Anyone ever fabricate a Heat Shield?

[moots13181]

I'm asking this because I started to notice that my A/C works very very poorly when I'm not on the highway I think due to my open aftermarket exhaust headers heating the A/C condensing unit (heat exchanger) making it very inefficient. My stock heat shield obviously won't fit back on because of the aftermarket headers and I don't want to nor can I put the stock headers back on because I've lost them. I've seen really simple looking heat shields come with turbo kits but can't seem to find where to get just the heat shield. If anyone knows where to find them or how to fabricate them. (other than the general, find some metal, cut to fit, fasten to headers... non-informative blather.)
Help would be greatly appreciated. Anyone in warmer climates that have preserved their A/C may know more?... at least they'd appreciate any info that comes out from this thread.

[stu]

Weston made one that was pretty nice out of a cookie sheet before he went turbo.

[moots13181]

LOL
Sounds like a nice cheap ghetto solution... although some cookie sheets are pretty high tech so ya never know.
Would you know how Weston fixed/attached it?

[Weston-work]

It worked... I just attached it with the bolts that hold the header to the head. Some thick solid wire (non-insulated, of course) could be used to tie it in place too.

[ryanman]

First of all your car does not have "Headers", it has a header.


Use a cookie sheet.

[stu]

The reason I brought up Weston's cookie sheet is because it looked so clean, that you wouldn't have known it was a cookie sheet if he didn't tell you.

[marcrx5]

Did you ever think that maybe your ac was just a little low on refridgerent? At highway speeds the compressor will cycle more, making it not as noticable. Try sitting at idle and reving the engine to about 2000 rpm and just hold it there. Normally the temperature only drops a few degrees, but I've noticed on cars that are a little low, it can drop 10 F or more degrees. A heat shield might help and definately couldn't hurt, but if you say you started to notice, it makes me think you might just be leaking refridgerent. I might be completely wrong.

[HONDA GHANDI]

werd, heat very seldom causes a huge drop in AC performance, the high side line can get to over 400 degrees just from the refridgerant. Have the system checked.

[Mario]

It worked... I just attached it with the bolts that hold the header to the head. Some thick solid wire (non-insulated, of course) could be used to tie it in place too.

Pics?

[moots13181]

Well you guys guessed correctly, my system is leaking refrigerant, which is part of why I'm having this problem - maybe the only reason why I noticed it. I had the AC system refreshed in early July... had noticed a decrease in performance then and so I had them put the kind of refrigerant with dye in it. (after all the other stuff they do)
Sure enough there was a big ol leak at the connection right behind the passenger side headlight. Turned the whole area glowing green.

It's not as much an issue anymore as its getting cooler here. However I'll need it in the winter to help defrost better and to keep my own breath from fogging the windows. So i'll have to get the AC fixed before Jan.

Does anyone have pix of how a cookie sheet is used as a heat shield?

Thanks for all the help so far

[STIBungy]

Hehe just dont breathe.

It's not as much an issue anymore as its getting cooler here. However I'll need it in the winter to help defrost better and to keep my own breath from fogging the windows. So i'll have to get the AC fixed before Jan.

[jobooth321]

Mount the cookie sheet right, you could whip up some brownies on the way home from work!