Question on proximity of headers to fiberglass?

I just installed some headers, and they are extremely close to the fiberglass body.

Is there a rule of thumb how close headers can be to fiberglass? Years ago I heard from Molded Fiberglass in Ashtabula, Ohio, and they requested that exhaust pipes be no closer than 1". I'm thinking exhaust pipes are substantially cooler than headers, so headers should be a greater distance?

Any photos also help, showing how close your headers are to the fiberglass.

Thanks in advance.

 

i would want at least several inches , more if possible

 

if you have a piece of fiberglass from your body laying around, grab it with a pair of vise grips, fire up the family car and hold it an inch or two from the header and see what it does.

 

Heat efect is going to be a lot about air flow,if there is good flow,like header going along out side of body for a short time leving engine bay on open wheel rod. Then maybe 2in is fine vs inclosed with little flow ya need an insillater between.

 

From my boating days, minimum of 2" unless a heat shield can be used. The thru-hulls for dry exhaust usually provide 3/4" between exhaust and the shield.

 

at least 10 feet.. the headers should be on your car, pulling your fiberglass boat.. hot rods are normally steel. Fiberglass is for street rods..

I know just my opinion.

 

Is the 2" to a header or exhaust pipe?

Also, if it's 3/4" from exhaust to heat shied, how far from heat shield to fiberglass?


Thanks for responding.

 

Hmmm, my old Studebaker is/was originally fiberglass, so I shouldn't do anything with it?

 

Are you from Ashtabula? I moved from andover about 2.5 years ago. I know a few people that worked at molded fiberglass.

 

To some degree it depends on the resin used. You don't want to be heating the component above the resin's HDT (heat distortion resin) as the resin will degrade and start to break down. Some are a lot higher, but for a general polyester laminating resin it's going to be around 80 C (not sure what that is in F)
Airflow etc will play a big role, but I'm guessing you're going to want a shield and/or insulation.
Barry

 

Sorry, no, from near Dayton/Springfield, Ohio

Years ago, I contacted Molded Fiberglass in Ashtabula because they had made the body for Studebaker. I wanted to know about clearance for installing side pipes as exhaust. I tucked them under the rockers so you can't see them, except for the turn out in the rear wheel opening.

Now I'm upstream of the side pipes, and I have a clearance issue with the firewall to the headers. I have moved the motor back probably 10 inches, as well as the seats.

 

That would be probably be around 176 F. Thanks for that information, that's some information I can use. As it was from the early '60's, it probably is a polyester resin. Probably right, will need some heat shields.

 

I think that it is going to be a lot of work to turn that into a boat.

 

i guess my old 57 corvette set up for modified production was a street rod , damn all these years i thought it was a hot rod,

 

Either one, unless crazy race engine, glowing, semi transparent, headers.

The heat shield can be right up against the wood and glass behind, again, assuming reasonable temperatures. In tough situations, some foil and glass insulation can be sandwiched between.

 

I'm a bit close with some fenderwell headers and glass front fenders, where can you get that insulation ?