Header Exhaust Wrap -- worth it?

[HomesickAlien]

So I've been thinking about/planning on buying some real high quality exhaust/manifold heat wrap and wrapping my headers -- how much does this actually help? I know it has to help SOME, but is it worth what I assume is going to be a time-consuming frustrating affair?

To the guys who have done it -- was it worth it? How much did it actually help? Did it help your overall CAI intake system stay cooler -- therefore producing more HP I'd imagine?

Any help before I dive into this is appreciated! I don't want to waste money and who knows how much time if this won't REALLY help -- and I don't mean by that that it has to be some HUGE HP gain, I just mean that, I don't want to waste my time unless it actually DOES work.

I know with engine heat and stuff like that, every little bit helps -- so how much of a benefit/performance upgrade should I expect from this?

Thanks guys?

[dsm2mivec]

It'll sweat and retain moisture from the air and rain therefore causing your header to rust! That's why I just decided to ceramic coat my header! I have seem headers that have rusted with heat wrap all too often for mr to try my luck with it

[HomesickAlien]

Originally Posted by dsm2mivec

It'll sweat and retain moisture from the air and rain therefore causing your header to rust! That's why I just decided to ceramic coat my header! I have seem headers that have rusted with heat wrap all too often for mr to try my luck with it

What does ceramic coating do? Keep the temp down? And is it a spray on type thing?

[HomesickAlien]

And what if I painted my headers with rust-preventative paint before wrapping? That would help wouldn't it?

[TwilsonD7]

No, jet hot coating



Keeps heat down just as well but. Looks 100x better

[dsm2mivec]

If you have the money get the jet coating! A cheaper alternative is spray on ceramic coating from autozone and it does wonders! And I doubt that rust coating stuff would help!

[Justin]

Ya it'll probably burn off after your first drive.

[HomesickAlien]

Originally Posted by dsm2mivec

If you have the money get the jet coating! A cheaper alternative is spray on ceramic coating from autozone and it does wonders! And I doubt that rust coating stuff would help!

Where the hell do you get the jet coating done at?

So the ceramic coating is a spray on type thing you can get at Autozone? Does it actually work?

[HomesickAlien]

Originally Posted by TwilsonD7

No, jet hot coating



Keeps heat down just as well but. Looks 100x better

Are you saying it keeps heat down as well as heat-wrap or ceramic coating?

[TwilsonD7]

They are ceramic coated, yes the keep the heat in. They are lifetime warranty not to discolor, fade, peel, anything...Many members have this coating.

JET HOT

[TwilsonD7]

No you need to ship them to ther factuality, they have multiple. RRE GT headers were $250 shipped

[HomesickAlien]

Originally Posted by TwilsonD7

They are ceramic coated, yes the keep the heat in. They are lifetime warranty not to discolor, fade, peel, anything...Many members have this coating.

JET HOT

Looks awesome.

So do you have to ship them your headers or what? And how much does something like that cost?

[deprydation]

Originally Posted by Justin

Ya it'll probably burn off after your first drive.

I have spray on ceramic coating on my headers. They survived MitEclipse07's roll over and held all the paint and I've had them on for a couple weeks now and nothing is peeling on them.

You just have to follow the directions on the can. Can't just spray and pray...gotta actually bake it. I know Travis said something about using the oven in his house...

Whatever works.

[executive]

Is this safe to use on obx headers? If it keeps all the heat in then wouldnt it mean the inside of the headers will be hotter? If soo would the questionable quality of obx survive this?

[deprydation]

I'm sure the OBX headers will survive heat wrap, but your best bet honestly is Jet Hot coatings. They're amazing.

[229boss]

will do im gonna ceramic paint them next week probably

[NitroGlisson]

Originally Posted by executive

Is this safe to use on obx headers? If it keeps all the heat in then wouldnt it mean the inside of the headers will be hotter? If soo would the questionable quality of obx survive this?

I have the OBX long tubes and there is no issue with quality. In fact I hear the welds on them are better than the RIPP Mods headers. They are shameless rip-offs of the RIPP headers. My headers withstood a heavy impact from the back that shoved my muffler back under the car at least 8 inches....the headers had to absorb some of that impact.

[FeaRlezZ]

with the jet coating how significant is the temp reduction ??

[HomesickAlien]

I don't have the money for jet hitting and have no idea where to even get it done at.

Is heat wrapping your headers really THAT bad? The RRE's are stainless steel, how long would it take for that to rust?

I really want to get rid of some of the heat in my engine bay but I don't want to ruin my headers. I thought heat wrapping them was pretty standard....

[bejayve]

Originally Posted by HomesickAlien

I don't have the money for jet hitting and have no idea where to even get it done at.

Is heat wrapping your headers really THAT bad? The RRE's are stainless steel, how long would it take for that to rust?

I really want to get rid of some of the heat in my engine bay but I don't want to ruin my headers. I thought heat wrapping them was pretty standard....

Wrapping your header will not cause it to rust if done properly. You have to use high-temp silicone coating to seal the fiberglass tape. DEI makes a kit that includes everything you will need.

[bejayve]

Exhaust / Header Wrap Kits 010110 | Purchase DEI, CryO2, Ny-Trex, Boom Mat & SPA Turbo Products | Design Engineering, Inc. - Thermal Performance Products

use this

[Clovisman]

Originally Posted by bejayve

Wrapping your header will not cause it to rust if done properly. You have to use high-temp silicone coating to seal the fiberglass tape. DEI makes a kit that includes everything you will need.

Problem being, have you ever looked at the RRE headers and how they are formed/flow, yeah if you took your time, you might be able to cover 90% of the tubing, then you would also have to be willing to sacrifice the looks of your headers. Once that wrap gets dirty, they'll look even shittier. Can heat-wrap also protect the inside of your headers?? Nope!!

Jet-Hot, or Ceramic is the only way to go... and Jet-Hot has the best insulating factors of any coatings on the market, along with durability, and warranty. Once again, you get what you pay for... I've had my headers on now for four-years, and they still look as good as the day I installed them.


Jet-Hot web site is under construction, and use to have more informaton available, but you can still contact them for information on their products.

JET HOT

[Kingjames359]

Im about to send my headers and gt tb only $200 for jet hot! but im in az so no shipping .

[Clovisman]

Originally Posted by Kingjames359

Im about to send my headers and gt tb only $200 for jet hot! but im in az so no shipping .

That is dirt cheap for what you are getting!! Hell I think they wanted like $117 for that heat-wrap tape kit, but at least you'll have the comfort knowing that Jet-Hot has a warranty, and it will look good for years to come!!

I had to ship RIPP Long Tubes from New Mexico, so most of my expense was on over-size shipping, but I'm extreamly satisfied with their turn-around time and product. Mine was $375, but that's still not bad for the size of the parts, plus round trip shipping.

[HomesickAlien]

Originally Posted by Clovisman

That is dirt cheap for what you are getting!! Hell I think they wanted like $117 for that heat-wrap tape kit, but at least you'll have the comfort knowing that Jet-Hot has a warranty, and it will look good for years to come!!

I had to ship RIPP Long Tubes from New Mexico, so most of my expense was on over-size shipping, but I'm extreamly satisfied with their turn-around time and product. Mine was $375, but that's still not bad for the size of the parts, plus round trip shipping.

I just dont have the money for that right now. Would heat wrapping be a decent short-term solution at least?

And to the previous poster I already have the silicone spray and basically the whole DEI kit, I just bought a different brand wrap because it's better. DEI blocks 50%, the one I got -- Thermo Block -- was a bit more expensive, but eliminates 70% percent of your engine heat. But I got the DEI silicone spray, clasps, etc.

[HOMESLICE]

Do what you want, but everyone above is basically telling you to save your money for the best. don't half ass it with the wrap and keep that extra $10-$150 from the wrap to put towards sending it in to get coated.

[Suprsaiyjinbroli]

Go to Auto Zone.

Purchase some VHT Ceramic Header Paint for like 20 bucks.

Coat your headers.

Throw them in the oven to make sure everything is cured correctly. The directions and heat levels are on the bottle.

Make sure you open the windows in your house...its a little smelly.

Throw the headers on the car.

Thats how I did it. I also coated some of my exhaust system too...

EDIT:

I agree though, JET HOT is the best.

[bejayve]

I think we're missing the point here. Correct me if I'm wrong but isin't the OP asking if the heat tape will damage his header? The answer is no. Not if done correctly. He has purchased everything to do it already so I say go for it. If for some reason you're not satisfied it's a reversable process.

[Clovisman]

Remember you're talking to members who in the past might have done it the cheapest way and ended up paying twice for the same mod. There has been a couple times I've had to hold off on a mod for a couple months to make sure I saved the money to do the job right the first-time. Sure it's not easy to sit and wait, but in the long run you save time and money!!

If you can't afford Jet-Hot, I'm sure in your local area you have a shop that can do ceramic coatings, and that's only a few buck more then wrap. We're just trying to give him his best options.

I've never heard of anyones wrap lasting more then a year, so it can become an expensive option. Not only that, the pipes are very close together which will make the job even harder to wrap, and harder to make the job to come out looking good.

This is just food for thought, if he wants to wrap, we're not going to flame him, but he will have to live with the results, good or bad, so... But good luck, I hope the job does turn out good, we do need some feedback on some wraps for our headers!!

[HomesickAlien]

The ceramic coating would work great IF I had a big enough oven for it. And how well does that work anyway? As far as heat reduction?

I'm not looking for improved scavenging as much as reducing the massive amount of heat in my engine bay. I know heat hurts the performance of the V6's, but it is an absolute KILLER on the GS's.

Another option is to heat shield all my other components -- i.e. CAI, wires, electronics, etc. And leave the headers alone.

I ALWAYS want the absolute best, I never half-ass anything or cheap out on anything concerning my baby and it's performance -- but due to doctor bills and life in general, I just don't have money for jet-hotting or anything like that right now; if I had the money I'd do it in a heartbeat. So I'm just trying to do the best I can with what I CAN afford right now....

And I do REALLY appreciate all the input so far guys.

[deprydation]

Well, you could find a shop or something with a big enough oven. You're running the RRE header so your oven in your house should be large enough. Just open up all the windows and turn on some fans to ventilate. Put the header in there cock-eyed and take the 2nd rack out and lower the one rack down to the lowest spot. It should fit in there unless you got an oven just larger than an easy bake. :/

[Clovisman]

Do they really need to go in the oven... seeing how once you start the car it should bake it in, or it being Summer time, let the paint cure in the Sun on some black-top, that should get the temp up to about 150 degrees, or are we talking 350?

[HomesickAlien]

Originally Posted by Clovisman

Do they really need to go in the oven... seeing how once you start the car it should bake it in, or it being Summer time, let the paint cure in the Sun on some black-top, that should get the temp up to about 150 degrees, or are we talking 350?

I was wondering the same thing.

Summer heat + hard driving = pretty fucking baked.

[Elemenohpee]

I have almost everything heat wrapped in my car (turbo manifold, Turbo albow, exhaust downpipe, wastedate downpipe), and honestly it doesnt damage the performance aspect of what you put it on. It will only cause MINOR surface abrasion which im not to worried about because you cant see it from the heat wrap being over it. I am able to hold my headers less than a minute after a hard run when they are heat wrapped (only for a second though) the point being they contain heat amazing and are very safe as well. One roll of CF heat wrap will cost you about 50$ at advanced auto parts and I think its a 10/15 ft roll.

I plan on heat wrapping my whole exhaust, and the hot and cold side of my IC piping, I like the look and know many people who opt for it. Im not taking away from the jet coat I think that stuff is great but I mean shit, I have that picture with my turbo manifold glowing bright red and you can see it shining through the heat wrap but it did it job and the heat was very well contained... what more do you need to prove it

The only disadvantage to it is it does take some time to put on because you have to do it rite. But once its done its done, I may be a little bias towards it but I think it got bashed rather unfairly by a few people in this thread.

[HomesickAlien]

Originally Posted by Elemenohpee

I have almost everything heat wrapped in my car (turbo manifold, Turbo albow, exhaust downpipe, wastedate downpipe), and honestly it doesnt damage the performance aspect of what you put it on. It will only cause MINOR surface abrasion which im not to worried about because you cant see it from the heat wrap being over it. I am able to hold my headers less than a minute after a hard run when they are heat wrapped (only for a second though) the point being they contain heat amazing and are very safe as well. One roll of CF heat wrap will cost you about 50$ at advanced auto parts and I think its a 10/15 ft roll.

I plan on heat wrapping my whole exhaust, and the hot and cold side of my IC piping, I like the look and know many people who opt for it. Im not taking away from the jet coat I think that stuff is great but I mean shit, I have that picture with my turbo manifold glowing bright red and you can see it shining through the heat wrap but it did it job and the heat was very well contained... what more do you need to prove it

The only disadvantage to it is it does take some time to put on because you have to do it rite. But once its done its done, I may be a little bias towards it but I think it got bashed rather unfairly by a few people in this thread.

Yeah, I've really heard pretty hood things about it until this thread.

Actually I saw ONE GUY mention something about rusting somewhere, and that's what prompted me to start this thread....

[Clovisman]

Well if headers and/or exhaust are not treated they will dis-color, and rust, even stainless steel will be affected by the heat, that's a fact. Wrap is old-school for heat protection; however, the wraps they have these days are far better then what was used years ago. If you take your time and do a good job it will seal out moisture, but you will have to re-wrap in the future, there is no way around that. That means within the next two-years or so, you will have to pull your headers for a re-wrap.

The next best thing is ceramic coatings. Earlier ceramic coatings would also fail, some lasted a couple years but would eventually crack and the coating would peel, need-less to say they would have to be recoated. Most ceramic coatings these days will last a lot longer, five-plus years in most applications.

Jet-Hot is one of the newest coatings out there. With new parts they warranty there product for ten-years, and is extreamly durable. When I first seen this product at a race shop it was being used on their drag-rail, so equipment was coming on and off on their engine on a daily bases. Most of the parts that were coated were over five-years old and still looked like new... I asked the questions, they gave the answers. For me, it's a long-term investment, I don't plan on selling this car, nor do I want to have to replace my thousand-dollar investment five-years down the road because they look like shit or are rusting through.

Like I said, it's food for thought, not only for you, but others that may be looking at the same situations. Heat under the hood sucks, especially if you're running a SRI.

[Elemenohpee]

Legit answer man ^ + rep

[HomesickAlien]

Good points Clovis, great post.

I think I'm gonna wrap for now and then see what the budget allows sown the road....

[Animefreak1983]

That jet coat company has several different types of coating which is what you guys recommend . I'll likely just do the spray on stuff. But figured isn't going to hurt to look into the jet coating idea.