One Lucky Guy
Truck & Jayco
http://community.webtv.net/rogerfromwi/FORDSUPERDUTYJAYCO

What are the thoughts on wrapping your headers with a heat reduction tape?
I here some say to do it to protect other engine accessories from heat like starters etc, and to also keep the temperature under the hood lower to reduce your air intake temp. Others say not to do this because you want the heat to dissipate from the engine as much as possible and wrapping will hinder that.
It would seem to me that it would be more important to keep the engine from getting to hot, and if the starter or something is to close, try to make some type of heat shield. As far as the air intake, one can also work with some modifications to accomplish that.
Any thoughts, experience, or expertise appreciated. I'm installing Borla Headers, Gibson Catback, Diablo Chip, and modifying my K&N filtered stock intake next week.
Thanks,

LIKENIT

One Lucky Guy!

 

Wrapping your headers improves power for at least a couple of reasons. One, is that it lowers your underhood air temp, so your intake and incoming air is cooler. Also the wrap helps keep the heat in your exhaust system. Because of thermdoynamics, keeping your exhaust hotter because of the wrap will speed up the outflow of exhaust. On the downside, I've been told your headers will burn through or rust quicker if wrapped. Since I've never tried it, I can't prove or disprove the last statement.

 

If you ask the manufacturers of the headers, they will tell you they will not warranty the header if you wrap it, because it does cause them to disintegrate.

 

But I can .. If you wrap your headers they will rust out under the tape. To help reduces underhood heat and get the same effect of wrapping your pipes send them out and have them coated.

 

Don't wrap em. I did and they fell apart on my ranger. OF course I told em I didn't wrap em and got new ones....

 

Get the DynoMax cerama-coat headers, they're only like $200, and they come with a lifetime warrany, they get replaced if they ever show rust. That's the way to go, plus they insulate better than header wrap, so your underhood temperatures will be so low you'll wonder if the engine is even on.

THe TorqueKing

 

Regardless of who makes the headers, you can send them out for Ceramic Coating. Ceramic coating beats wrapping any day!

Have Fun,
Randy R...

 

It's all about buying coated headers, sending yours off to be wrapped costs a horrible amount of money. Check the latest Jeg's, they have Dynomax, a supreme brand in exhaust technology, for only $209, for many applications, I wish I had done this before I bought my Flowtech headers, but you have a chance to learn from us. Anyway, mine sound and look fine, especially since I painted them, which might last a year (hopefully).

The TorqueKing

 

One of the potential issues with ceramic coating is that I've heard the coating makes it very difficult to do a good weld afterwards. I have a set of L&Ls on my '96 460 and the EGR fitting needed to be welded on in the correct location. Installing them, cutting and welding the fitting on, pulling them again, sending them out for coating and reinstalling them is more time, money and aggravation than I was willing to deal with, and I didn't!

I will say that there seems to be no more heat in my truck's engine compartment with my non-coated headers installed than with the factory exhaust manifolds. The L&Ls clear the starter and everything else by a large distance so there's no heat issues there, either. There's no reason why I'd want to wrap them.

I'll say what a lot of other people have said, coated or otherwise, don't buy cheap headers with thin flanges and tubing. You'll be sorry you ever did. Compare the specs and go for the beef.

 

An EGR fitting can always be welded on below the collectors where there is no ceramic to contend with. Just watch O2 sensors below any gasket, a leak can play hob with the closed loop program. If you are using retrofit EFI get headers with a factory O2 fitting installed.

All of the ceramic coating warranties that I have seen are voided if you wrap the headers. There is no need to wrap ceramic headers anyway. Heat shields are a great idea as a preventative measure to avoid future problems

 

FYI my $0.02's worth.

I'm sorry but the logic of ceramic coating being as cool or cooler than a wrapped item seems to escape me.

I've wrapped headers before. The headers lasted as long as I kept the car (many years). I haven't tried the new spray on "paint like coating" that seals the wrap, but will do when I install the shorties on my 302.

I run a Solar gas turbine in my aircraft. The stainless steel exhaust rams horn pushes out 1000-1200 degree F heat. I wrapped the section internal to the fuselage with standard header wrap. Surprised both the mechanic and myself when I could put my hand directly on the wrap and come away with all my fingers. Granted you would not wish to keep a firm grip on it, but it didn't cause any injury either. There is no way I would attempt that with only a ceramic coating on it.

Also, re: HP: I read somewhere (in these forums, I believe) that wrapping the headers add effective HP due to keeping the exhaust gases hotter further back into the tube(s) thereby enhancing &/or not reducing the airflow.

As I said, just my 2cents.
steve

 

Well, I'd have to agree with jetpilet029 , you wont be able to put your hand on a header that has ceramic coating with 1200 degree exhaust gases running through it.

So if your after the speeded up outflow from holding in the heat, yes, you cant beat wrapping for that purpose.

 

Although the header wrap can be touched without burns....the wrap itself can be consumed by fire....(I had it happen once)

and that doesn't include the trapping of moisture and eventual rotting of the headers...

If you need an O2 sensor...have the bung welded in BEFORE you coat the headers....and use a soft metal hex plug to seal it until you install the sensor.
(use antisieze)

As far as coatings go....most if not all current turbines out there use the ceramic based thermal barrier coating on their internal parts (mostly the combustion area) in order to meet stringent weight and durability requirements....

I cannot imagine wraping the internals of a jet engine in header wrap....but to each their own...

The ceramic based, metallic media impregnated coatings are lightweight, durable and help the manipulation of thermal energy on any engine
in this case a piston engine....achieve good exhaust scavenging by keeping the exhaust hotter, thus keeping it's rate of expansion at a higher
value.

THis helps volumetric efficiency...and this equates to horsepower.

The fact that ther coatings lower under the hood temps by over 100 degrees F will help to make the intake charge much denser....
this also equates to hp....

coatings are expensive but worth it....coat the headers....inside and out.

 

Hummm, What about wrapping the ceramic coated headers??? seems it would add that much more. As far as trapping moisture, the heat from the exhaust is more than adequate to evaporate any trapped moisture that might exist. If they were ceramic coated, then they would be pretty much impervious to rust, so no need to worry about trapping moisture?

As far as header wraps that are able to withstand 1200 degrees burning up in a fire... that would probably be due to some sort of a catalyst material melting onto the wrap enabling it to then catch fire also. I would have to guess pretty much everything else in sight is ashes too with a fire of that magnitude, so the header wrap burning in that situation would have to be pretty insignificant.

Just some thoughts.