Has anyone installed the one that fits over the exhaust manifold? Are you happy with it?

 

We install them on most of the MINI's that come into our shop. Plus we have them on ours.

Brad
Custom Mini Shop

 

Very professional install I might add .

 

I have.

I am. BUT I have NO SCIENTIFIC measurements that indicate lower underhood temps. I am taking it on faith that it provides some incremental reduction of the problem.

It is easy to install IF you have a DEEP 8mm socket.

Next step is to install a (distilled water) reservoir and spray "trigger" for my Alta IC sprayer that is integrated into the Alta IC air diverter, which I've already installed. After that, the next step is hood vent(s).

 

When you get to this stage - take a look at the range rover side grills. My buddy Peter of Minspeed is playing with a set and they looked really good. Nice size that should really vent well and they have a lip on them so finish should come out really good.

 

Funny you should mention those, Bart. I have looked at them and they have a shape that would work, but they have a little angle on the short side that I didn't really like.


Sorry for the OT, ScottinBend.

 

NP........lol

Have you noticed any venting of power steering fliud after this install? This is the indication I am getting that I am running hot under the hood. After some extended spirited driving I notice some fluid residue around the vent of the resevoir.

How hard is the install?

 

ScottinBend -

I have had the m7 Aerogel blanket for about 2 months now. Install - very easy. The Aerogel material is amazing. After the car is hot and then stops, you can put your hand in places you could not before, but......

I am on a twisty run with several other MINI's (and Classics too) in the San Diego area and the air temp is about 80 degrees. We all stop and the fans kick on for ONLY my 2002 MCS (with the m7 Aerogel blanket) and a new 07 Turbo. We compete for how long the fans will stay on and he wins by about 1 minute - his fan is considerably quieter than mine!!

So my theory is that the m7 Aerogel blanket retained the heat from the header area and did not let it rise up as it normally would at a stop, causing my fan to kick in when nobody elses did. Is this necesssarily a bad thing? I also have the m7 180 degree thermostat. My car does not run hot normally, but of course the MINI stock temp gauge is a joke - always goes to halfway and sits there - if it ever goes above that, then you DO have a problem.

Gotta do some more testing when it gets hotter here in the summer.

 

The install is very demanding and requires a special tool called a 8mm deep socket. You will be required to remove and replace one entire bolt. It could take as much as 10 min to complete the operation and you should have a ASC certified tech standing by at all times On a serious note is it is easy as hell to do and will keep your steering reservoir cooler which was one of my concerns . I have over heated my system twice so far and locked up my steering. Not a lot of fun there . We recorded a under hood reduction of 60 degrees average on a 65 degree day . On a hotter day the delta will be even greater .

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

From looking at the Aerogel EX...

...with only two mounting points, it looks pretty straight forward and not very difficult at all.

As far as your PS fluid, is your PS fan functioning properly?
I think it may be a case of the PS system getting too hot, as opposed to under hood temps turning the fluid to vapor.

 

Do you think it's really nessecary to bolt it down? We just slipped it into position and left it, where can it go? Welcome home by the way.

 

No you did the correct thing. I was referring to the need on some cars to move one of the tall accessory bolts to the rear if your car does not already have two there . Some do , some don't. You just slip the grommeted hole over the top of the bolt and its beer time

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

Thanks for posting the photo As for my particular case I think it was a combination of things , hot california days, bigger wheels and tires and a very aggressive canyon route that did my system in both times. We also had a mini track event out here on a hot summer day and approx 5 out of 30 cars had power steering failure. I was working on a inline PS fluid cooler but I think the Aerogel item will take care of my problem.

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

Does anyone have a picture of one istalled?

 

It gets alittle dark back there .

 

I have both. One under my DFIC and the other the header blanket.

I think these products are amazing. There could all kinds of other places to use this and I'm sure M7 is looking at these.

The DFIC has been getting a little beat up these days from some other vendors because track tests are saying that the exit temps are to high. I don't think any of the cars testing on the track had aerogel blankets installed. With the blanket installed I thinks it's a very good "system".

Randy, have you guys tested before and after exit temps?

Also, while I love the product I am not sure about the header blanket. I'm wondering if it's trapping heat. With a DFIC or Alta intercooler the air coming out the back needs a place to go. If you block the header opening the air has no where to go.

What do you guys think?

I do think it's time to vent my hood.

Longboard

 

cameras do have flashes now days

 

sorry for ot but couldn't one of the vendors make a bigger p/s resevoir out of aluminum ? would this dissipate heat better than the small plastic job? one of the dealer techs told me he couldn't believe there was such a small amount of fluid with no cooler.

 

I can see it just hook onto 2 screws of some sort. How is the rest of the pad being secured? It would be really helpful if someone can post a pix with it on.

 

It lays on top of the aluminum heatshield for the header. Between that and having the plastic of the cowell area above it, it has nowhere to go.

 

I have the aluminum tank from Forge motorsports and I still overheated it twice on one hard canyon run. Granted it was a hot So Cal day and a really tough moutain canyon but it cooked twice .

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

dont know if anyone has seen this mini but I LOVE the vents on it!

http://www.motoringunderground.com/h...ound%20002.jpg

from a thread on another forum:

http://www.motoringunderground.com/f...?t=1394&page=3

if I ever do it, im doin it like this!

 

Well I got my Aerogel blanket on Thurs just in time for my track day on Fri. Install was just as easy as was posted. Nothing to it at all. In my very unscientific, butt-dyno, no tools kind of results says that I am very impressed with the product. My oil temps were getting into the mid 200's by the end of the day but my coolant res and my power steering res stayed a lot cooler than I have found before. The under hood temps were definitely cooler after the runs. I could actually touch the power steering res without getting uncomfortably hot.

I would recommend this to anyone who runs in hot weather and wants to try and keep the under hood temps down a bit.

Thanks Randy and Peter !

 

still nobody with a working camera?

 

Let me see if I can get one now......




How about these?