I have heard that the insulating header wrap is bad. i think it is also known as a header jacket. Supposedly shortens the life of the header? true or not.

i heard this on my350z, but on this forum, there is a thread saying that it is good....

any final thoughts?

what about exhaust insualtion?

 

thermal wrap if not applied properly will cause hot & cold spots in the metal, causing fatigue & possbile failure. Most header manafactures will not honor their warranty, if any wrap is applied. On the other hand it does help keep down heat under the hood.

 

if you are concerned with heat, you should look into CERAMIC coating. I have used ceramic coating on my last 2 cars...and the benefits were even more evident with my last turbo/forced induction project.

It will aid in underhood temps and also help speed up the exhuast air velocity through the header.

 

the bad thing about header wrap is that it holds moisture in pretty well, It may cause a pipe to rust faster than if you ceramic coat it

 

Yep, exhaust wrapping will void the warranty on nearly every aftermarket exhaust component. It is effective though. It keeps heat in the pipes which improves exhaust velocity and it will definitely cut down on engine temps and noise coming through the typically thinner walled aftermarket tubing. I've never had an issue with exhaust wraps increasing rust nor have I ever had a problem with the wrap getting wet. Think about it, how often is the middle part of the lower chassis going to get splashed with water? It might get misted, but the pipes are running at 300+ degrees so any water that contacts them is instantly evaporated.

If you're going to install exhaust wrap, make sure to wet it before putting it on the pipe. It will be easier to put on and the fibers (much like pink housing insulation) won't go into air or get on your skin.

 

Look into Jet Hot coating. I went to a technical seminar a few years ago held by the local SAE club, and the speaker loved that stuff.

It is a good idea to reduce engine bay temps by retaining the heat inside the exhaust system. It may shorten life due to higher exhaust temps, but you will get more power.

 

well, jet hot isnt an option if the headers are already installed

 

The same goes for the header wrap too. You'll never be able to put it on correctly with the limited space. You may want to look into hightemp sleeves to place on the headers. It won't be as effective, but it's better than nothing.