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These pieces on my 96 Impala are rusty and broken. Does anyone happen to have a clean set?
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That's a great question. I will look at the other pieces when I get home but I think they are rusty and crusty, too.
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Probably true, but I see they go for $80 or something on eBay. I'll probably have to take a shot at wire wheeling, OSPHOing, and painting what I have.
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I looked at the other pieces not shown in the pic. They are rusty and crusty, so a whole set is preferable.
If sets are hard to find or expensive, maybe I'll need to consider putting some heat reflective tape on the gas tank until something pops up.
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You could bend something up on a sheet metal brake without too much problem.
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Most folks write them off as dispensable heat shields. But those might be more than just heat shields. They could also serve as debris guards. And they might add some margin of safety to the gas tank from puncture in a rear-end accident if everything pushes forward (I'm looking at you Crown Vic). So while heat reflective tape may solve one concern, I would feel better using something more stout to prevent the other concerns. I feel they were made of steel for a reason. Aluminum would reflect heat very well. But would also be easy to puncture. If you can acquire a better stock set, do so. Or if you can make a set from sheet steel, do that too. Good luck!
I don't think that's true. 91 to 93 cars only have the one, single heat shield because the exhaust only goes by the tank on one side. There hasn't been a plague of punctured gas tanks as a result on those cars.
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I have adjusted my post to make it sound more like an opinion (and a suggestion) rather than fact.
FWIW, GM Parts List called it a "Shield" and not a "Heat shield".
And while "heat shield" is a common name, so is "stone guard":
Basically, I've seen other cars with plastic gas tanks have these whether the exhaust system is near it or not. It is what it is. Or not is. It's up to you to care or not.
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re 1996 Caprice 146k
I've noticed something hanging underneath the rear of the car near the fuel tank. It looks like a sheet metal baffle, possibly to somehow keep the fuel tank from being penetrated. I can't really see it and I'll have the mechanic put it on the lift to inspect it. I'm worried it might catch on the pavement and cause some damage. The shop manual calls it the "fuel tank Shield" but doesn't show a drawing. I'd rather know what I'm talking about when I bring it to the mechanic also to make sure if we reattach it somehow that we do it correctly. Anybody got any ideas or pictures or source for some? The heat shields I've seen on the forum don't look anything like what I'm talking about. Mine seems to be just flat sheet metal.
I've noticed something hanging underneath the rear of the car near the fuel tank. It looks like a sheet metal baffle, possibly to somehow keep the fuel tank from being penetrated. I can't really see it and I'll have the mechanic put it on the lift to inspect it. I'm worried it might catch on the pavement and cause some damage. The shop manual calls it the "fuel tank Shield" but doesn't show a drawing. I'd rather know what I'm talking about when I bring it to the mechanic also to make sure if we reattach it somehow that we do it correctly. Anybody got any ideas or pictures or source for some? The heat shields I've seen on the forum don't look anything like what I'm talking about. Mine seems to be just flat sheet metal.
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You could put the heat wrap on the pipes instead of on the tank. Maybe use header wrap after they go over the axle. Aluminum half round attached to the pipe and resonator with a 1/2 inch space between the parts.
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I have a very nice set of the lower shields available if you're interested in buying: FS: Pair of 1994 - 1996 Sedan Fuel Tank Shields | Chevy Impala SS Forum
Send me a PM if interested.
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From the side view, they may appear as flat sheets of metal because you only see the edge. But a closer look, and they are formed. Unless someone built some custom ones.
Definitely get it up in the air and examine it more closely. It's very common for them to rust and come loose. I always make sure mine are attached by any means possible, screws, zip ties, etc. I've had some fairly crusty ones but was always able to salvage or repair them with basic sheet metal tools and skills. The upper brackets rust out the most, so get creative with attachment options.
As my old reply above indicated, I speculate that GM did this for more reasons than heat. I believe that while GM labeled these as "heat shields", I suspect they didn't want to draw attention to the penetration dangers of a rear mounted plastic gas tank at the time. Meaning I'd personally prefer more than just heat wrap on my own car.
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