The following is about my 2000 Xterra SE 4wd Auto.

I took my truck into the Nissan dealer for a rattle that happened unter moderate throttle. The machinic took it for a quick drive around the building and declared it a loose heat sheild. He put the truck on the lift and had someone rev the engine in drive with the brake applied. (Kinda cool to watch but I pictured my truck flying off the lift.)
While the reving was happening he went around and applied pressure to locate the rattle. When he found the loose heat shield he took and put a pipe clamp around the loose piece.
Doesn't this kindof kill the point of having a heat shield if it is tight against the source of heat?

Thanks
Mike

Not necessarily, Like any heat shield, the shield itself is design to block heat from other areas. If this means it gets hot that is fine but it dispersses the heat evenly and hence does not allow for the flow of extreme intense heat to concentrate in any one area. What ever the heat shield is designed of disperesses heat more evenly than the source of heat.

Thanks much.

Sounds like the same fix that Nissan recommends for the 96-97 Pathfinders, large hose clamp in all the right places