Heat generated by headers
 

I just purchased a base C6 (2007) all original except a very nice set of long-tube headers, x-pipe, high-flow cats and a Corsa exhaust. It is very low mileage and I plan on taking a long road trip this spring. My question is, should I worry about the additional heat from the headers causing any problems? The install was very professional and it appears that all sensitive electronics are protected. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing but I'd very much appreciate your more informed opinions. Thanks you.

Same here... I have the same setup, with some preventive reflective insulation in & around the tunnel, all has been peachy... now go enjoy your ride and stop worrying!

I did have "some" extra heat from the headers. My right calf would get hot on long trips in TX summers. Not to bad but noticable so I installed a insulation kit. Also helps with road noise.

You will know if it's a problem you want to address after a summer driving it. I know I am glad I did it.

If you are really worried, you can have the headers ceramic coated which help a lot, I wouldn't wrap the headers because moisture can build up in the wrap & cause corrosion problems

Smart move.
Plenty of members over the years reported losing a starter due to heat generated by headers.
Especially prone are those living in sunbelt areas.
IIRC they all wrapped the new starter and never had another issue.

most header company's will not warranty the headers if you wrap them and also danger of fire if you do

I won't buy another set of headers without some sort of high heat coating. It will cut down on underhood heat which will slow the degradation of the plastics and wiring. Makes it easier to work on the car if you have to while it is hot. Some coatings will even help cut down on the valve train noise that headers tend to magnify.

As for as cutting down on in-cabin heat, insulating the tunnel of the car can help a lot. I installed a set of headers in the last couple of days and I installed an Elite Engineering insulated tunnel plate since I had the exhaust out for the install. Cuts down on the heat and helps stiffen the car up.

Is it possible to wrap the starter on a 2007 C6 without dropping the header on that side of the vehicle? Thanks.

Mine has the same setup and I added the Z-Cool tunnel blanket to the plate plus their tunnel insulation, I've had no problems so far after 2 years. The Tunnel insulation did help with heat transfer against my leg, I know that for sure. The starter thoughts seem pretty split as to they work or not, I left mine alone
NSF

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...3efaf2d983.jpg

Correct, I would stay away from wrapping headers...

Something I would add that I haven't seen yet is the starter. I've had the car (was another CF users car before) for about 16 months and I melted a starter. The heat from the headers will cause the bakelite to become brittle around the solenoid and will eventually break the lead off the starter.

Lingenfelter makes a starter insulation shield that I'll be adding soon as I've been told that this will happen every few years. I just hated it happening at the drive thru at Chick-fil-a since I have to turn the car off to order.

:iagree: If you wrap stainless steel it can cause them to crack!!

FWIW, here is what I do:
1- wrap the starter.
2- use metallic heat shield (i.e. DEI) on the primary tubes closest to the starter and oil cooler pipes, secure with metal self locking band straps. It comes in sheets, cut as needed with tin snips.
3- I cut the tunnel plate into 2 pieces right where there is a notch in the tunnel and notch one side of the plate then run the O2 wires up in between the tunnel plate and torque tube.
4- fires sleeve the O2 connectors and secure as far away from the headers as possible with wire ties.
5- fire sleeve the 2 trans cooler pipes where they go over the right side header collector.
6- wrap the right side header collector at the trans cooler pipe area, see #2.
7- fire sleeve the 2 heater hoses.
8- add additional fire sleeve to the wire harness behind #8 primary tube.
9- add a small piece of fire sleeve over the purple wire and connector on the starter solenoid.
10- rotate the knock sensors as needed for additional clearance and secure wiring with wire ties.
11- fire sleeve the clutch slave cylinder line.
12- depending on header brand, wrap #7 primary tube if close to slave cylinder line.
13- add heat boots to the plug wires and secure the coil end with wire ties.
14- if not already there, fire sleeve the engine mounts.
15- use high temp antisieze on all the bolts.
16- no header wrap. I also have had high temp coatings peel off. may work ok for a street car.
17- check for clearance between the chassis flange and where the 4 tubes join the collectors on both sides. I have had to bend the chassis flanges with a hammer. not required on aluminum frame cars.

A lot more involved than just bolting on the headers.

Just for reference, I did a full under the carpet insulation on my 155K mile '08 around the 27K mile point. That cured the interior heat and noise while I still had the OEM exhaust system. I changed the manifolds, down pipes/cats, and H-pipe to a Z06 system at 36K miles. I swapped to 1 3/4" LG streets somewhere around 75K miles and then at about 109K miles had the starter solenoid fail. I believe the battery change a few weeks before the solenoid death was more responsible due to the positive cable was rotated and it left no slack.

Through all that, I've never had a heat related failure and I'm currently at 155K miles. Anytime heat is created that exceeds ambient air temps, it eventually dissipates to the surrounding air. You can avoid it affecting other areas with a shield and/or creating airflow to disperse it. You can also move heat to other areas, in such things as exhaust pipes on your car. If you wrap/insulate the pipes, it'll transfer the majority of the heat farther to the rear. That's somewhat of a self defeating method, since not providing enough space and time to cool, the small area to let the gases out becomes a restriction at higher engine speeds and it causes the engine to work harder, which produces more heat and a endless loop of increasing heat.

So with your car at highway speeds, generally anything over 35 mph, the airflow is sufficient to cool everything except the tunnel area where the radiated heat from the exhaust pipes has very little airflow. At low speeds, you have to rely on the fan to blow air through the engine compartment. A reflective shield between the exhaust/header pipe and the starter will still allow airflow around the starter, where wrapping the starter tends to retain the heat that is conducted there from the engine.

Consider that GM placed the cat (the hottest part) real close to the starter, but allowed enough space for airflow. Headers move the cat rearward and dissipate heat more efficiently due to multiple pipes rather than one.

I did the majority of what 3x2 did, as when you have the car way up in the air, it's pretty easy to get as much insulated with the DEI heatwrap tubes. I also ran it along the O2 sensor wires/connectors. Also physically moved (with a crowbar) the oil cooler lines that were almost touching the pass side collector, then wrapped that as well.
Don't wrap the headers, as several wise folks have said... moisture WILL find its way in, & over time will degrade the headers- they heat up, & then cool down, condensation will creep in, & over many heat/cool cycles it'll make you (or the next owner) feel some pain...