If you run any track events where you will be getting the engine temperature up to 250 deg., then you could burn some wires and destroy the water hose near the headers. I would suggest putting them back on, since even with the silver JetHot coating, you still gets a lot of radiated heat coming off the header. In time, something will fail.
Heat shields are not required with Belanger headers. Of the dozens of installations that I have done, no-one has wanted or needed the heat shields. Your factory heat shields will fit using Belanger Headers. I have over 4000 miles on my viper without heat shields and have had no ill effects.
With the Belanger headers, we've installed the original heat shields on only one customer's Viper, but only because he wanted to retain the factory look. On other street/drag/open track Vipers we've done, we haven't had any problems with burning plug wires or anything else in the vicinity. Just be sure to reuse the metal covers for the plug wire boots.
Of course, it won't _hurt_ anything to put the stock heat shields back one. You just can't see the **** headers!
Street and auto-X and Drag racing will not build up the extreme heat of WOT road racing events of 20+ minutes. That said, you can still avoid the heat shields on-track if you take plug-wire precautions (We feature a protective plug wire sleeve we call Snake-Sox $49/set), brake booster and P/S reservoir precautions.
$35-$50 of zip-wired insulation end up "better than stock"
Over time, heat is an enemy.....Belangers do produce more heat, esp when stock cats stay in place......
I ahve the belanger headers on my car. As you may remember I left the shields off, it does get hot from them. I almost wish i had left them on. My suggestion since I left mine off and see the amount of heat is to leave the shields on.
Thanks for your insightful and objective responses. Given my intent to road race, I should reinstall the heat shields.
Bill/Apex's comment about not being able to see the **** headers, however, pushed me in the opposite direction. I'll start out with the shields off and gain a better sense for whether to leave them off.
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