Koolmat experiences

[chrisvine]

Initially I was not sure whether to install Dynamat to Koolmat to reduce the heat transfer into the cabin. After reading the many posts on the subject I decided on Koolmat and had a kit brought over from the US.

I was happy with my choice however since then two specialists have both suggested not using it because of the difficulty of getting adhesives to stick to the grey silicone side. So I'm having second thoughts.

Have others experienced problems sticking the felts onto the Koolmat? If not what adhesives did you use?

Thanks,
Chris

[Heuer]

Don't you just love 'specialists'!

You put the adhesive on the glass fibre (white) side and glue it to the bodywork. When looking at heat insulation you need to think about whether you are concerned about reflected or conducted heat. Anthying that has a shiny surface is designed to 'reflect' heat (e.g. Dynamat) so it is great on external bulkheads or between the gearbox and tunnel. Koolmat is designed to go on the inside of the car so keeping conducted heat at bay and adding some sound proofing. If you see a car with Dynamat all over the interior cabin it is pretty much worthless because it is 'reflecting' heat back into the cabin.

You have made the correct choice if you have put Koolmat on the inside of the cabin. As for sticking mats to the grey side you will find any silicone adhesive will work.

[chrisvine]

David - thanks for your reply.

Your reasoning regarding heat transfer and reflection was exactly why I went for the Koolmat over the Dynamat. I was thinking of using something like Zircoflex as an additional reflective layer on the outside just around the passenger footwell due to the exhaust, although I'm not sure if that's overkill.

It was just a bit worrying that two separate renovators weren't too keen and for the same reason. I think I'll stick to my guns with the Koolmat.

Chris

[Heuer]

Just because they are professional renovators does not mean they are particularly bright :D

Zircoflex or Cool-It (both available from Demon Tweaks) are ideal if you have the car apart because you can line the underside of the transmission and diff tunnels with it. They are also adhesive backed which makes the job simpler. Dynamat would also work there. Also make sure you fit the under silencer and down pipe shield's to reflect the heat away Dave Kerr (DaveK on the Forum) sells some excellent stainless steel/ceramic mat versions. Koolmat is the way to go for the interior but it can be a pain to fit so the 'pro's' probably prefer Dynamat because it makes their life easier - and of course it impresses the client because it looks nice and shiny!

[norman m. macleod]

Hi Chris,
I think David has summed it up well, but just for interest, I am not only installing Koolmat in mine, but also lining the gearbox and the transmisssion tunnels, etc. externally. I am using Reflect-A-Cool, by DEI (Design Engineering Inc USA), probably very similar to the products that David mentioned. Interestingly, like your idea, I intend to do a section of the footwells and the lower part of the bulhead, with particular attention to the passenger side (exhaust side...) Much easier when it is a back-to-shell restoration, as is mine. I'm also very conscious of the quite different ambient conditions Down Under, though, despite which I'm going for a very dark paint colour (!)...In fact, I'm seriously considering an air-conditioning kit as well, so when you mention overkill........!
Kind regards,
Norman Western Australia

[ChrisC]

Personally I think ANY heat insulation will be better than original as the factory merely fitted anti panel vibration material and some thin sound insulation. Passengers always had hot feet :)

The primary challenge for me is cabin noise rather than heat but I dont drive my car on the continent where it gets warmer so perhaps my view is a little skewed.

[kingzetts]

I have Kooolmat on the interior of my OTS, and glued a reflective and insulating blanket material (sourced from a supplier of race equipment) to the underside of the transmission tunnel from the bulkhead back to where the tunnel is floored in. Last summer we drove to Geneva and northern Italy and on some days it was very, very hot outside. We were never conscious of the footwells or tunnel being unpleasantly (or even noticeably) warm, so I reckon the combination is pretty effective.

As a bonus, if properly installed using silicone sealant to seal the joints between sections, the Koolmay in effect provides an internal waterproof seal for the floorpan, so when the inevitable rainwater leaks fill the footwells, the metal is protected.

I have also found by a process of trial and error, that you CAN glue things to the grey silicone side of the Koolmat. You have to find the right type of silicone sealant - I tried half a dozen different types, settling on one sold in my local motor factor. Using this I have been able to glue velcro strips to the grey surface for securing footwell carpets etc. The bond is not hugely strong but it is adequate.

[GSR 54D]

Hi Chris

I fitted koolmat a few years ago and the summers have been noticeably cooler particularly around my legs! so have been very happy.

I have also refitted felt between the carpets and koolmat but not glued the felt or carpet because I wanted to be able to move the carpets and felt should they get wet (which they have) a few times. I tried this as an experiment with the thought of gluing later if need be but 2 years later have decided to leave as is because the carpets pretty much stay in place.



The fitting of koolmat was a bit time consuming and sticky though!!

John H.

[chrisvine]

Thanks to you all for your responses and, from recommendations from other previous posts, I've got hold of some of Dave Kerr's heatshields. I think I will also put some external reflective coverings on as well as I'm also in the fortunate position (?!?) of building up a bare shell. It's actually being delivered tomorrow - so quite exciting after a considerable wait!






I like the idea of securing the felts/carpets with velco strips so I think I'll give that a go.

Now I'm starting the rebuild I suspect I'll be asking many more 'novice' question so please bear with me.

Chris

[Polse7317]

Y fitted dynamat everywhere in the interior: roof , floors, doors, bulkhead, etc... to reduce the noise. After reading this post, y wonder if it is a good idea to fit some "KOOLMAT" on the dynamat....where the heat could be a problem : bulkhead , console, .... Y should have read this post before sticking dynamat ...!

[64etype]

Y fitted dynamat everywhere in the interior: roof , floors, doors, bulkhead, etc... to reduce the noise. After reading this post, y wonder if it is a good idea to fit some "KOOLMAT" on the dynamat....where the heat could be a problem : bulkhead , console, .... Y should have read this post before sticking dynamat ...!

Yes, Dynamat and similar products are primarily noise reduction products with little benefit claimed in the way of heat reduction. The aluminum backing is a part of the vibration absorption design. In fact the various suppliers make competitive claims regarding the thickness of the aluminum layer's capabilities in that regard. Dynamat does offer a foam product in various thicknesses called Dynaliner that they market as a heat insulator for over the Dynamat. I'm using Dynaliner over the Dynamat (in lieu of the jute carpet padding) as it has the added benefit of being non-hydroscopic. Properly installed it acts as a water resistant barrier inside the cockpit. I'm also using a third "Dyna" product called Dynapad for the boot floor. Lots of info on their web site.

I also fabricated a full bottom aluminum heat deflector plus DEI Tunnel Shield to the outside of the body shell (described at the end of the following link) to attack the heat problem at the source.

viewtopic.php?t=2595&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[Heuer]

Blimey Eric, that shield is a work of art!

[JagWaugh]

I sincerely hope that Koolmat is worth the price. I talked the owner of the 67 FHC I am assembling to order the pre cut kit and also ordered enough material to do my own S-Type. Koolmat is anything other than cheap, but if it keeps the heat out AND has enough mass to eliminate panel drumming then I will be happy. Can't tell yet, as the E is on hold while I get the owners big healey running sweet, and my S is waiting until I get BOTH of his cars done.

Andrew

[PeterCrespin]

I sincerely hope that Koolmat is worth the price. Koolmat is anything other than cheap, but if it keeps the heat out AND has enough mass to eliminate panel drumming then I will be happy.

I don't doubt that Koolmat has major advantages over no insulation and in terms of bang-per-buck could therefore justify its price. If tested against a roll of cheap self-stick alloy/foam duct insulation, which is what I use, it might be harder work as good value for additional degrees-per-buck value. more likely it would be multiple 'bucks-per-degree' for a small added benefit. Shouldn't be too hard to put a test rig together with a couple of thermocouples and a hot air gun and IR thermometer.

[64etype]

.... but if it keeps the heat out AND has enough mass to eliminate panel drumming then I will be happy. Andrew

I don't believe Kool Mat has any significant noise/vibration reduction capability. A combination of Dyna Pad and Dyna Liner over Kool Mat (in lieu of jute padding) would seem to be an effective combination. Dynapad is about 1/2 inch thick, very dense, and is a combination of heat and noise layers. Fairly stiff, so it works best on flat surfaces like the floors/footwells/boot. Dyna liner (various thicknesses/single layer) works well on the curved surfaces of the tunnel. I'm also using Dyna Pad in my '74 Jeep J10 street rod pick up. Definitely kills noise and vibration in that ol' pig. Quite heavy, though.

[Heuer]

Having installed Koolmat (and being an audiophile) I can say that it is an extremely good vibration damper and noise suppressor. It is a composite of knitted fibre topped with a layer of silicone. The fibre side is glued to the metal and as a result effectively stops the transmission of sound or vibration because of the changes in layer material. Despite its thin appearance it is quite dense and heavy. With the interior sealed with Kool-mat you can use the standard felt and carpet to add the finishing touch - you could enter a concours competition and no one would know! The previous owner of my FHC installed Dynamat and I do not find it as effective as Kool-mat in either heat or sound ingress.

[JagWaugh]

David,
One thing that is bothering me about the koolmat is that it can't stretch to follow the stamped dishings in the floor. On the one hand, I've been doing this kind of stuff long enough to know that there is no such thing as watertight. On the other hand, the whole point of the koolmat heatshielding is that it presents an impervious layer. I can't decide if I should just glue it in as one continuous barrier, or if I should punch/drill vents in the areas where there is a low spot stamped in the floor panel.

What did you do?

Andrew

[Heuer]

Glued it down over the dishings - it follows the form of the shallower ones.

[Garrym]

i have bought but not yet installed a Koolmat kit and am worried about glueing it down simply because of the fact that water will invariably get in. I should add that I'm not talking about a freshly painted body shell. The thought of moisture trapped between the floor and the Koolmat is making me queasy.
Am I missing something?
Garry

[Heuer]

The idea behind the installation of Kool-mat is to create what in effect is a pond liner. You glue the Kool-mat down to rust-proofed good metal and then seal all the joints with Silicone. Only way water can get in to the footwells is either a) through the four per side carpet plugs, which should be sealed anyway and b) from above, in which case water will just pool under the carpet/felt and will never reach the floor. My Kool-mat was installed 10 years and 40,000 miles ago and there is no sign of rusting. Stop worrying, install the stuff and go out and use the car. If the floors need replacing in 25 years it will be someone else's problem. Besides, by then it will probably need restoring again because the paint will be chipped/faded, chrome will be pitted and the mechanical bits will be tired!