Recommended plastic for engine lifter valley heat barrier?

[Viper488]

My intake manifold sits above the lifter valley. I'd like to make a heat barier out of an affordable plastic to go under the raised intake runners and even up and along side the valve covers to really isolate the intake manifold from engine heat.

I prefer a plastic over aluminum for plastic's better resistance to heating up and, radiating heat.

I thought of a phenolic/thermoset, but man it seems expensive in the 24"x24" x 3/16" or so sheet I'd like. It'll be near the engine, though not really touching any metal parts, or if it does, just in minor ways. It'll be suspended just above the lifter valley and in between the intake and valve covers.

Can you recommend a plastic that an individual can buy easily? ( I'd like it in black) Something with a continuous exposure working temp above 200deg, and that I can put a few 45deg bends in at home without much trouble??

Thanks

 

[patprimmer]

Is it a seperate manifold and valley cover, where the runners are not exposed to hot engine oil.

Is a single piece but with air gap design that has manifold runners well above the valley and mostly clear of the valley cover and the runners are not exposed to hot engine oil.

Is it a valley cover type where the manifold runners form the valley cover and the runners are exposed to hot engine oil.

Will this envisaged heat deflector be exposed to hot engine oil.

Regards
pat pprimmer@acay.com.au
eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[Viper488]

The intake and runners are above the valley. There is no actual valley cover/i] just the V of the engine block that I want to cover, slightly above the block. No hot oil contact is possible.

 

[patprimmer]

What's wrong with bending a bit of sheetmetal to the shape, then using it as a mould to lay up some fibreglass, or simply gluing some thin foam to the sheet metal.



Regards
pat pprimmer@acay.com.au
eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.