engine heat shields

[washita]

how critical is it to keep the heat shields on air cooled engines? every spring I take mine off the Subaru engine and evict at least two families of mice and other foreign matter, seriously contemplating leaving the heat shields off so mice/rodents have nowhere to build nests and hide, but concerned I would reduce the cooling of the engine by the flywheel, opinions? facts?

 

[2458n]

Take the cooling tin off a old Volkswagen and see how far you get. Those things are there for a reason. If not the accountants would have cut the costs and left it off. Clean it but replace.

 

[BobRip]

I believe that the "heat shields" force the air around the fins on the cylinders and cool them. I think of the as air focusers.

 

[MossRoad]

I'd say they are pretty important. Its also important to run air cooled engines at their manufacturer's recommended RPMs. The fan on the engine pushes air around those heat shields to force cool air in and hot air out over the cooling fins. Not enough air movement causes undue wear on the engine.

 

[Looking4new]

Mice do not like moth balls! Think about it.

 

[KMA]

I had a family of mice build a nest on top of 20 or so fresh moth balls I placed in my ATV's airbox this winter... The mice around here just don't care about any of the deterrents I've bought and/or made.

Regarding the "heat shield" question, are we talking about the plastic shroud around the engine (rear side in PT 42x)? I have the same mouse issue and I'm thinking about modifying the shroud so it can be removed more easily, but still retain most of it's air flow related properties... I have an extra one from the original EH65 I pulled out, so I should be able to use it as a test.

 

[BobRip]

I had a family of mice build a nest on top of 20 or so fresh moth balls I placed in my ATV's airbox this winter... The mice around here just don't care about any of the deterrents I've bought and/or made.

Regarding the "heat shield" question, are we talking about the plastic shroud around the engine (rear side in PT 42x)? I have the same mouse issue and I'm thinking about modifying the shroud so it can be removed more easily, but still retain most of it's air flow related properties... I have an extra one from the original EH65 I pulled out, so I should be able to use it as a test.

I would love to see pictures of that. That area needs cleaning periodically and it is difficult to get into as is.

 

[ponytug]

FWIW: I didn't have much luck with mothballs, and then a friend suggested cigarettes. Never had a mouse nest after that. Apparently, they are supposed to loathe the smell of tobacco. A single cigarette broken in half seems to do it.

And, yes, the shields are vital. As is running it on the right gasoline; both contribute to adequate cooling.

All the best,

Peter

 

[cqaigy2]

I've had good luck with dryer sheets for mice.

 

[KMA]

We had a nice sunny day, so I decided to modify my engine shroud to allow easy access for cleaning. I ending up finding a big nest, some chewed wires and dead mouse. The smell when running was terrible, and it was much improved afterwards. Of course it will also help with keeping the engine from overheating. I looked at my old engine as a reference and used a dremel to cut across the shroud. The line I used allows the screws to hold things in place even after it is cut. There are two relatively close screws on each side of the engine, and the line passes between them. It doesn't affect the air flow in any noticeable way, and now it is very simple to remove the top section and get inside. Here are some pics:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3