Coil Pack heat shield 99610442502

[Schnell Gelb]

The M96 fitted to the 996 cars has a heat shield for the coil packs/spark plugs.It is aka  "cylinder head plate" .It is part number 37 in this diagram:

http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-parts/hardparts.php?dir=996-99-05&section=103-00

 

I am confused about the use of these heat shields on (any?) Boxsters. My 3.2 S is a Texas car with no cats in the exhaust manifolds. It has just a simple ,stock , 3 into 1 pipe exhaust manifold. So there should not be as much heat as the California cars that have a cat close to the cylinder head.

The confusion is that there are no heat shields fitted. Are they missing?

There are the 2 threaded bosses on the cylinder head to attach a heat shield .So I thought of making a simple sheet metal shield for each side . Is there any merit to doing this ? I ask because coil packs are expensive! 997-602-107-00

Thank you for any explanations.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Schnell Gelb

[Hilux2400]

If there has been nothing in place for some time the internal threads in the bosses will be a bit messy.  I would be tempted to run a thread chaser down the thread to clean it out. If you haven't got a tap of the right size just use a set screw with two long grooves cut in the thread with a three cornered file.  Put some grease in the grooves and that will pick up the muck from within the threaded hole. 

[RFM]

986/987 do not have, what you call, heat shields on the valve covers. They are in fact a kind of mudguards and unnecessary by the 180° rotated engine configuration versus 996/997.

[Schnell Gelb]

I'm in Los Angeles , so no mud nor corrosion. But heat in slow/go freeway traffic and heat soak are significant concerns.

The Boxster engine/trans configuration could be worse than the 911 layout from the perspective of convected heat on the coils ?