Spitfire HS4 Heatshield

[hardhatharry]

When I was running up the spitty for the first time it had a fuel leak from the pipe between the float bowl and carb. The fuel managed to leak onto the exhaust manifold and it was an oh sh*t moment as i imagined the impending woff of flames igniting, luckily it didnt happen.

Does anyone know of a heatshield that adds an element of fuel diversion to guard against spontaneous combustion which can be purchased in the UK (I have seen ones in Germany)?

 

 

 

[Nick Jones]

Petrol doesn't usually flash into flame in that situation (unlike brake fluid), though the vapour is very easy to light.

There are many variations of the heatshield at various costs

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/222528124638?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=222528124638&targetid=876875609442&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045690&poi=&campaignid=9794911194&mkgroupid=101625063044&rlsatarget=aud-498165878543:pla-876875609442&abcId=1139126&merchantid=7405454&gclid=Cj0KCQjwncT1BRDhARIsAOQF9LklHvLsPxCC_JL7s8CIadhxmusoB-4T7T8co73ZbOjveZEcKBlXLlgaAuqDEALw_wcB

http://www.jamespaddock.co.uk/carburettor-heat-shield-stainless-steel-1500-2

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/293562548584?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=293562548584&targetid=876065564136&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045690&poi=&campaignid=9455575122&mkgroupid=94880402334&rlsatarget=pla-876065564136&abcId=1139576&merchantid=113281383&gclid=Cj0KCQjwncT1BRDhARIsAOQF9LkVpMvyD13SbaSOBENl2mrEqh0F57f4D42f89htEQTykcdT1UGMZPMaAoUOEALw_wcB

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/heatshield-carburettors-stainless-steel-ukc8372ss.html

However, they all pick up on the mating face.  To my mind this creates the opposite of a heat shield - instead you have a heat collector sat by the exhaust manifold, collecting it's heat and transferring it to the carb bodies and inlet manifold.  In 1300/1500 Herald days I made an aluminium shield with a reflective/insulation backing designed to attach to the two bosses on the bottom of the inlet manifold where it bolts to the factory exhaust manifold.  Only possible because I had a tubular 4-2-1 manifold of course......

Nick

[Nick Jones]

Things like this also exist...... made of some thick fibrous stuff.

These travelled with my Vitesse for a few years.  I think I got them from a 1500 Allegro along with the HIF4 carbs......

[yorkshire_spam]

 

I replaced the "cardboardy" one on the left with the one on the right in 2013

Since then I've done quite a few miles (RBRR, 2x10CR) without carb heat/vapour lock issues... 

 

That said I can clearly see Nick's concern about it conducting heat radiated from the manifold/exhaust to the carbs... I do fit 1 gasket each side of the heatshield though on each carb (4 in total), like these:

As with you, overflowing petrol from the carbs was the prompt to get something to divert the flow a bit rather than problems with running in warm weather.

Cheers, Sam

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by yorkshire_spam

[hardhatharry]

44 minutes ago, yorkshire_spam said:

 

 

Cheers, Sam

 

Where did you get that one from Sam?

[yorkshire_spam]

10 hours ago, hardhatharry said:

Where did you get that one from Sam?

I thought it was eBay, but I checked back through my emails to 2013 and it actually came from a bloke called Mike Charlton at one of the Club Triumph area meet ups. Sorry - not much help to you!