Hot hump

shadango

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Messages
466
Reaction score
40
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I was driving with my son in the 80 Volare yesterday....nice evening drive......after about 10-15 minutes I realized that my left leg was hot.....

We took the carpet out a while back to look for the water leak.....and havent put it back in yet (havent figured out the leak)....

The tranny hump is HOT -- as in touch it for more than a second or two and it BURNS ya.

My Cuda's hump gets hot , and that is with carpet.....so maybe its the same ...but DANG.

Gonna put some of that hushmat on it I think to help repel heat.

Anyone else run into very high temps at the hump like that?
 
Last edited:

BudW

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
5,121
Reaction score
1,485
Location
Oklahoma City
Automatic transmissions (or manual transmissions) don’t run very hot (about 150 to 200’ F, more or less). What does get very hot is the catalytic converter – which operates at about 1,000’ F, or more.

There should be some aluminum looking tin under the car to help with the heat (heat shields) from the catalytic converter(s).

It is my experience the firewall, inner fenders and front floor pans run at about 150 to 200’ F because that is about what the air flow from radiator is heating the engine compartment, as well as exhaust manifolds radiate out.

The catalytic converter is a different animal and radiates a ton of heat.

Matter of fact, do not drive a car, with a cat, onto high grass. It is a sure way to catch your car on fire.

Missing heat shields can be part of the problem. Another solution is to bend cat converter downwards (away from floor pan) another inch or so (which might be best done by a muffler shop).
BudW
 

shadango

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Messages
466
Reaction score
40
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I dont think its the cat --- on this car the cat seems to be more under the passenger side floor board, away from the hump....

ANd the drivers side of the hump is almost as hot as the passenger....

I dont suppose too many folks run around with the carpet and insulation out.....maybe thats all it is.

I have one of those temperature guns -- will have to see what the hump temp is and then maybe check the cat and trans.....
 

Aspen500

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
7,030
Reaction score
2,759
Location
Rib Mountain, WI
It's amazing how much carpet and underpadding insulates the interior from the heat. In my car's previous semi-pro steet life (what WAS I thinking 25 years ago?), I had only thin (very thin) carpet on the floor with no insulation. More than once I had to stop to let my right foot cool off,,,,,,seriously. Granted, I had fenderwell headers which didn't help the situation but my right foot was just from engine and trans heat transmitting through the sheet metal. Never again, lol!
 

BudW

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
5,121
Reaction score
1,485
Location
Oklahoma City
It makes you wonder about the older cars that came standard with rubber - or for additional $ you could get carpet and insulation.
BudW
 

Aspen500

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
7,030
Reaction score
2,759
Location
Rib Mountain, WI
I had a '66 Dart 2 door sedan 20 years ago with exactly one option, the 225 S6 vs the standard 170. There was jute insulation under the vinyl floor covering. Same stuff as with carpet. Dang I miss that car..............................Come to think of it, the '81 D150 I had back then also had the jute under the rubber floor.
 
Back
Top