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Wed Jul 31, 2024 12:33 am

Hi all,
I'm working on the wiring on my 1972 Super Beetle which I'm trying to restore. I took off the "tarboard" insulation in the engine compartment to get better access to some of the wiring and I'm going to replace it. But instead of tarboard, I actually found this ceramic fiber insulation blanket that seems interesting. It might not look as good, but it's 1/2 inch thick and can withstand up to 2300 degrees F! 😂 It's non flammable and not conductive.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/UniTherm-Ceramic-Fiber.../309952191

Has anyone ever tried this stuff or something similar? Do you think it would work?

- Chris

Wed Jul 31, 2024 5:48 am

That material is used for oil and gas combustion chambers and areas that need protection from extreme heat in furnaces and boilers. It is very light, does not hold together very well, and is not designed to get wet or it will fall apart. It has it's purpose, but not to be used as fire protection in a car. For what you are trying to do with it, the cons are endless. First that comes to mind is it immediately getting sucked into the cooling fan.

Wed Jul 31, 2024 7:09 am

If you go this route, you will have to wrap it.
An industrial insulation company near you should be able to do it, but……

For the price of all that, you could purchase the direct replacement tarboard set or other offerings from our familiar VW vendors, and actually save some cash

Good Luck

Wed Jul 31, 2024 8:33 am

Ok, thank you everyone! It was just an idea, at least!

Wed Jul 31, 2024 8:40 am

That insulation, or any fluffy stuff, would not be good. Stuff gets sucked into the back of the fan shroud and clogs the airflow, causing overheating. Even very old tarboard that eventually warps and deteriorates can get sucked into the back of the fan shroud, which is something that happened to one of my cars one time. I think the purpose of the tarboard is mainly sound insulation, rather than heat.

So a fresh tarboard is my preference. I like the one that Chris Valone sells because it does not crack when I put it in. Back in the 80s a chrome louvered tin firewall cover was all the rage instead of tarboard. Some people remove the little pointy tarboard hooks and just paint the firewall clean. Some people clean the firewall and stick on sound deadening mat to the metal. Whatever the preference, something that will not get sucked into the back of the fan shroud is the answer.

Thu Aug 01, 2024 1:06 pm

Thank you for the suggestion, Buggeee. And thanks everyone for the replies! I'm glad I asked here before I bought that insulation stuff! To be honest, I did consider the possibility that fibers could get sucked into the fan, but from the description I thought that stuff was stronger, like some kind of thick padding or something. But I've never worked with anything like that so I wasn't sure how it was made other than it said it's supposed to be made of ceramic.

I'll get a proper tarboard meant for Beetles.