Do I need stock heat shields with high-flow cats?

[ntmatter]

I'm running the nice metal substrate Randomtech cats and borla mufflers on my 98 GTS. I no longer have any heat issues, which is nice, but my stock heat shields are pretty messed up from when I still had the stock cats on there. I'm wondering if it would be possible to leave the heat shields off altogether now that I have the high-flows on, or if I could possibly use header wrap on the cats and/or mufflers.

 

[onerareviper]

No hard facts, but, with no cats I would think you could get away without heat shields. High-flows you need 'em. Those high-flow cats still get really hot, and you have Silver which yellows easily. Just not as hot as stock.

My .02

 

[JonB]

The Brand Matters....

Are you still running the OEM shorty tubes of 98 onwards? When you track the car, youll likley need the shields.. These stainless shorty headers (by design and intent) operate much hotter than 92-97 cast manifolds. You could wraap or coat them. Or, partsRack has some as-new heat shields 1/2 price of OE or less

Any lomg-tube uncoated stainless header is a flamethrower and needs heatshields. These often melt or damage underhood components like the HVAC intake plenum, and even the PB booster and PS reservoir.

Even coated stainless headers if-when- raced need the shields.

Belanger headers are made of mild-alumanized steel, coated inside and out.
They operate DRAMATICLY COOLER and more than half of our customers operate them with no heat shields.

 

[Finally got it !]

JonB how much for those Belanger headers?

 

[ViperJoe]

Yes. Unless you want to degredate your hoses, brake and clutch fluid due to the constant cooking heat.

Many folks even with headers and cats etc are even cobbling up stock heat shields, using the edelbrocks, or the $$$$ Inconel heat shields to keep the blastfurnace heat down under the hood.

 

[ViperJoe]

I see you too have a silver car.......all the more need for the most insulation you can get in the sills to stave off the dreaded silver car "browning"