# 2013 Ford Escape: subbing insulative wrap for a heat shield

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-escape-subbing-insulative-wrap-for-a-heat-shield/124066>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** escape, ford\
**Created:** [August 31, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-escape-subbing-insulative-wrap-for-a-heat-shield/124066 "2018-08-31T04:07:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jim15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jim15](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jim15)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-escape-subbing-insulative-wrap-for-a-heat-shield/124066/1 "2018-08-31T04:07:17Z")

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Heat shield above the catalytic converter is shredded and falling off. Can I just remove it, and cover the catalytic converter with some high temp insulative wrap with hose clamps?

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**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 11:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-escape-subbing-insulative-wrap-for-a-heat-shield/124066/2 "2018-08-31T11:09:57Z")

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Nope. There is an air gap between the converter and the heat shield. The air flow between the two provides a lot of the cooling/insulation. If you wrap the converter, even only at the top, you will contain the heat, might even make it worse. I doubt a hose clamp would survive the heat anyway.

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**Author:** ![Jim15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jim15](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jim15)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-escape-subbing-insulative-wrap-for-a-heat-shield/124066/3 "2018-08-31T12:49:10Z")

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Makes sense. Air flow is essential for heat shields around wood stoves, so it would logically apply here as well. Static build up is not safe. Follow up question: if I order the right part, can this be installed without removing the exhaust line?

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**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 4:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2013-ford-escape-subbing-insulative-wrap-for-a-heat-shield/124066/4 "2018-09-01T04:56:07Z")

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You don’t want a fire or a melted cat. The wrap isn’t high-temp enough anyway.