R12 starter heat shield

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Stuey

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Has anyone had any adverse effects from not having a starter motor heat shield on an R12? I understand that they are rarely intact nowadays, but wondered if I should make one up out of a sheet of ally I've got lying around...

Stuey
 
Stuey,

That's an interesting one. Ours had it on so I don't know the answer.

But my R8 has the starter in the same place (same block and head configuration) and they didn't have a heat shield. No problems. And the R8/R10 engine bays are HOT given the airflow and undertrays.

I'd be surprised if it mattered a lot but really don't know. Had you thought that in parallel, few of them have the undertray/sump guard either. Could give better airflow around the starter.

Doesn't help your question of course. I'd be interested if anyone comes up with a definitive view.

Cheers

John
 
My old green 12 had the proper heat shield in place from new. I got the car in 1983, it had a Bosch starter that failed in 1985. That's when I found what a nuisance the Bosch staters were. It was replaced with a Paris Rhone in 1985 and went for a further 10 years at least until I sold the car in 1995. My current 12 purchased in 1992 had a Paris Rhone starter with no heat shield, it was fitted with a recond starter in 1987, and the brushes finally wore out about 18 months ago. This car runs the original sumpguard too.

I guess that is as good an experiment as any, the heatshield probably makes little diference to the life of the starter.
 
Stuey,

Renault, like most other car manufacturers don't add any more bits to their cars than necessary. Particularly unseen bits like starter heat shields. Although starters could go on for years without a heat sheild, if Renault have gone to the trouble of putting the heat shield where it is then it's probably a good idea to have one.
I think the heat is more likely to affect the plastic bits like the end of the solenoid, wires, etc. It could also dry out the lubrication on the moving bits.

Regards
 
Snake,

To a certain extent I agree with you. But as in my previous message I've run two cars one with and one without a heatshield for considerable periods of time. My current one without heatshield has shown no deterioration of the wires or bakelite parts of the starter and it doesn't seem to have dried out yet. The one with the heatshield showed signs on the heatshield of previous damage caused when the heatshield brackets fractured (a very common 12 problem)and shorted out on the starter connections. If I really thought running without a heatshield would cause problems, I would have said so. But my experience Adelaide climate and on long interstate runs it doesn't seem to have caused a problem running without one.

Simon
 
Simon,

I've also run 12's without a heat shield without any noticable ill effects but I can't help wondering why Renault would go to the trouble of fitting the thing if it doesn't do anything. Renault even went to the trouble of redesigning it on the 847 motor.
I guess if you've got one leave it, if you haven't got one then don't worry about it.
 
It wouldn't surprise me if the reason for the heatshield redesign was because the earlier design was susceptible to fracturing its mounts from vibration.
 
Its not really the same, but I ran a R17TL for years without a heat sheild, with no adverse effects.
 
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