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Heat is the enemy of power production; although your engine needs to have some heat to properly convert the burnt-gasoline energy into horsepower, the intake charge needs to be as cool as possible to ensure a dense mixture heading into the combustion chamber. Heat can build up in the engine block and as we all know, heat rises – straight into the underside of your composite intake manifold, which can retain that heat and hinder power production.
The LS3 intake manifold Instant Muscle heat shield [2] available at Pace Performance [3] [PN 140021, $52.95] can help. It can increase horsepower up to 12 ponies – at the wheels – by shielding the manifold from the engine’s radiated heat. The reflective properties of the barrier material lowers the intake manifold’s temperature to keep that mixture dense, with a resultant horsepower increase.
Simple installation includes a heavy-duty adhesive that will stick directly to the underside of your manifold without impeding gasket installation, providing a heat barrier from the bottom of the manifold to the engine block. The reflective covering keeps the heat in the block and not in the unwanted manifold area.
It fits all LS3 engines, and if you’re skilled enough to remove the manifold, installing one of these is a simple proposition. It’s recommended that you install the Instant Muscle heat shield in temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit in order to ensure the adhesive sticks properly, and the only other required tool is patience – it takes about two minutes for the adhesive tape to set up.
The Instant Muscle heatshield is a simple upgrade that nobody can see once it’s installed. Think of it as an intercooler for your intake manifold without the ice and plumbing.