I got a bit tired of breathing in engine bay hot air and burnt dried oil fumes entering the cabin through the firewall vent.
The dried oil had accumulated on the exhaust manifold shields before I changed the cam cover gaskets.
The completely deteriorated foam seals around the 'Air Distribution Box Vent' being the main problem but a fairly easy fix.
The air box is a well insulated and well designed 2 piece unit with the inner piece carrying the particulate filter. It has an effective fiberglass heat and sound insulation shield/barrier.
The air box has a long lived top rubber seal and is designed to mate with the lower windscreen finisher, itself needing effective bottom insulation to make a complete seal. This insulation on the lower windscreen finisher unfortunately was a poor factory choice of material and would have probably deteriorated also on all S-Types by now requiring effective renewal but not such an easy fix.
I actually drove the car without the air box. There was so much heat entering the cabin through the vents that I didn't need to turn the heater on! The fumes were overpowering..
I renewed both the air box and lower windscreen finisher insulation with a local 'under bonnet' product that is effectively a pliant foam with a self adhesive blue glue on the bottom and a woven fabric on the top with a very effective outcome.
Lovely fresh cool air through all the vents all the time, a quiet engine bay and certainly no toxic fumes!

Obvious horizontal gap where foam once lived between plastic air box and lower windscreen. Note protruding foam adhesive tape still present against firewall. Smaller vertical gap against firewall is visible as well where foam once lived also.

New foam in place but still a small gap visible against the firewall and needed another strip. Not shown in this photo.

Air box out of vehicle. Old foam completely deteriorated but adhesive tape that held it in place still present. Take note of where all old foam was factory positioned and measure both protrusions when renewing.

Foam protrusion shown vertically here needs to be tucked down and in the LHS hole visible here.

Old (protruding) foam that should have been tucked down and in completely gone but adhesive tape still present. Take note and measure the length.

Air box rubber seal shown will go the distance but foam needs replacing. Air box firewall side shown.

Lower windscreen finisher underneath air box side shown. Renewed in superior insulation.

 

Excellent post, thanks for the info. Do you have a brand name for this foam product?

 

I tried many products in an attempt to replace the deteriorated factory heat and noise insulation found under the plastic 'Windscreen finisher-lower' as Jaguar describes it.
The same factory insulation is found under the rear parcel deck. In both applications its heat melted on to the plastic and quite effective as an insulator but a poor choice in an engine bay environment.
It appears to be still available on the official Jaguar Land Rover Classic site but I would urge anyone to avoid wasting their time.

The most effective product I have found that would work in this case is a product I've been using since the 1980's.
"Sound Shield". Which in the good old days used to be made right here in Stray-ya but probably now Asian made.
A well designed product. It has an extremely durable flame retardant top fabric then a 10mm foam layer (which I think they've improved over the years) and below a heat resistant reasonably sticky adhesive. Very lightweight as well and I'll likely use it under the rear parcel shelf; as I'm retrofitting the rear factory electric sun blind.

I would think there would be a USA equivalent. The last roll I bought was from a state wide trimmers supply company called 'Daley's'. I think for around $70 AUD about a year ago.

Daley's - Product Catalogue » Underbonnet Soundshield Sheet

This retailer 'Kool Drive' lists the same product with a far better description and appears to now be the controller of the manufacturing:

https://www.koolwrap.com.au/product/...m-foam-1x1-5m/

As good as it is, $70 to $100 AUD is expensive for a 1x1.5mtr strip and I would be intrigued to know if you resourceful Americans can let me know of if you can find a good old USA equivalent product!

 

Your write up made me look at my cabin box too....i had the supercharger off and did not even think about it....as you said, all mine perished also....i happened to have some excellent all weather stripping that i use for my camper....perfect fit...thanks

 

That's renewed? It doesn't look like it????? Is this the before picture?

 

Yes, its definitely the 'after' picture'. Its a very blurry photo...
Here are some more below that might help.
Are you looking for a visual template as to where you want to trim the new material? I have more photos of where the factory material sat.
In one of the below photos I've highlighted in brown where I've since gone back and had to trim back the new insulation material. It was in all the areas where the material was pressing up against and forming moisture pockets; on all the the bolts and the bracing bar that live under the windscreen finisher.
This windscreen finisher (plastic) tends to warp very badly, allowing a poor seal against the windscreen glass and letting heaps of water into the engine bay. Not such a bad problem as most of it drains off and away from harms way but where mine has warped its allowing some water to pour and form on the bottom rear cam cover bolts (on either side/both banks). They're recessed in so small pools form on top of the bolts. They'll corrode/rust. I'm constantly spaying WD40 onto each bolt. Eventually I'll stick in some type of plastic barriers somewhere..

What I used was mostly marketed as 'under bonnet' insulation. Not a cheap material but very effective. Water and oil resistant, an excellent noise and heat suppressant with a low flammability rating. Its only problem is that's its much thicker than the original.


Trimmed these highlighted bits off, across the whole length of the windscreen finisher.

Material used was very durable under bonnet insulation but quite thick compared to the original thin and short lived factory offering.

Now this is the 'before' photo. Its a good insulation but completely useless in that area.

 

I think I'm going to have to look at my car and review this with my mechanic, he's 45 minutes away in thick NJ traffic so not ideal.
I'm not sure what we're sealing and where. I though it was more of a heat & noise insulation function. What was in mine was some kind of paper I think and not very robust.
This will come at the very end of the bad hose under the supercharger repair job I think. It was the short larger diameter piece that bulges and developed a pin hole leak, typical.

Thanks.