[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I own a 2011 MCSa. After reading the forums for almost a year, I was concerned about the hood scoop warping issue, even having read in the forums that the material the scoops are made from has changed. So, as a precaution, I recently purchased a M7 Tuning Aerogel Turbo Heat Shield from Way Motor Works. I like the fact that it was black to match the valve cover, etc.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I went to install the M7 heat shield and came to the conclusion that this item had too many installation issues for me . [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I personally had the following issues with the M7 heat shield:[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]- The back side of the heat shield which rests against the valve cover does not rest flush (there is a raised lip around the cutout for the oxygen sensor connector). That, in turn, causes the heat shield to sit slightly skewed such that the front of the heat shield came into contact with the air conditioning tube plastic cap.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]- The mounting is on only one side of the heat shield – two screws in the valve cover side of the shield (plus double-sided tape that is supposed to secure the back of the shield to the valve cover. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]- The oxygen sensor tube which goes from the turbo to the engine block was pushed down by the heat shield’s underside, meaning the tube rests up against the shield itself.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]- The poor fit and the heat shield resting against the plastic cap and oxygen sensor tube were of great concern to me with regard excess heat on those two parts. (Didn’t want to take a chance of melting the cap or the insulation around the sensor tube).[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I exchanged the M7 Tuning Head Shield for a NM Engineering Heat Shield. The NM heat shield was a incredibly simple to install. It has three mounting points which, for me, made it more stable than the M7 shield. The NM has a different angle cutout to accommodate the oxygen sensor tube so that it is not touching the heat shield. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Once installed, I found the heat shield lowered the temp of the hood area where the scoop is significantly (non-scientific palm of the hand scale). The scoop itself is actually cool to the touch compared to other parts of the hood after a 45 minute drive.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Through all of this Way Motor Works was incredible. Way listened to my issues and graciously exchanged the two heat shields. Couldn’t ask for a better customer experience. I will be back to Way Motor Works for future mods! [/FONT][/SIZE]