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Sledge
Dodge Dakota
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7/29/2004
18:16:26
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 Subject: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
I was reading some old Posts and from one in 2001 someone had spoken about building a heat shield for their custom air intake.
I made the plunge and bought a HUGE 54" X 103" sheet (more than I needed but it was all I could get) of ABS plastic. Carefully cut and used Bondene to fuse the 3 panels together. My question is:
Someone had stated in that 2001 post "Careful measuring will make sure that nothing actually touches the engine or related parts (like the A/C tubes)."
Mine comes close to the A/C lines and under bumpy conditions it MAY touch the AC lines. Can anyone tell me why you would want to avoid contact?
Thanks
Sledge
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peedee
Dodge Dakota
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7/29/2004
18:57:45
|  RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Abrasion is the biggest worry here. The lines are alloy and do not take well to something rubbing against them. The other consideration is the heat of the line may alter the integrity of the material used to constuct the intake shield. If you are unavoidably close to the line, wrap the line with some tire-tube material or something similar and wire-tie the rubber to the line. Make sure to put a little bit of a quality silicone sealer on the line where the ends of the guard will be to keep road salt and other debris from becomming lodged between the rubber and line. Something smooth like neoprene or the sort would sound more logical as a wear-guard, until you realize that the neoprene would move around on the line and end-up being the cause of abraision. Lastly, you don't want the line to be stressed by leaning against the 'box' when the engine mounts flex under load, so make sure you leave clearance. You can check the travel by having someone you trust!!!! "power-brake" slightly in both forward AND reverse, while you take some quick measurments.
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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7/29/2004
21:01:35
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
A/C line runs one hot, one cold; heat may make adhesive let go, or soften plastic. ABS might be OK, though.
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Sledge
Dodge Dakota
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7/30/2004
17:25:04
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Thanks to you both for your input. I have the heat shield in now and it is tight against the fender I probably have 1/8" between the A/C lines and the shield.
With the design I am able to put the rubber piece back on in the winter. I learned a lesson this past winter that the end of the filter iced up (in freezing rain) and threw a code. It will pull the air in through the stock hole and still feed to the filter.
Glad to know I can wrap the lines and not cause any issues. I may do that anyways as a safety precaution.
Regards,
Sledge
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peedee
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2004
06:26:06
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
It is ok to wrap a protective section on the condensor line ( hot), but the suction line (cold) should be exposed as much as possible. Any refrigerant that does not get 'boiled' in the evap will hit that uninsulated portion of the suction line and hopefully boil-off before reaching the compressor. That is why it is left exposed. The compressor cannot take liquid in any but a very minute quantity. So if you do have to protect the suction line, put the least amount of material possible.
As a side note: In the situation where the suction and condensor discharge lines -metal sections- follow the same path, I have placed the two together (when possible) to create a 'heat exchanger'. The liquid refrigerant is cooled further and makes the evaporation process more efficient, and the suction line has a better heat source to boil any liquid getting through the evap. They are placed together and 'heat grease' applied between them, then they are wrapped with insulation.
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Sledge
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2004
12:22:19
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Which line is which? If it makes a difference I hae an '03 3.9L. Both come out from the middle of the radiator (one slightly above the other,) the top line comes out just above and makes an upside down "U" shape.
Thanks
Sledge
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peedee
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2004
13:00:36
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Sledge, The circut of an air conditioner is as follows:
starting at the metering device -for simplicity- the liquid refrigerant is injected into the evaporator by pressure, the liquid flashes to a vapor then boils to a gas with the heat of the air that passes over the fins of the evap. The compressor sucks the gas into itself, compresses it and it then goes to the condenser. In the condenser starting at the TOP, the hot gas begins to condense back to a liquid. The liquid exits the condenser at the BOTTOM and travels to the metering device.
That is the circut in simple terms. So the goesinna line is on top and the goesoutta is on the bottom. The goesoutta is the smaller line that goes to the firewall, the larger line from the firewall is the suction.
If the liquid line and suction line are not already very close together, you will not be able to do the "heat exchanger" procedure I spoke of. I put that mainly for those who find it possible. DO NOT attempt to bend those lines
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Germ
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2004
15:36:37
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Sledge, can you get some pics of your custom shield? I was looking to possibly rework my intake in the future and wanted to see how you did your shield, thanks.
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Lurkin
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2004
10:10:23
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Sledge, where did you buy the ABS sheet?
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Sledge
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2004
11:19:50
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Germ:
Ok I have a lame excuse my digital Camera WORKS but I'm having driver issues with the TWAIN so Photoshop is unable to read them off the camera. So for the moment I'm hosed.
Lurkin:
Find a Plastics Producer if there is one where you live. Luckily I live in a large city (Indianapolis) and have places that produce this stuff. Sheet cost me $70 bucks and like I said was way more than I needed. I got it from a place called Meyer Plastics and got the Bondene from "Hobby Town USA"
Anyone living in Indy and wants to snag some of this ABS off me feel free to let me know I have a bunch left over!
Sledge
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Germ
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2004
20:10:07
| RE: Heat Shield Air Filter A/C Lines?
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Message:
Cool man. When you get the cam workin that'd be cool. I got the Airaid on my truck now with PVC piping I just recently did. Tryin to fig out a way to get a lil more air to it.
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