Hi, My 86 SE, 2.8L has isolation foam on the hot cooling pipes that runs under the car to the front, they look bad and I like to take them off. my understanding is that the isolation is to prevent heat from entering the cabinet, and if so, I can put isolation material between the lines and the floor, I belive it might be even better for the coolent heat dissipation if I take off the pipes isolation. I feel that I am missing something.... please advice
No you aren't missing anything. Naked tubes are "radiators" so they may warm the cabin a tiny bit but ...... is that an issue? In really hot climates one needs all the cooling one can get.
That specific insulation is there for a good reason, that is on the heater core feed pipe, to keep the coolant hot on its long trip to the cabin heater. If heater performance is not necessary, don't worry about removing it, otherwise, just leave it. I don't know how much it actually effects coolant temperature.
Hi, My 86 SE, 2.8L has isolation foam on the hot cooling pipes that runs under the car to the front, they look bad and I like to take them off. my understanding is that the isolation is to prevent heat from entering the cabinet, and if so, I can put isolation material between the lines and the floor, I belive it might be even better for the coolent heat dissipation if I take off the pipes isolation. I feel that I am missing something.... please advice
The lines running next to the fuel tank are not coolant lines.
The pair on the driver's side are for the air-conditioning, the pair on the passenger side are for the heater core.
Removing rotted insulation w/o replacing can heat the fuel tank cause problems w/ that.
Heated fuel tank means more fumes force out & EVAP canister etc may not trap enough of those fumes & wave bye bye to fuel money.
Likely can replace w/ high density close foam plumping insulation but often the big box stores don't have.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Thanks all for all your fruitful and provisional inputs, I need to evaluate what's needed in case of taking them of (heat protection for the fuel tank and cabinet), I think the cost in the cabinet heat lost is not critical since I leave in a relatively warm weather country
Does you cars still has it? is there safe way of replacing the pipes isolation or it's a too risky job?
Car in the air Remove spaceframe reinforcement plate Remove brackets ( 2 per side) Pull lines down to gain access Remove and replace insulation Reverse procedure
Don't get too crazy handling the lines when doing the insulation. The less they are moved, better.
depending on year & engine may need to remove more things to drop the lines. Example: 84-87 heater have a small plastic hold metal lines just before meets the hoses to h-core. Another on back. Worse, many have a "clip joint" in back similar to 87-88 4cyl input manifold that often gets pissed "just looking wrong" @ it & leaks or fails requiring replacement parts likely hard to find so many are force to bypass w/ straight hose.
Likely "Best" insulation here in slotted type that have attach glue to self seal without a lot of stress for the pipes. But that's for standard sizes to fit. Heater is ~ 3/4"/19mm outside so that should work but maybe not for AC lines.
Want HD Close Foam so keeps road crap out & better insulation for a given size.
HI Itzikbns, I've never been to Israel, but I know here in the states we have large hardware stores like Lowes and Home Depot. There, you can purchase A/C line insulation. It looks like this:
It's effectively identical to what's already on the Fiero's cooling pipes already. They have different interior and exterior diameters, so you'll just want to figure out what the correct size shoudl be. In either case, the insulation has a slit down the center, and you can slide it on on one side, and then remove the adhesive backing and stick the two sides together. It should last, but you may want to run a few zip ties every 6"s or so to keep it from separating while it's in the car. This is what I plan to do when I get to that point with my daughter's car.
As someone mentioned, there should be 4 pipes down there. One set is for the heater core, in which case the FEED line (hottest line) should be insulated so that your heater core works. The other set is for the A/C, the pressure line (coolest line) should have insulation on it to ensure that the cold temperature makes it to the fan box.
⚠️ If that holds road crap & "Water" in it... Aluminum tubing will hate this & often sooner not latter. Can fail @ the steel brackets etc as "water" is electrolyte eats those areas fast.
Is Why I said HD Close Cell Foam because "water" etc doesn't go thru it.
That & others Might work in the Engine bay for some vehicles, the pipes are Under the car & gets hit hard enough to push crap thru any tiny hole. Sim problem w/ people using most Exhaust wraps then wonder why the pipes Fail. "Water" getting in when cool + E-pipes get way hot even "glowing" causes more rust & stress.
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: As someone mentioned, there should be 4 pipes down there. One set is for the heater core, in which case the FEED line (hottest line) should be insulated so that your heater core works. The other set is for the A/C, the pressure line (coolest line) should have insulation on it to ensure that the cold temperature makes it to the fan box.
You & others are Wrong. AC lines are: Hot Compress Refrigerant from the Compressor. "Cold" Return line from the Evaporator.
Has Nothing to do w/ AC getting cold.
Hot line Maybe Insulated to stop heating other things like Fuel Tank. Most systems the High Side is rarely have insulation on lines. "Cold" return line on Low side in nearly all systems is Insulated for several things but obvious to most prevent Condensate that "leak" on everything. I'm told helps efficacy as long return can suck in more Heat making Compressor & Condenser working harder to cool the Evaporator.
Are Correct that in Fiero, Heat loop to the Core is Insulated just because that line is Metal & Long to the Core & can get very cold in winter so Core never gets Hot as need to be. About the only other vehicle w/ long heater pipes I know of are Heater in the back of School buses etc are plumbed into the engine cooling system. Return Line is just Plastic Coated to prevent "rust" on outside.
