Project: The Anal Probe

[Sven7]

LOL, thanks for the suggestion but I'm not doing wool and chicken wire.

We're getting below freezing as well and it usually doesn't top 50*F (10C) by the time I get off work and drive home.

Going to ask NAPA for prices on firewall insulation, and to see if it'll withstand engine operating temps. If so, and it's under $20, it's mine. Otherwise I'll have to go to the junkyard- not a very appealing plan B.

[Galane]

Originally Posted by jtbo

I wrapped my electric water heater with that

Don't add insulation over the thermostat and heating element covers of an electric water heater. That can make the thermostats overheat and burn up.

Happened to my parents' water heater twice. Fortunately it didn't catch fire. Smelled sort of like a burning orange, stunk up the whole house.

If the exterior of a water heater is not warm to the touch, or is at or very close to ambient temperature, then the existing insulation is as good as required. Adding more won't do a thing.

In the long term, replacing an old water heater that doesn't have good enough insulation should save more electricity than adding insulation to the old one.

Could also upgrade the elements and thermostats along with the added insulation but by then you're thisclose to the cost of a new water heater.

[arcosine]

Maybe you misunderstand my comment. Rock wool is dusty and will get into the air filter and clog it. Rock wool not good, they use air blowers to put it in the attic, imagine it blowing around the engine compartment. :P

[Tango Charlie]

Engine blankets have been discussed in the forum before. Frank Lee swears by good ole' cardboard.

[Sven7]

After reading like seven pages of misinformation and arguing I'm going to try gluing a high temp foil blanket underneath the hood, and perhaps seal a few seams where heat may leak out. Hopefully it'll help the engine warm up to "normal" in 1/4 the way home, instead of 1/2.

[arcosine]

I use to put card board on my engine, it works, but one time when I was driving home to Chicago from Minneapolis and suddenly had a loss of power on 694 at the 35E interchange, well to make the story short, in a few minutes the car with a full gas tank was a unrecognisable rusty charred cinder at the side of the interstate. Moral of the story, if your car catches fire on the interstate, go to the center and not the right side, cause if the fire truck comes from the other way, it doesn't have to drive 10 miles down to turn around. The black spot in the grass was there until the snow covered it up in October. I carry a fire extinguisher now.

Some Saturns came from the factory with fiberglass insulation in the hood. maybe some Probes did too, I suppose you could trim it to make it fit. It's better to have the blanket right on the engine.

[Sven7]

I plan on keeping combustibles out of my engine bay

Picked up a tube of 2000*F safe woodurning stove adhesive and a 75' roll of Reynold's Wrap, which is definitely safe to 350*F

Also got a white LED backup light at NAPA that I'll be wiring up at some point. Hopefully with a toggle switch to tell tailgaters to F off.

At brunch after work I couldn't help myself and drew up a concept sketch, complete with the UFORB logo I'll be painting on the hood.


Concept Sketch + Logo by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

[Tango Charlie]

What?! a reasonable, common sense approach? How dare you!
(note to self; do NOT use cardboard as an engine blanket... )

Love the UFORB logo!

[Varn]

I took the hood insulation out of my VW. It was partially hanging down. I figured that after 26 years it probably had adsorbed some oils and such. It looked like it was made from fiberglass insulation with a cover on it. I had a bonfire in my back yard and threw it in. It burned right up. Glad it is gone rather than catch fire under the hood for some reason.

What glue is ok with 2000deg F?

Around here running a white light on the rear of your car can get you pulled over.

[Sven7]

Got it at Ace Hardware. Rutland Black HI-TEMP Stove & Gasket Cement: Adheres all types of gaskets to steel & cast iron. Withstands 2000*F (1095*C)

It doesn't say it won't work on other metals so I'm hoping it'll be fine. Judging by the extensive warning labels it should work