[Healeys] HEAT SHIELDS

[rwil at sbcglobal.net]

Besides conduction, convection and radiation of heat from a body,
there is the matter of the body's reflection of heat from other
sources.  The asbestos or Hardipanel is not the source of heat in our
Healeys, although of course it can become a secondary source.

The point of a nice, shiny, panel of stainless steel or aluminum is
that it can reflect the heat from the muffler, exhaust manifold and
engine so that that heat does not reach the floorboards, etc.  It does
a better job of that than white asbestos or Hardipanel.  The other
side of the shiny panel is also a poor radiator to the floorboards.

The reason no one would choose to touch a hot metal sheet rather than
an asbestos sheet at the same temperature is because the metal will
conduct heat to your hand much faster than the asbestos.  Properly
installed on a Healey neither the original asbestos nor a metal
replacement is touching the floor of the car so conduction is not at
issue.

-Roland

On Wed, 2 Apr 2014 10:43:25 -0400 (EDT), Gary wrote:

>Metal is a terrible insulator, it is a good conductor. You want a material
>that retards the conduction & radiation of the heat & can withstand the
>temperatures & moisture it is exposed to.
>Gary Hodson