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Sound Proofing: Fatmat or Silent Coat?


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So as some of you have seen I am about to replace the bulkhead on my 200Tdi 1989 110 SW. I would like to put some sound proofing on the new bulkhead. Looking around it would seem that the two options most used are either

1) Silentcoat http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silent-Coat-2mm-Pack-20-Sheets-Car-Van-Sound-Deadening-Vibration-Proofing-Mat-/151155678303

2) Fatmat http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Van-Camper-Boat-Sound-Deadening-Heat-Proofing-Insulation-Dynamat-Rlr-Avail-/301798235409

Fatmat only seems to come in 1.2mm thick sheets ( for the same price as the SilentCoat 4 ) while SilentCoat is 2 or 4.

While I like the idea of something thinner ( and lighter?) I do feel that with sound proofing you get what you pay for and the thicker the proofing the better. What are others thoughts please?

Also as this will be in the engine bay and subject to heat/cold/oil/road grime it should be durable - Silent Coat does not specifically say it is OK in the engine bay while Fat Mat does.

cheers,

Richard

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I've started going through my 110 with the 2mm SilentCoat. This will ultimately have carpet or rubber matting over it, according to location.

The 110 already had a fair amount of felt based sound deadening under the carpets but it's damp and smelly, and I want it gone. It's like having that winter-long wet dog smell without even owning a dog!

So far I've done the rear wheel arches, and it has certainly reduced the noise of wet road spray. It had been a while since I cleaned off the old felt, so I could appreciate the change.

I've also done both front footwells, but I can't report the same noticeable change as the rear.

My truck is a V8, so many non-engine noises are noticeable that may be masked in a diesel model. One noise I'd like to reduce would be the tyre whine from the BFG MTs. they're pretty quiet as MTs go, but like I said, with the V8 you hear a lot of sounds that may not be noticed by others ;)

When I sort out a few more of the water ingress issues I'll add other soft surfaced products over the SilentCoat

The product is Butyl-based, so doesn't pong in the way the bitumen-based alternatives do. I cannot comment on Fatmat in this respect.

The SilentCoat seems to stick well, as is easy enough to fold around the contours of the body work. I used panel wipe to degrease the surface prior to application.

Retroanaconda on here has a 200Tdi 90 hard top in which he has really gone to town with sound proofing. I believe he used Fatmat and lots of carpet on just about every surface, front and rear. His must be one of the quietest diesel Defenders I've been in.

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I used fatmat all over my bulkhead 5 year ago + the seat box and under the floor plates.

Even under the foot plates and open to the weather it has still been great, as said its not the thickness that makes the difference it's the density.

Fatmat wins every time for me.

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Hello Frax - thanks for that I did see your original post from a few years ago which is what put me on the FatMat trail.

For those who have used Silent Coat - have you applied to the engine bay side of the bulkhead and how has it held up ( on) ?

Looking at the specs SilentCoat 2mm comes in at 3Kg/m2 while FatMat 1.3mm comes in at 1.3Kg/m2. So going with weight as the key indicator of effectiveness it would appear SilentCoat would be the winner?

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Another option you can probably buy locally.

Your local builders merchant will sell self adhesive lead flashing. They likely also sell Butyl self adhesive sheet.

Put the lead in the middle of larger panels and butyl anywhere else. Both have plenty of mass to absorb the noise and will mould to the shape of the underlying metal.

On one of my previous Defenders I tried some 'soundproofing' I bought at Billing which was like compressed carpet underlay - and it was completely worthless. Then tried this - and it was amazingly better!

Si

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As mickeyw has mentioned my 90 has plenty of Fatmat in it. The bulkhead inner face, foot wells, floor panels, tunnel and seatbox are all covered in it. The rear arches have the flashing that simonr alludes to above on them, as do the interior surfaces of the rear upper side panels. There is currently no soundproofing to the rear floor (other than a thin rubber sheet), the doors, or the roof (other than the full-length headliner).

On top of all that is the standard station wagon soundproofing and carpets (footwell mats are the rubber type with the foam backing - carpets there would get minging!), plus a bit of Carpet Right special in the rear. I also have station wagon trims in the rear )modified to go in the hardtop) as I hate the untidy bare metal - and the fewer bare metal surfaces for sound to bounce around off the better in my opinion.

It's pretty quiet for a rattly old 200Tdi, however at 60mph there's still a fair din coming from the engine bay and a bit of road noise from the back. My plan is for more rubber matting for the rear load space floor and wheel arches. And then maybe some kind of engine blanket or some soundproofing on the bonnet (currently got the fibre type stuff on it). The doors could do with doing as well but they both need rebuilding so there's not much point doing them until that job comes around.

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Can I hijack slightly?

I am looking to add something to the inside of my truck cab roof as it pops up and down above 65, I don't have a headlining and I only really off-road so I need something that's hoseable and won't fall off in the tropical Yorkshire heat! Based on your experiences is the silent coat suitable or can you recommend any other products?

Will.

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Just a wee heads up - I had a real hassle with noise in the front of my 110 and it was driving me potty. Tracked it down to the cover around the gearbox/transfer box aperture in the transmission tunnel - the rubber cover had split and slid up a bit letting road noise batter its way in. Once fixed it was considerably quieter.

For other insulation - I bought a batch of 8mm closed-cell foam sheets (8x4 foot) from a chemical converter (Kay Metzeler in Glasgow, but branches all over the place) - there was a minimum order cost of £100 - and that got me more than enough to line a 110 hardtop right through, two layers on walls and roof, one layer on floor in rear (with 6mm ply on top for walking on) and one layer throughout the front. It makes it warmer and quieter and stops condensation. Bonus is that if stuck on properly with waterproof glue it can be hosed down as it is non-absorbent.

If a bunch of you got together and bought a large order from a local supplier with minimal delivery cost you'd be well set to line your vans at a reasonable cost. (good glue is additional expense though)

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For my project I have gone with dodomat duo which is basically the silent coat 2mm or 3mm butyl plus foil then a 5mm layer of closed cell foam to get the best of all 3 worlds.

I have done some of my owm tests with a heat gun and blow torch and it didnt set on fire (although the foam did collapse) so im fairly happy with putting it quite close to the exhaust.

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I put 4 square meters of silent coat in my hybrid which had an immediate affect on noise control. It can't be stressed enough as mentioned earlier, plug all the holes in and around the bulkhead and seat box. Don't forget the hand brake lever, I was amazed with the amount of noise coming into the cabin from there.

I never insulated the roof yet as it still leaks at the seams, a future project. ;)

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