Header Wrap???
02-18-2009, 07:42 PM
#1
Header Wrap???
I have an 04 Base and I have Stillen stainless headers installed. The under hood temps were high before they were installed because the cramped engine bay, but they seem even higher now. I thought about wrapping the headers up, but I have heard mixed reviews. Some people say that even if they are stainless they hold in moisture and can cause them to crack. I also heard that its too hot and the moisture burns off. I was curious if anyone on here has their headers wrapped and what the outcome has been.
Thanks
Thanks
02-18-2009, 08:13 PM
#3
Can't say that I have the wrap (I don't). But I'm in the same boat you are (well almost - soon). I'm waiting for gaskets to finish my header install. I thought about header wrap but voted against it. After doing my research, I feel that wrap will be detrimental to your headers. I think it will help with engine temps at the cost of the headers failing (too much heat on the S/S). They need to be cooled as the stockers were. Wrapping defeats that need. Solution, (what I'm doing as well as others), IMHO is shielding. Do it to the vulnerable components and to the headers from the other components. Themo-tec aka 'Cool-it' has products that fit the bill. BTW - they make header wrap too! But DON'T DO IT. I'll post my results when I'm done with my project.
02-18-2009, 08:19 PM
#4
I'm pretty sure she did the shielding method - no wrap. Check out the thread.
https://my350z.com/forum/engine-driv...tallation.html
02-18-2009, 08:29 PM
#7
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Here is the deal with header wrap. If you don't do it right you will probably have problems later on. If you do it to cheap headers made with thin wall tubing and bad welds you will probably have problems later on.
You need to soak the wrap in water before applying it. Once you get it tight and you clamp it properly you have got to heat it up and dry it out. We use the hot Texas sun and a black parking lot to do it here and we leave it out all day, sometimes a second day. Once it's set and dry and tight, you should use the silicone spray to coat it and seal it. Again let it dry in the hot sun, for as long as you feel you need to.
Once you have it properly prepped you can install it, heat cycle it a few times, do a touch up with the spray if needed in any spots and you're good to go.
I've seen cars go 10+ years with properly installed and setup wrap, even northern cars that run through salty winter roads. I've also seen cars that have leaks after 3 months...
Do it right the first time. Reducing the underhood temps helps every single part of your motor and drivetrain. You'll make more power, stay more reliable, and spend less money on repairs.
I have yet to see a ceramic coating that is as effective as a single layer of header wrap done properly. Though I have seen some people double up the wrap over the coatings before, i'm personally not aware of the outcome of those cars.
http://www.thermotec.com/exhaust-insulating-wrap.html
http://www.thermotec.com/hi-heat-coating.html
You simply cannot use enough heat shielding. You'd be amazed at how much longer things made out of plastic and rubber last in these tight engine bays when you can keep it all cooler by 20-30 degrees.
You need to soak the wrap in water before applying it. Once you get it tight and you clamp it properly you have got to heat it up and dry it out. We use the hot Texas sun and a black parking lot to do it here and we leave it out all day, sometimes a second day. Once it's set and dry and tight, you should use the silicone spray to coat it and seal it. Again let it dry in the hot sun, for as long as you feel you need to.
Once you have it properly prepped you can install it, heat cycle it a few times, do a touch up with the spray if needed in any spots and you're good to go.
I've seen cars go 10+ years with properly installed and setup wrap, even northern cars that run through salty winter roads. I've also seen cars that have leaks after 3 months...
Do it right the first time. Reducing the underhood temps helps every single part of your motor and drivetrain. You'll make more power, stay more reliable, and spend less money on repairs.
I have yet to see a ceramic coating that is as effective as a single layer of header wrap done properly. Though I have seen some people double up the wrap over the coatings before, i'm personally not aware of the outcome of those cars.
http://www.thermotec.com/exhaust-insulating-wrap.html
http://www.thermotec.com/hi-heat-coating.html
You simply cannot use enough heat shielding. You'd be amazed at how much longer things made out of plastic and rubber last in these tight engine bays when you can keep it all cooler by 20-30 degrees.
Last edited by UpRev; 02-18-2009 at 08:35 PM.
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02-18-2009, 10:09 PM
#9
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I had the same question a while back and even started a thread like this one to find the truth. I found one article denouncing the evils of header wrap and a bunch of people citing that article but no first hand accounts of quality headers failing due (exclusively) to wrap. I don't know how well made the Stillen headers are but if they're quality pieces I say wrap them up. If you decide to get them coated I've done a lot of searching into that as well. Jet-Hot seems very popular but I myself am convinced Swain Tech's "white lightning" ceramic coating is a much better product.
02-19-2009, 02:15 AM
#11
Here is the deal with header wrap. If you don't do it right you will probably have problems later on. If you do it to cheap headers made with thin wall tubing and bad welds you will probably have problems later on.
You need to soak the wrap in water before applying it. Once you get it tight and you clamp it properly you have got to heat it up and dry it out. We use the hot Texas sun and a black parking lot to do it here and we leave it out all day, sometimes a second day. Once it's set and dry and tight, you should use the silicone spray to coat it and seal it. Again let it dry in the hot sun, for as long as you feel you need to.
Once you have it properly prepped you can install it, heat cycle it a few times, do a touch up with the spray if needed in any spots and you're good to go.
I've seen cars go 10+ years with properly installed and setup wrap, even northern cars that run through salty winter roads. I've also seen cars that have leaks after 3 months...
Do it right the first time. Reducing the underhood temps helps every single part of your motor and drivetrain. You'll make more power, stay more reliable, and spend less money on repairs.
I have yet to see a ceramic coating that is as effective as a single layer of header wrap done properly. Though I have seen some people double up the wrap over the coatings before, i'm personally not aware of the outcome of those cars.
http://www.thermotec.com/exhaust-insulating-wrap.html
http://www.thermotec.com/hi-heat-coating.html
You simply cannot use enough heat shielding. You'd be amazed at how much longer things made out of plastic and rubber last in these tight engine bays when you can keep it all cooler by 20-30 degrees.
You need to soak the wrap in water before applying it. Once you get it tight and you clamp it properly you have got to heat it up and dry it out. We use the hot Texas sun and a black parking lot to do it here and we leave it out all day, sometimes a second day. Once it's set and dry and tight, you should use the silicone spray to coat it and seal it. Again let it dry in the hot sun, for as long as you feel you need to.
Once you have it properly prepped you can install it, heat cycle it a few times, do a touch up with the spray if needed in any spots and you're good to go.
I've seen cars go 10+ years with properly installed and setup wrap, even northern cars that run through salty winter roads. I've also seen cars that have leaks after 3 months...
Do it right the first time. Reducing the underhood temps helps every single part of your motor and drivetrain. You'll make more power, stay more reliable, and spend less money on repairs.
I have yet to see a ceramic coating that is as effective as a single layer of header wrap done properly. Though I have seen some people double up the wrap over the coatings before, i'm personally not aware of the outcome of those cars.
http://www.thermotec.com/exhaust-insulating-wrap.html
http://www.thermotec.com/hi-heat-coating.html
You simply cannot use enough heat shielding. You'd be amazed at how much longer things made out of plastic and rubber last in these tight engine bays when you can keep it all cooler by 20-30 degrees.
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DarkZ03 (03-21-2017)
02-19-2009, 10:44 AM
#12
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I think if you have a hot dry room, that should work. The idea is to actually remove the water from them before you spray them with the silicone spray to seal them up. If you toss them on the car and heat the metal by itself it will start a rapid pitting of the surface from the basic chemical reaction there. If you can heat the outside and cause the water to slowly evaporate you prevent that from happening.
Once the water is out of the weave you can start sealing it and curing that. Then you should be good to go.
Using the heatgun might cause you a very large electric bill, and sore hands/arms, but it should work as long as you don't get any particular area very hot.
02-18-2017, 09:36 PM
#14
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DEI has a calculator on their website ...
I would go with 1" width for headers ... 2" is too wide for the curved-piping...
With that being said, I un-wrapped my headers out of fear of my cast greddy manifolds cracking due to hot-spot inconsistency due to my wrap job - it was damn near impossible to get consistent coverage.
Additionally, the greddy kit uses every inch of engine bay ... adding ~1/8" or ~1/4" to the headers gave zero room for heat expansion which further added to the header cracking potential...
I ditched the metal zip ties they provided and used ~1/16" tie-wire (bailing wire) and tightened it down by twisting the wire at roughly every 2 inches...
I would go with 1" width for headers ... 2" is too wide for the curved-piping...
With that being said, I un-wrapped my headers out of fear of my cast greddy manifolds cracking due to hot-spot inconsistency due to my wrap job - it was damn near impossible to get consistent coverage.
Additionally, the greddy kit uses every inch of engine bay ... adding ~1/8" or ~1/4" to the headers gave zero room for heat expansion which further added to the header cracking potential...
I ditched the metal zip ties they provided and used ~1/16" tie-wire (bailing wire) and tightened it down by twisting the wire at roughly every 2 inches...
Last edited by bealljk; 02-18-2017 at 09:42 PM.
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dboyzalter (02-19-2017)
02-19-2017, 07:56 AM
#16
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what material are the headers? Assuming steel? Ask yourself how 'consistent' you can wrap them, I'd also use a 1" which will help when you start wrapping around the bends. Make sure you have 3mil / 5mill gloves and wear long sleeves ... the fiberglass gets everywhere!
if you decide to move forward post your work on your build thread -
if you decide to move forward post your work on your build thread -
