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19 replies

Firewall advise

jimlahjimlahMember
I'm looking for some engine side firewall advise. There seems to be lots of information about insulating the inside of the firewall, but not much on the outside. My engine is out and now is the time to replace the factory fiberglass padding that was glued to the firewall on the engine side. I don’t want to go with the polished aluminum covers that are for sale on most Pantera parts sites and I would like to keep costs as low as possible. Couple of questions.

1. Do I need anything on the engine side of the firewall, or can I get away with painting the firewall and putting 2 layers of insulation on the inside(1" thick fiberglass mat and a dynamat equivalent)?
2. If I do need some sort of covering, Does anyone have recommendations. So far, I am looking at:

Thermo Tec Aluminized heat barrier

Thermo Tec Thermoguard FR
or
Bonded Logic Ultratouch double foil

My biggest concern with these products is moisture getting behind the mat and rusting the firewall, and how to attach them so they look presentable.

What are your thoughts?
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panteradougpanteradougMember
Fiberglass? No.

You want to insulate both sides of the bulkhead with rigid foam. I believe that the cabin will take 1" and the engine side 2".

It's the same foam used in building construction.

Mine is covered with mill polish stainless on the engine compartment side.

This essentially encapsulates the foam in place. You can use construction adhesive to glue it to the bulkhead.

I've tried two brands of the heat reflective foil.

Both were over priced crap.
garth66garth66"When speed is the only thing that counts"
I made my own stainless firewall cover out of brushed stainless steel. I too didn't want a mirror polished surface in the engine compartment. You can see the fabrication about 1/2 way down this page.
http://www.banzairunnerpantera.com/adventures.htm

I left the stock asbestos insulation on the engine side of the firewall and lined the back side of my new stainless cover with Dynomat, then screwed it to the firewall, sandwiching the original asbestos.
bosswrenchbosswrenchMember
No matter what you add, the Pantera will not quiet down like a Lincoln. There are industrial-strength explosions going on inches behind your ears. One owner with a gear drive cam wears earplugs or ear buds. Another with straight-cut gears in a blower does the same to kill the whine & exhaust note.

If you glue anything on the engine side of the firewall door, be sure the front main seal isn't leaking or you'll have a sloppy mess every time you pull the access door. There will be no place you can set it down without oiling a surface. And in places on a stock setup the pulleys get pretty close to the metal door so the pulleys may cut their own clearance and again make a mess of any insulation. Relocating accessories makes things easier. I'd also suggest high-temp adhesive if you glue anything; the whole engine compartment gets pretty warm when driving any distance.
accobraaccobraMember
... you might want to continue the LIZARD SKIN on the engine side and use Dynamat on the inside ... Dynamat made a huge difference in my car.

If cost was not a factor ... I would recommend 1", 11/2 or 2" mineral wool with foil face (FSK) ... it would be applied with stud weld pins and cups right to the back side of the fire wall. Could do both sides ? and you could fly me out to Colorado and I would do it for you .... LOL

Ron
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Bosswrench:
No matter what you add, the Pantera will not quiet down like a Lincoln. There are industrial-strength explosions going on inches behind your ears. One owner with a gear drive cam wears earplugs or ear buds. Another with straight-cut gears in a blower does the same to kill the whine & exhaust note.

If you glue anything on the engine side of the firewall door, be sure the front main seal isn't leaking or you'll have a sloppy mess every time you pull the access door. There will be no place you can set it down without oiling a surface. And in places on a stock setup the pulleys get pretty close to the metal door so the pulleys may cut their own clearance and again make a mess of any insulation. Relocating accessories makes things easier. I'd also suggest high-temp adhesive if you glue anything; the whole engine compartment gets pretty warm when driving any distance.


If I wanted a Lincoln I'd buy a Lincoln. There are ways to deaden the sound but the insulation is more for keeping the heat out of the cabin.

One thing that can be done is make the engine access door out of more significant material.

I made mine out of 3/4" plywood. It deadens the engine quite a bit.

The other thing you can do is use a rotary A/C compressor and don't add foolish things to the engine like gear drive timing sets.

By comparison the Pantera is very quite compared to the GT40. There is a part of this clip where you get an idea of the noise in the cabin.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=674729725911652

I turn up the sound on this. Only a GT40 sounds like this.
4nhotrod4nhotrodHe who dies with the most toys is dead
I was going to have a gear drive installed in my last motor because I thought it would be cool. My builder told me he wouldn't install it because he knew I would regret it.
Im glad I didn't put it in. Even without it, I am now wearing earplugs on drives over 2 hrs. Fack, Im getting old…
panteradougpanteradougMember
Yup, this's the good stuff. Kinda pricey though.

Be advised that the adhesive is only good for 500 degrees. It melts so you really need to pin it in place after you mount it with sheet metal screws or pop rivets if it is right up against the exhausts.

Good ceramic coatings on the headers, double coated, inside and outside of the tube will bring the header temps down.

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