Wrapping catalytic converters
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 3
From: Murfreesboro Tennessee
Wrapping catalytic converters
I installed headers on my 08 C6 a few days ago. I wrapped my cats with header wrap to help keep them from melting my 02 plugs. Was this a good idea or should I remove it and find another solution?
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 21,136
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From: Long Island New York
Cats a designed to work properly in a certain temp range. Wrapping them will shoot temps much higher and outside that envelope, Im thinking. The sensors are also designed to tolerate the high heat of the Cats. Why are you so concerned about them? Most of us have headers and no issues with burned up sensors.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 27,254
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From: Short Hills, NJ
Cats a designed to work properly in a certain temp range. Wrapping them will shoot temps much higher and outside that envelope, Im thinking. The sensors are also designed to tolerate the high heat of the Cats. Why are you so concerned about them? Most of us have headers and no issues with burned up sensors.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 212
Likes: 1
From: Dallas TX
I saw this question addressed elsewhere and that person's opinion was that the extra heat wasn't a problem. Does anyone know from experience?
I've wrapped the cats on my 2011 GS (no headers) with no adverse affects that I recognize, so far.
I do keep having electrical gremlins that I can't explain, so I can't rule out excess O2 sensor temps.
I've wrapped the cats on my 2011 GS (no headers) with no adverse affects that I recognize, so far.
I do keep having electrical gremlins that I can't explain, so I can't rule out excess O2 sensor temps.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 3
From: Murfreesboro Tennessee
Cats a designed to work properly in a certain temp range. Wrapping them will shoot temps much higher and outside that envelope, Im thinking. The sensors are also designed to tolerate the high heat of the Cats. Why are you so concerned about them? Most of us have headers and no issues with burned up sensors.
If I ever take the headers back off, I will run them through the tunnel plate.
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 21,136
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From: Long Island New York
So why dont you just wrap the plastic plug?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,326
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From: louisville "derby city" kentucky
take a section of galvanized strap and attach it to two tunnel plate bolts with the wiring for the sensors under it. split a piece of rubber fuel line and cover the wires so they don't get shorted out. this will keep the wiring and connectors from hanging down on the cats. have done this on many header/cats installs with never a problem. 
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 11,885
Likes: 107
From: God's Country, ID
If you wrap the outside of the cats you run the risk of them failing due to excess heat unable to disipate and being retained within the cat. That's one reason why headers are generally ceramic coated inside and out.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,709
Likes: 18
From: Montgomery Il.
The 3" SS downpipe and cat on my turbo'd Subaru (325 whp @22 psi with meth) was wrapped for over three years with zero issues. The car was my DD.
Thermo-Tec iirc says it is OK to wrap a cat.
Your results may vary.
www.thermotec.com
Thermo-Tec iirc says it is OK to wrap a cat.
Your results may vary.
www.thermotec.com
Last edited by bosco 08; Jul 7, 2011 at 12:30 AM. Reason: sp
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 3
From: Murfreesboro Tennessee
take a section of galvanized strap and attach it to two tunnel plate bolts with the wiring for the sensors under it. split a piece of rubber fuel line and cover the wires so they don't get shorted out. this will keep the wiring and connectors from hanging down on the cats. have done this on many header/cats installs with never a problem.
