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MG MGA - Hot MGA foot well

Anyone have a good idea for cooling down a MGA foot well. I've tried everything I can think of. I installed Dynamat and it helped some but it's still gets hot. I'm going to MG2011 and not looking forward to cooking my feet.

Lyle
Lyle Jacobson

If Dynamat isn't helping I'm not sure what will. I'm assuming you've fully wrapped the tunnel with insulation too? Make sure your dipstick hole plug is in good shape and sealing well. The floor vent on the heater doesn't usually seal well and allows hot air through, so you can put some sticky-backed foam seal on the lip to help. The butterfly on the main heater inlet has a rubber seal, make sure it's working well or hot air will get forced through the vents. All these little things add up, but the footwell still gets hot. On a very long trip I usually have to use a towel to keep the gearshift lever from burning my leg.
Mark J Michalak

Lyle, part of the heat may well be coming from underneath the floor boards from the exhaust. You could try mounting a heat shield between the pipe and the floor and see if that helps some. I rember seeing a fresh air scoop someone had made up from some fiberglass that hooked over the door and directed the outlet down into the footwell. Should be easy enough to carve a master from some foam and cover that with glass mat to make the part, then etch out the foam with some acetone and finish.
B Young

Lyle,
You don't mention that you have a V8 in there! Changing back to the original 1500 or 1600 engine would help. LOL.
I have fitted three thin sheets of steel between the exhaust and the three driver's side floor boards. I used 1/4" nuts with built in serrated washers,, and fitted them to the ends of the floor board screws to hold the sheet up. This resulted in an air gap of about 3/8". Air is the best insulator.
In addition, I also fitted a material similar to Dynamat (B-Quiet Ultra) to both side of the tunnel and floorboards on my coupe, in the hope it will keep some heat out. But airflow through the car is what I would like to achieve.
Seya in Reno. Peter.
P. Tilbury

In my opinion because of the general lack of airflow through the MGA engine bay area there is a build up of stagnant hot air in the tunnel area. As the engine and gearbox heat up this air just gets hotter and hotter and transfers the heat into the footwell area. I have found 2 ways so far of getting rid of it:

1. Wet conditions - cools it all down.

2. Opening the tunnel carpet flap and removing the large rubber blanking bung covering the gear box oil filler. The resultant blast of hot engine bay air through the hole reduces the tunnel heat (also the engine temperature by a few degrees) but makes the cockpit area quite acrid with fumes.

I have often wondered about building a venting system from the tunnel area.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I drive in very hot ambienet conditions here in Oz and did have hot footwell problems but by fitting dynamat under carpet, insulation on engine side of firewall and also installing a heater ..( for freah air only, pipes not connected ). All is fine now even on hottest days.. I believe the reasons for Lyle's discomfort are the result of either of or a combination of the following ...both of which are differen from my mga ..
..His beast of an engine
...The exhaust under the boards ( most likely this )

Remember for latter I drive on the other side from Lyle.
Neil Ferguson

Yes, insulate everything, firewall ,G/box tunnel, etc. etc. Fit a heater to channel to fresh air, couple the inlet and outlet hoses together for the Summer. Fit up a second fire wall in front of the heater to force the hot air out the vents.
Venting the G/box tunnel sounds a good idea. Maybe an additional vent hole and tube towards the rear ? Any takers . Sean
S Sherry

Do you have teh right oil in the gearbox - it makes a HUGE difference to cockpit teperature
dominic clancy

Thanks for the help guys. Yes my MGA does have a 215 Buick, but I've had two other stock MGAs that seemed to get just as hot, and the V8 is more fun to drive. When I built the car I new there would be a problem with the exhaust so I installed thin metal heat shields between the exhaust and floors as as you did Peter. The Dynamat is under the carpet and over the tunnel. The gear box is a Borg Warner T-5 with the right fulid. I guess it's something I'll have to live with.

My son is also going to MG2011. He has an interesting '73 MGB. Our cars are on the internet. If you are interested google, Bill Jacobson supercharged MGB V8, Lyle Jacobson MGA V8.

There's probably not many father, son 215 Buick powered MGs around.

Lyle
Lyle Jacobson

Lyle on my MGA Coupe I installed a heat shield under the frame and over the exhaust using 6" wide by 1/8" thick aluminum sheet; I bent down the sides at 45 degrees to make it stronger and stop vibration. I attached it to the frame with 1/4 bolts leaving a 3/8" air gap under the floor. In the first photo the exhaust is hidden under the heat shield. I also covered the floor and tunnel in dynamat and added additional heat reducing material on the tunnel; see second photo. My car is cool all the time and my feet never get hot; even on 100 degree days. I'll be in Reno so you can check it out. It works great but I think the secret is in the heat shield over the exhaust.

Andy

Andrew Preston

Lyle here's the photo of dynamat on the floor and firewall and addition heat material on tunnel.

Andy

Andrew Preston

Andrew, Thanks for the help. Nice job, your car looks great. I look forward to meeting you.
Lyle
Lyle Jacobson

This thread was discussed between 11/02/2011 and 14/02/2011

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