Insulation?

While putting it back together I put some high tech insulating foil on top of engine to isolate front of carbs and bottom of gas tank
Cut holes for lines wires etc. Any danger?
I forgot to take laser therm reading before foil
After short run engine feels about same but I can put my bare hand easily between tank and engine. That wasn't happening before.
Engines not wrapped- think tabletop with 3" lip towards and down in front of carbs

My only concern would be airflow, because you don't want to reduce the ability of the engine to shed heat. Here's a question to consider - if the heat is no longer felt around the carbs or fuel tank where is the heat? It may not be dissipating away from the engine as well as it originally was. Just curious - what is the purpose of trying to shield the carbs and fuel tank from the heat? Ed

Same concern as Ed. I'd say it depends on how you did the insulation. If you have it up off of the engine, more on the the underside of the tank than the top of the engine, where the top of the engine is exposed to the same amount of airflow, you should be fine. But If it's blocking airflow to any part of the engine, or directly on the engine, it'll be bad for cooling and I'd be concerned. Only way to be sure is to measure temp, so if you have a laser thermometer, I'd try it with and without to see if there's a difference. If you do it right you might even help cooling.

As for Ed's question of where did the heat go, ideally into the air that you're now forcing out of the bike isntead of letting it run into the carb bodies and fuel tank.

Picture?

Think "tabletop" nothing in the front, or sides, all the wires vacuum lines etc that can be on top are- its not wrapped, the stuff is thick. I wrapped a light bulb with it, and the plastic bubbles got hot- but never melted
Hmmm, interesting. Might do more once I take some reading with that laser thermometer I got.

This is where I finally wiggled it across, haven't settled it in yet.
I also put a layer under the gas tank..I see seeing gasoline bubble in the summer heat...
its clean, cant see the stuff once put back together.

That's a little closer to the valve cover than I'd be comfortable with, looks like it's just sitting on it. Might work out, but I'd be worried the valve cover would heat up from it. Ed's correct in saying that if the heat isn't radiating through the foil, it just means it's staying inside it, or having to vent somewhere else. And in this case, since there's no real space there, inside the foil basically means the engine. Even if you still get enough cooling in the rest of the engine for the oil, if you heat up the valve cover too much I'd be worried about warping it over time.

I'd try to pikc the foil up off the metal so air can whip around in there. Maybe a piece of barstock suspended from the frame that it can rest on to give the engine some breathing room.

I fail to see how the heat is staying "inside". If anything the heat radiating upwards after a run will heat sink the gas tank. Otherwise, I assume short of infrared photo, it rises up and around-escaping.
If I were to wrap it down the sides, or the back yes, certainly baking the internals.
However, this has formed a shield, keeping the gas tank cooler, the coils cooler and the fuel line/petcock.

20 minute errand run just now.
top of fins right side sitting in sun, 95
return to casa de medina, top of fins right side 235
ONE FLIPPING INCH above, 119' degrees. Oh yeah, my gas is cooooooler!
I pulled it down to take the measurement, otherwise you can't see it.



I'm also wondering how hot those bikes that are enclosed run, i.e. concours, ST1100's etc. I know those are water cooled, but still.
I'll keep on eye on things.

Anyone else have temp readings from their kz1000,1100's? I'd like to get one center of the two heads between 2 and 3 maybe tommorrow...need something to get in there..

Maybe try wrapping it around backbone tubes to allow air to flow over top of head

wireman wrote: Maybe try wrapping it around backbone tubes to allow air to flow over top of head

X2

u r worried for no reason. the oil temp in my kz1200 runs at 235*. yours will run much cooler. the only thing that could benifit from less heat up there would be the longevity of the coils.

I wonder how much differance it would make if a guy wer to spray/roll some of that lizard skin insulation/sound deadener under the tank as far as keeping fuel cooler?

so , how many Lizards do u have to skin , to fill that pail?

Im not sure,Im waiting for a call back from geico! :woohoo: