Catalytic converter shield: which way up?

[marlinspike]

Might be a stupid question but does the shield that is part of a new catalytic converter face up towards the car body or down towards the ground?

It's in a 1992 Saab 900. Goggling suggests some cats have a helpful front-to-back arrow on, or marked A and B, or a sticker; ours doesn't. Some forums (re other cars) say up to protect the body, others say down to stop you setting the grass on fire. Some forums say it doesn't matter.

Anybody got a definitive answer? Thanks.

@bert might know hopefully.

 

[RWD3M]

The short answer is upwards. It's a heatshield to protect the car. Out of interest, which way up is/was the old one?

 

[marlinspike]

Thanks. There wasn't one on the old one. I think it was the original from 1992. Ended up buying a cat and rest of the exhaust as the cat had been welded to the pipe to the back box. I'm guessing that was done years ago to stop the cat being pinched.