I cant seem to find any info on this so i am asking for some help. I had headers installed on my lt1 96 t/a about a 6 months ago. I have had no problems since the install until about 3 days ago. I noticed some smoke coming from the driver side header. A closer look showed that the heat shield next to the header has been melted from the heat and, it seems the heat is now melting the paint on the interior of the bay. Has anyone ever heard of this? If so, how do i fix it?

 

What brand, type are the headers? Are they CARB compliant, dual-cat headers, with the primaries that sweep upward toward the driver's side valve cover, to keep the cat in the stock position? Those are the ones that tend to melt everything in the engine compartment.

Are they cera-metallic coated (e.g. - Jet Hot), to reduce the heat loss to the engine compartment?

 

they are hooker headers. i have no cats on the vehicle anymore and they are the painted, not coated, type. Not sure if they are the type that sweep up like that. i know the tube closest to the front of the engine sweeps out and is nearly touching the wheel well. That is the culprit.

 

Long tubes or shorties?

Are you saying it melted the sheet metal shield that protects the brake lines? If that's the case, get a new shield and put some thermal blanket on it - the stuff with the shiny aluminum surface coating.

 

Are you talking about the plastic shield on the steering shaft? It probably just came off and fell on the header tube.

I think Fred may have been referring to headers like this...

 

yeah, thats what it looks like, the sheet metal that protects the brake lines. i just hope they arent burned yet. will the tape prevent that from happening again?

 

oh yeah, they are long tubes.