I am doing the 50 cent mod, torquing rockers and injectors, deleteing EBPV and AIH, rebuilding turbo, replacing HPOP lines, HPOPx, polishing intake spider, and maybe FRx and CVD fittings. During this I have the intercooler pipes out.

Is it advantageous to wrap these pipes with thermal tape of some sort to keep engine heat out or is it a waste of time?

Anything else inexpensive I should do while in there?

Ryan

 

I wrapped mine about a dozen years ago, when everyone else on the forums at that time was unwrapping theirs for some reason. Their mod was called the "foil delete" way back at that time. Maybe because one person did it, everyone else just followed like lemmings? I don't know. But it sure was weird to have read a few years later how everyone was now wrapping their IC pipes. Sort of like watching the tide go out, and then come back in again.

I don't really know how measurable the difference, if any, is from wrapping (or unwrapping, depending on what is in vogue at the time). I wrapped my IC pipes because Ford did, and I had upgraded (Banks) IC pipes and I thought if Ford spent money doing it, there was probably a good reason. Noise was one reason, I understand.

But unlike Ford, I also wrapped the cold side, with highly reflective aluminum over an insulating foam barrier. The idea was to try and reflect radiant heat, and whatever was absorbed by the conductive reflector would be insulated from transferring to the IC tubing.

I didn't test anything before or after. I just did it because I thought it was a good idea, even while many other enthusiasts at the time didn't think so. With that, I encourage you to go with what you feel is best. I'm not sure that anyone can present any conclusive and demonstrable results to debate your choice, one way or the other.

 

Taking the foil off on the hot side is supposed to make the turbo whistle more audible, I didn't notice a difference. I also have no test and do not recall of anyone actually having any hard proof. What I did wrap though was my up pipes with header wrap. I don't know if it made a difference or not but I had the transmission out and some wrap laying around and figured it's not going to hurt anything

Like stated above do whatever "feels good" to you.

 

I took my foil off because it was unsightly. And painted the pipes. . i didn't notice the difference with Turbo Whistle or performance.

 

I also took mine off for this reason but I polished mine.

 

You'd probably find my engine compartment down right disgusting then. There is so much foil in there, it looks like a NASA satellite.


Transmission tunnel, HVAC box, HVAC Lines, Hot side, Cold side... best put on some sunglasses! Or better yet, I'll just keep my hood (and my mouth) closed!

 

IIRC it was only for noise suppression

 

And iirc the OBS trucks didn't have any insulation so Ford listened to some complaints and added it for the SD




FALSE INFORMATION I'm getting old..... Where am I? This isn't the Cadillac forum.....

 

The OBS didn't have intercooler pipes or an intercooler

 

Then again... Maybe I'm thinking about turbos, some had them some didn't..... Hmm. Getting old sucks.. I'm wrong you're right they didn't have intercoolers

 

99 was the first year for the intercooler. Any in a obs is aftermarket.

 

Yeah I edited my post so I wouldn't be misleading