually I made about four designs before I got them down right. I kept the double insulated one installed on my car because it was more durable and sturdy. You can attach a thin door hinge from Home Depot onto the heat box's frame and have the top piece of the heat shield swing open for easier access to the filter (for cleanings). The top piece only has one piece of aluminum so that the foam provides a better seal (as opposed to metal on metal). I was thinking about doing a fiberglass top piece so that I could see down to the filter, but I don't know how to cut fiber glass precisely or if fiber provides heat insulation. How do you powder coat the aluminum? Mine works perfect, but I want a more stock look to it. If you can make a black powder coated box with a backing, I'd be interested. Do you include screws with your packages? I lost a lot of my OE screws in the process and had to use rivets instead.

Backing would look something like this...

 

Has anyone tried making a ram air duct using the right wheel brake vents located next to the right fog light? I made a duct using spare aluminum that forces cold air into the box. Only problem with my first design, it "trapped" air which also trapped dirt and dust (rain wasn't much of a problem). My second design had a small scoop that guided air into the engine bay, but allowed for some flow around it. Is there any harm in not venting the brakes with that air? Otherwise it work really well in high speed driving.


Here's a pic of a fiber glass top piece for a fancy Supra intake...

 

The backing like that will be easy and add maybe $7 at the most. Powder coat colors were: black low gloss, black high gloss, red high gloss, black texture (my favorite), yellow high gloss. These are all automotive spec epoxy powder coatings applied by a custom coater in town.

I really dont understand the need for the extra aluminum in your box, it seems very sturdy. The boxes I had fabed did not flex at all. Did not include screws but I could.

The side part is bolted down with the OEM 10MM bolts and the top screws into the lip and is also held with the OEM 10mm bolt.

 

in black texture

 

Red93sc400, the item you are thinking of is a Dzus fastener.

 

Yah, in fact I talked to a few of the hardware guys here at ESPN and the generic term for that kind of fastener is "captive screw" or "captive fastener". Some of the hardware even have wings, knurled ***** or screws. They tend to be used in ships, aircraft and computer applications where a screw, if dropped could short out a circut or forever be lost in floor grating. I believe that Dzus is a common trade name for the genre. Like Xerox for copiers.

Here is a web site I found as an example of this type of application...

http://www.captive-fastener.com/Main..._design_gu.htm

MADMAX:
I did simply add a rear section to 933005SPD's air box by fabricating one out of closed cell foam in a similar fashion that the BFI intake was done by the fine gent in Austrailia on his Soarer. I used some old ground insulation which was originally a camping sleeeping bag foam insulation pad. It is closed cell, flexible but rigid as well. Worked nice. When cut just a tad oversize it expands and fits tite.

 

lex400sc: That's my Weapon-R cold air box. Leo made it for me with his aluminum working tools. Here's how it looks today, pretty much finished product.