Technical N54 Phenolic fibre fuel rail gaskets.

[martymil]

Its about stopping thermal transfer, you really want phenolic gaskets or washers.

Available anywhere they sell bolts or electrical suppliers

 

[screaminfast]

Its about stopping thermal transfer, you really want phenolic gaskets or washers.

Available anywhere they sell bolts or electrical suppliers

I just asked on FB from some of my tattoo artist friends to see if they have any. Side note, is that a vac gauge on your VC plumbing? That's rad. Gives me an idea to attach one to the catch can setup I'm working on.

 

[martymil]

Yes vac gauge to see how hard my custom catch can is scavenging the motor under full boost on the dyno.

Eventually I'll put a sensor on it and do a pod gauge in the factory ashtray.

 

[screaminfast]

Yes vac gauge to see how hard my custom catch can is scavenging the motor under full boost on the dyno.

Eventually I'll put a sensor on it and do a pod gauge in the factory ashtray.

Nice! I've got 3 innovate gauges going in my ash tray. Oil Temp/Press, Water Temp/Volts, and the ECF-1 (ethanol %, fuel temp, fuel press, wideband lambda)

 

[martymil]

Love the innovate gauges, they are the best in my books

 

[screaminfast]

Did my fuel rail the other day!

 

[martymil]

This is latest, central feed rail and ceramic coated.

 

[matreyia]

So I've been testing the phenolic fibre washers between the fuel rail and head and rail and nut.

I converted from bolts to studs to make things a lot easier to install

Measuring the temps on a stock fuel rail was between 200f to 210f at idle after a cruise which is the same temp as the head.

With the phenolic washers

Cruise temp was 128f to 140f

Spanking temp was 158 to 165 with head temps of 218f

I'm only working with surface temps of the rails and lines and the difference is between 45f to 72f.

Not bad for under a dollar worth of gaskets and it was tested with the engine cover on, running an aftermarket vc the temps are even lower.

Is there any benefit, haven't tested that properly yet as we are in lockdown except when I drive to work.

But going of past experience lower temps help with cylinder cooling, resistance to engine timing drops and makes more hp.

How much benefit there is I don't know but for less than the price of a bottle of coca cola I think its worth it.

View attachment 37058

Dude, I am a believer... I'm all in for this idea. Great work.

 

[martymil]

It actually works, I just cant believe no one actually looked hard enough and saw this.

There is so much room for improvement if you look hard enough.

They might not be big and even minimal but it all ads up to have that extra edge over others.

 

[matreyia]

It actually works, I just cant believe no one actually looked hard enough and saw this.

There is so much room for improvement if you look hard enough.

They might not be big and even minimal but it all ads up to have that extra edge over others.

Agreed. I just added the phenolic intake manifold spacer and it reduced the aluminum manifold surface temperature from 150f to 120f. Holy smokes...

 

[martymil]

I'm waiting on someone to make phenolic gasket for the throttle body as I started to see tb failures lately

 

[matreyia]

I'm waiting on someone to make phenolic gasket for the throttle body as I started to see tb failures lately

Oh damn...that's another good idea.

 

[matreyia]

I'm waiting on someone to make phenolic gasket for the throttle body as I started to see tb failures lately

You what I would be interested in? Somebody should make anti-thermal bolts, studs to use with these phenolic spacers and gaskets... oh man, then there'd be even less heat transfer...right now, I know there's less, but still the metal studs and bolts are still transferring engine heat to all connected parts...however slight, it still doing it via direct contact.

 

[matreyia]

I'm waiting on someone to make phenolic gasket for the throttle body as I started to see tb failures lately

Also... this is proof of my OCD and lack of financial smarts... got laid off from covid-19 pandemic destruction and still buying any parts that help with engine cooling... go figure.

 

[fmorelli]

I'm waiting on someone to make phenolic gasket for the throttle body as I started to see tb failures lately

Isn't this simple to whip out? What am I missing?

Filippo

 

[The Convert]

Isn't this simple to whip out? What am I missing?

Filippo

Extremely simple. Buy some phenolic gasket material, a sharpie, and a jigsaw and you could make one.

 

[martymil]

its not quite that simple with the style of seal the tb uses

 

[matreyia]

its not quite that simple with the style of seal the tb uses

OK, I just did my fuel rail gaskets this morning and did a test drive. Yesterday, I did the unscientific touch the fuel rail test and almost scalded my finger...could not hold on to the fuel rail longer than a second. Today after same intensity of driving, I could literally set my hand on it indefinitely. Those gaskets work really well. Also, it added more cooling to the aluminum manifold as I touched the metal at the throttle body connection, it was room temperature and not warm like before the fuel rail gaskets installation. As you predicted, little by little, things add up to a big difference.

Alone, each one of those gasket installations are a little improvement, but together they made an even bigger cooling effect over all.

I wonder if there is enough room in between the manifold bolt holes and the manifold bolts to be able to slip in a carbon fiber tube to help insulate the metal bolt from passing heat to the manifold bolt hole walls. Anyways, this shit worked so well, I am going to go back to the manifold bolts and add a phenolic washer in between the metal nut and the surface of the aluminum manifold bolt hole. I will do a before and after record to see if there is even more cooling after the washer is added to the phenolic manifold spacer I installed.

 

[matreyia]

Isn't this simple to whip out? What am I missing?

Filippo

probably same easiness as the manifold spacer. Just cut the shape to match the TB and bore out stock sized TB o-ring and then install TB with its own original o-ring. I would be worried that the added phenolic thick spacer may give rise to fitment issues if the car happens to have any upgraded chargepipe fitting changes. I know this would definitely not work on my car since the charge pipe already jams up firmly against my expansion tanke.

But, also - this TB gasket won't be necessary imo because after installing the fuel rail phenolic spacers and the manifold spacers, the connection of the TB and the manifold was room temperature to the touch after an hr. of hard driving. So I don't think you can get it any cooler than room temperature. It was room temperature to the touch but felt 'cool' to the touch in contrast to the rest of the engine heat rising from below.

 

[martymil]

Ceramic oating the turbo manifolds, fuel rail and inlet manifold deflects and keeps heat in where needs it.

There is lots of room for improvement on these motors.