Awesome doghouse insulation

Sorry no photo yet, but a neighbor has a fantastic mod to his '67 Handivan. He custom formed and mounted sheet aluminum to fit inside the lid and engine compartment. In between the formed aluminum and the interior of the dog house is what looks like about 1/4 to 3/8" insulation (can't see the insulation, just guessing). This looks like a great solution for insulating around the radiator and exhaust manifolds, without the insulation sagging and getting burned up.

I'll see if I can return and get some photos and post them. It really looks neat and clean, too.

Always looking for new ideas ...Can't wait to see pics and hear more about installation and performance!

I'll see what I can do.

Basically they took aluminum sheet and formed it to create an inner wall. Sort of like an old all metal fridge would be constructed. Then they put some insulation between the two walls. They did a nice job, I did a double take when I saw it before I figured out what it was. I suppose one could duplicate it with the right size and gauge of aluminum sheet, and a dead blow hammer. Then trim the edges so they don't interfere. I think they may have welded or riveted the joins, didn't get that close a look.

Currently I'm using some dual foil polyester insulation, about 3/8" thick, but just for under the lid. I'd like to extend it to the rest of the dog house, as the old fiberglass has pretty much fallen away. But I have some concerns about it withstanding closer proximity to the ex. manifolds. I suppose I could always fashion a heat shield out of aluminum flashing for those areas. It would probably be easiest to fabricate and install this idea when the motor is out. Something I'm not currently set up to do.

look on ebay, there is a vendor who sells stick on heavy mastic foil faced high heat insulation, works great for the lower sides, easy to apply and lap at corners and around linkage, regulater, etc. comes in various size sheets, listed under hood insulstion. rated to something like 1200 degrees. I have have had it on two years, still adhered and works for sound and heat.

Thanks, this looks like it...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEI-Floor-Tunnel-Shield-II-High-Heat-Sound-Insulation-Two-Sizes-/271780733437?var=&hash=item3f4764e1fd&vxp=mtr

I took a closer look at the DEI high heat insulation and while it might be worthwhile, I have some reservations:

Thickness. It's only less than 3/16" thick. The Fiber Tech poly insulation - laminated between two aluminum foil pieces - is 3/8" thick. I have to think that no matter how good the glass fiber insulation of the high heat stuff is, it's still probably not going to insulate as well as something twice as thick.

Plus I already have enough of the Fiber Tech insulation to finish off the lower part of the dog house. It's paid for... I installed it under the lid a couple of years ago, and it hasn't shown any sign of pulling away. Of course I was able to do a thorough cleanup of the bottom of the lid (removed it) and I probably won't be able to do the same for the rest of the interior of the doghouse with the engine in the way. Not to mention more difficulty spraying the adhesive inside the engine compartment. I'll probably just spray one side of the laminated insulation and then apply to the inside walls. But it's probably worth a try, esp up front which tends to radiate heat onto one's legs. I figure I could always use aluminum flashing to reinforce the insulation in strategic places, like around the exhaust manifolds or where the insulation doesn't stick too well (I'm even prepared to use stand-off rivets to hold it).



We'll see. For the time being I have bumpers to yank, sand, and repaint...

veefre wrote:Thanks, this looks like it...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEI-Floor-Tunnel-Shield-II-High-Heat-Sound-Insulation-Two-Sizes-/271780733437?var=&hash=item3f4764e1fd&vxp=mtr

I bought from this vendor:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HEAT-SOUND-Shield-FOIL-INSULATION-BLANKET-MAT-PAD-26-X39-/231652071019?hash=item35ef8a166b&vxp=mtr
For the lid I used the foil faced Thermo Tech insul from Jegs;
http://www.jegs.com/i/Thermo+Tec/893/14125/10002/-1
But look for the one that's only foil face on one side...
Held on with spray adhesive, has stayed on after 2 years.  I used some foil tape to seal in the edges.  Hope this helps ya!

The ThermoTec insulation looks exactly like what I used to do the underside of the lid. I used the two foil faced version, because I wanted a better glue bond that I figured one would get with single faced. Also, the two faced has a better heat reflectivity (95%) than the single face (75%).

I think I'll just use the ThermoTec all round, like I said.

Correction: Originally I got some Thermotec (I think) to do the underside of the doghouse lid. It has a uniform looking polyester looking fiber insulation, about 3/8"thick. Double foil.I lost the label but it looks like what Thermotec sells.

When I finished that, I realized that I didn't have enough left over (probably) to do the rest of the doghouse, so I got another roll. This stuff is slighly different; the insulation, which I didn't really notice till today, is not uniform gray but looks like it's made up of scrap fibers held together by a light resin. It's ok, just perhaps not as refined as the first lot I got. This stuff still has the label, but the label doesn't indication a mfg. It does have a item number, 25070, and I traced that to CSI online, sold by Amazon primarily. I recall I got it online whereas the first roll was from a local auto parts shop. Nowhere can I see any indication of the fiber composition, but I tore off a bit and it melted readily with a lighter. So I'm thinking it's probably polyester as well.

http://www.amazon.com/CSI-25070-Heat-Shield-Insulation/dp/B000RPG0DO

A word, however, on insulation. No insulation blocks heat 100%. It just slows it down. Eventually the heat will seep through (unless you're using ceramic insulting tiles like on the Space Shuttle, which I believe have tiny vacuum spaces in the ceramic foam). But the rate of heat transfer may be slow enough to give the impression that the passenger side of the firewall or outside of the doghouse stays relatively cool.

The Thermatec stuff I insulated the underside of the lid works pretty well, but on a hot day the top of the doghouse still gets hot, usually though sun shining through the windshield but also probably from engine heat. And this van is missing the lower air deflector, so at low speeds the hot air is probably getting recirculated through the radiator somewhat.

For the best insulation I have ever seen check out KAO Wool. It is ceramic insulation that I use in my gas forge. It can be 2500* in the forge, directly on one side of the insulation and I can put my finger directly on the other side of the insulation, 1.5" away. Incredible stuff but not cheap.

I'm sure the KAO Wool is good insulation, but it's not really fair to compare the 3/8" insulation of the type I installed with 1-1/2" of KAO Wool. The extra thickness of your insulation clearly makes a big difference.

Hollow fiber insulation would probably be even better, but there's no indication that KAO Wool is that type. Space shuttle ceramic foam, more better still, but probably unobtainable.

I did a Google search for it, and found some sites that have 1/2" and 3/4" rolls of the KAO Wool. It might be a better bet for insulating around the exhaust system in the dog house, which currently has remnants of the original glass wool stuff there. To do a good job, however, I suspect one might have to drop the motor. I'm not too keen on getting under there now and trying to scrape away the old stuff (falling in my face and hair) applying glue, and trying to stick new insulation up there. But maybe I can get most of it off from above, except it is very tight.

Buy plastic coated drop-in suspended ceiling tiles. The plastic peels right off, then you have an excellent 2x4' sheet of semi-rigid fibreglass for all kinds of uses. Hold in place with high-temp silicone or good quality 'straps' of aluminum foil tape.  Easy to cut/ trim, inexpensive and fireproof.

I found the ceramic insulation with a foil back used around stainless chimney flue pipes. I'm putting it under the lid on the dog house. for starters. This is about 1/2'' thick.
BTW, veefre, I was not saying or comparing 1 1/2'' of KAOwool to other insulation's, just that that was the performance I can personally attest to.

When I did my lid I rolled up some insulation on the inside of the ends after putting on 2 layers and added aluminum to hold the insulation in place, it also makes a smoother flow for the air passing by and out.
My dog likes to stand on the lid when the passenger seat is being used, it keeps the lid from getting hot.

Very cool Russell. I have some very thin aluminum that I use to make parts for race cars. It would work well. I was just hoping to not use fasteners but, not the end of the world.
My dog is JUST like yours. If the pass. seat is taken, he sits in a captains chair in back and mopes. I love that dog.
Thanks again!
Chaz

Russell wrote:When I did my lid I rolled up some insulation on the inside of the ends after putting on 2 layers and added aluminum to hold the insulation in place, it also makes a smoother flow for the air passing by and out.
My dog likes to stand on the lid when the passenger seat is being used, it keeps the lid from getting hot.

My dog, a medium sized GSP (German Shorthaired Ponter), likes to ride on the doghouse lid too! Mine's fully insulated with the thermotec foil stuff and stays relatively cool except right over the radiator on really hot days. I just throw a cheap dog bed cushion on top of the lid and he's good to go!

I had so much of the old fiber sticking inside my lid and found it almost impossible to remove, I just coated it out with a combination of oil based foundation sealant (the stuff the feels like sandpaper dry) and about 1/4 silver paint. Put it on in about 3 coats making it about 1/8 of an inch thick. Plan to add insulation later, that was about 4 years ago, and I must say it helped alot and has not chipped or gone anywhere. Also, I was concerned that insulation may have been asbestos so I just left it there and coated it out. Call me lazy yet the improv works like a champ.