The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed bed wood heat shields?

Anyone have any advice or experience with heat shields for the bottom side of their bed wood? I've seen them, but don't know if I need them or not. I have about 3-1/2" between the top of the tailpipe where it curves up and over the axle, and the underside of my nice new shiny bed wood (spar varnish finish both sides). I had a '62 GMC long-bed that had some bed wood damage from heat, so I guess that should tell me something!! :p Many thanks.

None of the stock trucks i've seen have had any heat sheild, nor have I seen any under bed wood damage as a result of heat.. but when I was putting the wood in my '46 1/2 ton the thought crossed my mind.

I wonder if a 6 exhaust gets all that hot in the first place? I know it's been 90 outside and i've run the crap out of both my trucks and while the exhaust pipe would definately be hot to the touch, I didn't feel any significant heat radiating from the pipe.

If you've got a fancy finish on your bed wood, tho.. i'd guess radiated heat could break the finish down over time, and eventually let moisture in.

All absolute speculation, tho.

I've been wrong once or twice in my life but I don't think you'll have a problem unless you do a lot of sitting still with the engine running. Even low speed driving should circulate enough air to keep the wood from being damaged.

I do not know if the heat shield is necessary on 47-55 trucks (on the lower side of the bed/floor on a pickup, panel, canopy, suburban, or any model with wood above the "hump" in the tailpipe); however, the heat shield was most likely standard equipment on these trucks.

I say "most likely" because I never saw a factory-fresh truck; however, the two 1/2 ton A-D trucks that I bought in the late 60s-early-70s both had a heat shield.

I think that Mar-K (and maybe others) is now selling a stainless steel version of the heat shield.

There has been no heat shield under the varnished bed boards on my dual-exhaust'54 pickup for about 7 years - I see no problems. However, I am taking no chances with my suburban - I replaced the old (? original) heat-shield with a POR-painted new one.

Tim

my 37 had a heat shield over the muffler, whether original or not I don't know. I run a 350 with staight pipes and it has not done any damage to the underside wood which I also have Spar-urethane on. I "heat it up" ever now and then but don't see a problem. Just my .02 cent.

My '57 had one... At least the assembly manual calls for it.

My 59 fleetside (original wood) had one and we recommend it as cheap insurance. The stainless ones actually look pretty nice under the wood. Kind of a purposeful blend of form and function. Mar-K makes two sizes in both steel and stainless, http://www.mar-k.com/various_restoration_items.pdf as the trucks used a larger shield after 1973. You don't want to find out you needed one when the wood starts smoking.

Mar-Ktech

Many thanks all. Liek you all say, it is relatively cheap insurance. I want the finish and the wood to last. Thats one job I don't want to have to do again.