I've searched the forum and read several posts concerning wrapping headers. I am doing a 03 C5 supercharger and am new to SC setups. I will do occasional 1/8 mile and rolling contests - but mostly street cruising at about 5K per year. I am shooting for about 625 flywheel horsepower - relatively mild street build.

I am on a budget so I WILL NOT have my new stainless headers coated. I will wrap. But, I do not know what level of wrap is required. I don't want to be replacing wrap every year or two. So you guys that have wrapping experience with turbos and SCs I have some questions.

1. Given my build and max of probably 1 minute of max boost - what can I expect in terms of header (stainless long tubes) temps? Do you think I will reach 2000 degrees on the long tubes? The reason I need to know is for Question #2.

2. Based on the above info above what level of wrap do I need. Many suppliers have wraps rated to 1200 degrees but I'm fairly sure this is not good enough. Heatshield Products has a wrap (Inferno) rated at 2000 degrees continuous and 3000 degrees continuous but its' out of my price range. Thermo Tec has a copper one reasonably price rated to 2000 degrees. Many, many other brands are available.

So, what do you think I will encounter as to pipe temps and suggestions as to brand that is reasonably priced and will last a very long time in my application.

Thanks to all

 

I wouldn't worry about wrapping them. If you are going to wrap them use the stuff like DEI titanium and not the fiberglass. The Titanium looks and wraps way better.

 

I've been running a set of ceramic coated LG Longtubes since 2010. Car is boosted at 12# at 640rwhp and has seen the dragstrip many times, track days, auto cross, very long road trips, and 1/2 mile events without a single problem. You still have to do some very minor wire management to make sure nothing is very close to them and wrap a few things, and the plug wires are covered with The Cool Socks.

I realize you said you didn't want to do a coating, why not just save up a little longer and get the coating and not have to worry about it again? It's worth it.

 

I may have mistyped but what I wanted to say was I DON'T want to have to rewrap the headers each year. I want something that will stay for a while at about 5K miles per year with an an occasional spirited drive at the strip or in a roll-on contest. I am retired and on a very LIMITED budget - I am going to wrap, NOT coat.

Thanks

 

Why wrap or coat at all, I've been running a set of SS Kook's headers and blower since 2003 and never burned a wire yet.
I still run the factory heat shields with GM performance wires and never an issue.

 

Either coat them or do nothing. See link below for why.
http://www.centuryperformance.com/exhaust-header-heat-wraps-do-not-use.html

 

I appreciate you taking the time to reply but as I originally said I will be wrapping the headers. I have been in contact with the manufacturer of the headers and have been told that they will be fine wrapped. If I had the cash I would just have them coated but I don't so they get wrapped.

There are people on the net that believe headers just crumble if wrapped. This may well be true for mild steel headers but there are a ton of people wrapping stainless headers with good results. Now if I were going to run the car wide open throttle for a 2 or 3 hour stretch like a race car I would just leave them uncoated or unwrapped as the case may be. The heat buildup in this type situation would be extremely intense and would I would not expect the headers, no matter the metal used, to survive.

But as I said this is a street car that will experience short bursts of wide open throttle so I will wrap without hesitation. What I'm really looking for by posting here is info on the exhaust pipe temps I can expect and what brands or type of wrap that will provide good endurance on a SC street car. I could just go for the most expensive(Inferno) but am hoping some of the less expensive wraps will do the job.

Thanks

 

Why do you feel they need wrapped ? Are you burning anything up at the minute ?

Seems like a waste of time and money unless there is a specific problem.

 

I am in the process of the build and I want to wrap before headers are installed. don't want to find out later I have a heat problem and have to pull the headers to wrap. I am doing this as an ounce of prevention to prevent a heat problem under the hood. The car NA runs too hot for my taste as it is.

Again, I will be wrapping the headers and would like an experienced estimate/opinion as to what exhaust temps to expect at about 10 PSI for relatively short bursts and I would like to have experienced opinion as to what brand/type header material will work without spending a ton on something like INFERNO brand wrap.

Thanks

 

If you are really insistent on doing it, buy the best.

Cheap crap will just fall apart over time, and it's usually a bitch to install too. Usually looks ***** too. Although most wrap looks crap. It can look ok when new, but it usually does degrade over time. Again another reason to buy the best you can.


And you say it runs too hot as it is...just how hot does it run ?

Then you ask what exhaust temps....exhaust temps measured where and under what circumstances ? You'd probably see higher EGT's on a long steady light cruise than you would during a very short duration race.

 

What temps are you running at now? What are your fans set at?

 

Going to rephrase my original question as this has degraded into a DO vs DONT DO contest plus other irrelevant questions/comments. I appreciate all comments but let me restate:

1. I AM going to wrap my C5 SC stainless header after being in contact with the manufacturer. Repeat I AM wrapping - NOT coating. I am doing to prevent heat issues when my SC is installed. These cars run too hot underneath the hood for my tastes even NA. I have remote fan control so fan setting is not an issue plus best fan setting will be chosen when tuned.

2. I would like advise as to what exhaust temps I can expect on a 10 PSI boot engine, with a safe street tune, in whatever situation that will cause the highest exhaust temps. An experienced ball park estimate is fine - for instance can I expect to see 2000 degrees? I will be cruising for the most part with occasional 1-2 minute wide open bursts.

3. For you guys with a lot of wrapping experience what brands/types of wrap is most durable? I know the Inferno brand is has very high specification but it is extremely pricy and I am on a budget - balancing function vs cost. I want to wrap then install headers and don't want to have to frequently rewrap. What say you?

Thanks in advance

 

1. So what temperatures do they run under the hood ?

2. Exhaust temps where and under what circumstances ? And you must have some serious road space to be able to sustain WOT continuously for 1-2 minutes. That's something like 2-5 miles at full throttle...probably maintaining around 180mph or so ?
Obviously there is lots of airflow in and around the engine bay at those speeds.

So are you talking EGT's, exhaust temps at the header, a few inches from the header etc etc etc ? And as already stated, often you can see just as high EGT's at light cruise as you can at full throttle. Perhaps you'd be best to monitor some temperatures on your own setup to see what you actually need ?

3. And as already said, if you're going to do it, buying cheap ***** is a waste of time. Hell...even expensive stuff is probably a waste of time here, but you're intent on doing it anyway. But if you're going to do it, may as well do it right with stuff that isnt going to fall apart.

 

Anything made of basalt fiber will be good up to the temps you need. Most companies call it "Titanium" wrap. You can get enough to wrap your headers for under 150.00 I'm sure.
I expect your exhaust temps may never exceed 1500 degrees and depending on whom you ask, the basalt fiber products are good up to 2500.
I hope that's what you're asking and you find the answer helpful.


Bret

 

I wrapped mine with DEI Titanium Exhaust Wrap just before the last 1/2 mile race I went to. I made 6 full runs and the wrap still looks new.

I put it on because I was having heat issues, stuff melting... Could be the 1/2 mile style racing and my headers are not coated.

Hardest part is getting the headers back in place and not snagging the wrap.

 

I'm using uncoated and unwrapped headers and at 900whp with countless 1/2 mile runs and lots of street driving, and I have never had any issues. nothing special underhood other than keeping wiring off the headers.

honestly if worried about underhood temps I'd rather go to vented hood or trackspec vents with stock hood than wrap but just my 0.02

 

I used header wrap on my C4. I built the engine and it was making a lot of heat. I cracked the brake booster open, and burned plug wire boots in under 10 minutes of idling. Also had issues with the starter on hot starts.

I ended up with ceramic headers and wrapped them, used 10 wire ties on each header and sprayed with the protective coating. I just used the 1200 degree kit from thermo tec. I applied the wrap with it wet, soaked in water. It pulls tighter this way, and seemed like it would adhere to the header better opposed to dry. Took me hours to do though.

It worked so well I could not care if the headers fell apart in time. I removed them 2-3 years after the install and removed the wrap. The only thing that had happened is the ceramic coating came off with it in some spots. They never "wore" out. they looked the same as new when I took it off. I drove the car everyday.

Only draw back is if you get oil in the wrap... get a fire extinguisher, I did, and mounted it to the bottom of the passenger seat. I also carried a bottle of water to pour on it if it did get oil in it. You want to burn it off without it catching fire. . Don't ask

 

HSP LAVA wrap here. Works well. I can tell you WITH the wrap, I can work on the car in it's hottest temperatures, no problems. WITHOUT....not even possible(top mount twin turbo car). Other cars we install wrap on for NA or blower cars, also greatly reduces the temperature under the hood, and allows us to work on them without hating life too much while at temps.

 

Im in the process of having my headers taken off and wrapped as it melted my soft clutch line behind the drivers rear kooks ss header pipe even with a heat sock on it . In turn the clutch fluid hit the header and caught fire fortunately in my garage where i had an extinguisher to make out the fire after about 10 seconds. They will be wrapped as well as a fire resistant hydraulic line made up and put in place of factory line . Lesson here is more hp more heat more precautions and a fire extinguisher in your car. Makes 700hp procharged and forged internals. Not telling anyone what to do just saying what im doing .

 

I only wrapped my coated longtubes around the starter area and where O2 sensor cables are close, carry a fire extinguisher in car as oil on the dry cheap wrapping will be fire.
We had a car on fire on a track day that shot a big end rod through the block took 3 bottles before fire was out finally, not a pretty sight.