Miata Mailing List: March 1996, Message #12
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   From: "Richard M. Sorrentino" 
Subject: The Final Heat Shield
   Date: Fri, 1 Mar 1996 09:13:52 -0500

Well, in desperation (Miata technicians couldn't figure it
out) I took Old Red to Mufflerman. The manager there was very
nice. Came out with me for a test drive and said it
was definitely in the exhuast pipe/heat shield combo under 
the manifold. He took it off the heat shield, tightened
the pipe connection and it worked!
	Mufflerman is also big on Dynamax mufflers,
and when I told him I had heard
that they rust quickly on Miatas, he seemed to know what
the problem was immediately. He showed me that the drainage
hole (on my Dynamax) for condensation was in the wrong place!
It should be directly at the bottom of the muffler, which
would seem obvious. Instead, it was approximately 3" up
from the bottom. In other words, you would need condensation
three inches deep before any of it would drain out! So
he spot welded that hole shut, and made another one in
the correct place.
	Finally he gave me a terrific Roadway Classics calendar
and sent me on my way. All of this at NO CHARGE!! Pretty neat,
eh? I do have one question for you folks, though. When I got
home I realized that he did not put the heat shield back on.
I called him and asked him about it and he said that that was
not necessary, that it was safe, and that there would be no
problem. Is this true? The FAQ on the Miata Web seems to indicate
that it is necessary. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who
can advise me on this.

richard and Old Red '90 who can't wait to open up.