Does Fiesta really need exhaust heat shield?

the nuts undo easily with a 24mm socket or large pliers. IMO it will make no difference to anything if it is not there, but with the nuts undone it will be easy to put penny washers on and re-fix it.

I'd be worrying about the fuel tank location, not the underseal.

The fuel tank (which looks like it's well forward, under the rear seats) seems to have its own section of heat shield, which isn't rattling around. The heat shield I'm having a problem with is right at the back, under the boot, and beside the spare wheel. I don't think proximity to the fuel tank would be a problem in this case - there seems to be a good distance between them. I'll double-check it tomorrow, though.

I'll get a 24mm socket and try them. I have most sizes, but not that one. The nuts look a bit flimsy, though. I'm not expecting them to survive.

they are stronger than they look and the thread arrangement means they do not rust hard on to the stud. large pliers would do fine.

If there wasn't a valid reason for it being there, the makers would not have gone to the trouble and expense of having it designed, manufactured and fitted. Don't forget even if it only cost 10p, that's a lot of money if you're going to sell a million cars or so, and I think Fiesta must have reached that milestone a while ago. Also leaving it off would have saved a few grams of mass, allowing them to claim another 10 metres or so per 100 litres of fuel consumption. So yes, it should be there IMO.

Steve

Yes, that's the reason I haven't already just got rid of it. It's a compact design, and things are closer together than they otherwise would have been. I suppose what I wanted to know is, has anyone here seen a Fiesta where it had been removed, and what the damage (if any) had been.

Is it to keep heat away from the spare wheel? The tyre certainly would not take kindly to overheating.

Possibly, but the spare whell is inside, not hanging underneath.

Finally got round to doing this. And yes, they are stronger than they look. Quite an odd design for a nut.

There's a joke in there.

Hi. Ive got a mk5 fiesta 15 years old now. Just recently i took a trip to y ork which is an hour and a half from my home and mainly motorway when i got there my bag with my clothes and coat had melted to the boot metal i have taken the carpet out and replaced it with non slip material. But my guess i s that my back box got to a certain temperature which in turn transferd th e heat to the boot floor and im seriously looking to find a heat shield to put above the back box so this doesnt happen again i would advise not havin g one. Its there for a reason

There probably would have been a heat shield originally, but it sounds as if the exhaust is getting way too hot.

Petrol? What sort of temps is the cat getting to...? When was the last MOT? I'm wondering if an air leak or duff lambda is giving too lean a mixture, so a much hotter exhaust.

Our heat healy under the boot fell off. The temperature inside the boot now gets sky high due to heat transfer from the exhaust back box. For my money its there for a reason so would make sure it stays.

Manufacturers don't do this for no reason .

I took the loose heat shield off my mk iv fiesta 9 years ago. No problems whatsoever.No effect on waxoyl underseal or anything else for that matter. Car is now 18 years old.

Why you reply to question asked in 2013?

Is there a time limit then?

It is considered netiquette not to reply to a post more than a month or so old, and to start a new thread.

It gets silly when a message from the 1990's get a reply, especially when the OP has been long dead and buried! At least Philip added context.