Heat exhaust problems / branch manifold

[mcoily]

Dear foriker,
today a urgent request.
After nearly copletition of my S2 Etype und the installation of a stainless steel exhaust system with branch manifold, my mechanic phoned me in upset and told me, the system would get much too hot.
We already wrapped the branch manifold with caramic insulation tape till close to the first silencer.
The "asbestos" heat shield beneath the brake bottle shield was partly red- glowing. And all this while the car was idling in the garage.
I told him to check the "Gemisch" and to set it a bit to richer- so some colder exhaust fumes. But that seems still not to solve the problem enough.

My thoughts:
Wrap the manifold some more (now ca. 1,5 times) and to the beginning of the first silencer. But- isn't the the silencer then goring to be very hot for the heat can't escape before? Is my seat going to be grilled from underneath?

Is that all normal and i don't have to bother?
Some advice would be wonderful before my car goes up in smoke before being driven some miles .

Patrick

[Heuer]

There are many people here, me included, who have run their cars with stainless steel manifolds without the heat tape. I did some 35,000 fast miles with the tubular manifolds and the only problem I had was bubbling of the paint on the adjacent frame. Yes, they produce more heat and noise whilst reducing engine torque but provided the correct shields are in place there should be no other problem. I went back to the stock manifolds because they work better on the XK engine and reduce noise and heat.

The only way the brake bottle shield would glow red is if the manifolds are actually touching it and then you would need to have high revs! Take the car out for a run and see what happens.

[abowie]

I agree with David that having the heat shield glowing red would be most unusual.
I would use an infrared thermometer to get some objective measure of the actual heat.

[Vegard]

I'd check the ignition timing.