Under hood temps hot enough to boil DOT 4?

[Rich]

My brake & clutch master clylinders are located on the top front of the drivers footbox. The header pipes are directly below them...maybe 15". The front brake line is in the same locale. Could the headers generate enough heat during spirited driving to boil DOT 4? I've experienced pedal fade on a couple of occasions.

If so, would an aluminum heatshield mounted below the masters deflect enough heat to cure this?

[flipper35]

Mine would touch the headers under hard throttle after putting the Wilwoods in. I angled them up a bit and put a heat shield in, but I never had any issues with them that close. I also hadn't run it real hard for long with them that close. My brake lines are a away from the headers and they are the remote resevior master cylinders.

[RACER X #99]

Rich,
I had the same problem with my Contemporary until I too installed a heat shield. I went so far as to totally enclose the M/C's and I also wrap insulation around all three M/C's.

I also think the under floor location is a much better setup for the M/C's.

Rd

[flipper35]

I thought about that too since they are remote resevior it would still be easy to check and fill fluids if necessary. Did you use a regular header blanket material?

[Mr.Fixit]

Build a stainless heatshield, it will lower the radiant heat at the masters.

Pedal fade might be due to your pads.

[Rich]

Thanks for the replies!

I ended up building an open top aluminum box (I didn’t have any SS pieces in my scrap metal box) around the MC’s and covered it with reflective heat shield insulation. The fender side of the box is also open to take advantage of air flow through the side vent.

Mr. Fixit, the pedal fade doesn’t seem to be related to hard braking. It’s only happened a few times, always after high rpm blasts when there would be a lot of heat build-up under the hood. If this doesn’t work, the pads are next. My thinking was to start with the easiest solution, which turned out not to be so easy, and work my way up in complexity.

[Cashburn]

Rich,
Sounds great. Do you have a picture or two for reference?

[Rich]

I'll try to remember to shoot some pics tonight.