hey just wondering if this stuff is even worth throwing down money on, and how hard it is to install.

 

My header has been wrapped going on 2 years now. Theres no tangible difference since I installed the header wrapped already, but the theory behind it is sound: More heat in the exhaust, less heat in the engine compartment.

The only issue I've heard of is faster degredation of the metal due to the wrap retaining moisture, but have yet to find any real hard evidence.

 

it is a pita to wrap, it does insulate and if you have issues with heat migration to the interior it is worth doing. Cobalts have a lite alloy heat shield down the length of the center tunnel that works well for insulation and so I would say not needed.
In terms of the theory of keeping the "power in the tube" maybe thats worthwhile in some applications, but realistically its easier to change your spark plugs for new, thats the sort of power improvement its worth if any;not measureable.

 

i don't know why but when i put it on my car i got just over 1mpg better fuel economy. underhood temps seem to be cooler but i didnt do any measurements on this

 

Im planning on wrapping my longtube when it arrives since it isn't heat treated. Pyros what header are you running?

 

sounds good enough to me, my engine is always pretty damn hot. Are you able to put this stuff over a flex pipe, and whats a good size and thickness to go with?

 

If its mild steel you'll run into rusting issues from water retention. If its stainless you can run into both corrosion issues from air starvation (this is a super complex phenomenon that I have no understanding of other than its something that can happen somehow), or fatigue failing the stainless from the thermal loading. Oh yeah, get any oil on it and kiss your car good bye, it'll burn down. Why it does this is that the fiberglass wrap is also what they use for wicks on kerosene lamps and space heaters, so its an amazing wicking material, get an fuel source on it (oil, grease, gas, etc) and add the heat from your exhaust and that **** will burn practically forever.

 

That's why I went with a TLTD coating. Does the same thing as the wrap but in a chemical spray coating.

 

i assume you can get that at a hardware or autoparts store? how much?

 

Exhaust Coating, Black Satin Header Coating 4 oz - Exhaust Coatings by Tech Line Coatings, Inc.

Pretty cool stuff!

 

Good link, cheap too

 

Wrapping that long-tube header will be a pain. Skip the wrap - there is no real need for it.