Heat Shielding a Starter

[Hedgehog]

Starters generally live in a severe heat environment made even worse when as in my case headers are added with pipes basically making a cage all around the starter. Has anyone considered wrapping heat shielding fabric around their starter?

Initially it seems like a good idea, but then again with a constant flow of heat would the wrapping saturate with heat and simply hold the heat in the starter motor.

It would seem like a good idea to wrap the header pipes near the starter, but there really isn't much room available for the bulky wrapping on all 4 pipes.

Any thoughts?

 

[007]

Starters generally live in a severe heat environment made even worse when as in my case headers are added with pipes basically making a cage all around the starter. Has anyone considered wrapping heat shielding fabric around their starter?

Initially it seems like a good idea, but then again with a constant flow of heat would the wrapping saturate with heat and simply hold the heat in the starter motor.

It would seem like a good idea to wrap the header pipes near the starter, but there really isn't much room available for the bulky wrapping on all 4 pipes.

Any thoughts?

If going back to manifolds is not on the options list, I would wrap the headers. A wrapped starter could retain unwanted moisture that wrapped headers will not.

If it were mine, wrapping the starter would also almost assure that I would have to replace it soon for no other reason than the fact that I spent time wrapping it.

 

[Hedgehog]

Point taken on the spending extra time and replacement ....

Being in Arizona we don't generally deal with water, so I wasn't considering that. You have an excellent point, one that removes the wrapping option from the "reasonably possible" list.

The CJ came with headers, so going back to manifolds isn't easily accomplished. I do prefer stock manifolds though. Headers are a PITA.

Would it be harmful to wrap only some of the worst or closest header pipes while leaving the rest as is? One is so close the starter wire terminal is painfully close to the pipe. The wire can't be attached without partially removing the starter. As it is, it's a bit of a juggling routine.

 

[007]

You can absolutely wrap whatever sections of header you want. I would say too that the more you wrap, the less under hood heat you have and the less under hood noise you have as it lowers reasonance.


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[Hedgehog]

Was likely over thinking the possible negative effects of hot spots on the header pipe vs cold spots. Under the wrap the pipe would be relatively hot.

 

[007]

I understand completely. Anywhere it's wrapped, the heat just travels on with the exhaust more as opposed to radiating out through the pipe wall.


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[gr8dain]

On my 69 GTO, I installed an aluminum heat shield that was between the exhaust and the starter. It screwed onto the starter if I remember correctly. That car got horrible heat soaked starters. It worked OK. The best solution for it was to mount a remote solenoid like I have on my Scrambler. Is your solenoid on the starter or separate?

 

[Hedgehog]

It's up on the fender, Ford like. It seems like most if not all CJ's came stock this way, but there have been several posts where it is obvious that there are CJ's out there with the solenoid on the starter.

I like the idea of a metal shield, but the header pipes are to close for a reasonable solution there. Come to think of it, my Harley had heat shields that were very close to the pipe and they worked well enough. Will have to work on this some.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

No to wrap'n the starter.
Take a alum cookie sheet and make/cut a shield/heat deflector that fits between the starter and the main heat source.
LG

 

[Hedgehog]

A small motorcycle heat shield or 4 would work well. We used to have motorcycle junk yards around, since bad chrome doesn't matter here, I think I'll look for one of those to see if they have some on junk exhaust pipes.

Another additional possibility would be to coat it in some of that shinny reflective sheet material, like tape that is made to reflect heat. That would wrap it, but not really be a wrap, more of a thin coating that water couldn't get under. A combination of the metal shields and the shinny wrap might actually be a positive ..... probably not, but maybe.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

HD Alum. foil works well.
LG

 

[Hedgehog]

I like the idea of the foil sticking/attaching to the starter casing, seems neat and clean without the possibility of water accumulation. There was some wrap left over from wrapping the pipe neat the gas tank, I'll try that too.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

NO foil wrap on the starter. You have high AMP electrical circuits that will be destroyed because the alum foil is a conductor.
I'm talk'n about wrap'n the heat shield only...........
The starter motor must be able to breathe.
LG