Write-Up: Wrapping Exhaust Headers

Rickw wrote:

Don't forget NOT to wrap them where you are going to need the space to clamp them together, don't worry about trying to get every millimeter covered

I'm going to put the system together loosely on the ground while the wrap is soaking so I can make marks of where to start and stop the wrap, with a little bit of breathing room around the clamp areas....Thanks for the reminder, it sux being all excited to get sh*t done and do it wrong  

Any updates, how are you making out with this project.

Well, as close as the pipes are together, it's a complete PITA to wrap them. I got the crossover pipe and the flex joint done. I'm fighting with myself if I should try to wrap each individual pipe. The main factor is trying to wrap it all in one piece, and I'm starting to believe that on this style of header it's impossible. Unless I can wrap 6" of pipe at a time, I'm thinkin I'm gonna give up on it Any suggestions would help....

...and yes, gloves are good, but don't forget to wear long sleeves!
My forearms are driving me nuts!

Maybe try it with the 1" stuff; it will be more flexible and easier to navigate the primaries, imo.

I decided just to wrap the crossover. The primaries were too much work and really not worth it IMO.

eh, I was in a hurry. I was planning on installing tomorrow, but we got busy (which is a good thing), so I'll have to come in and finish the wrap instead. When the painter found out that the paint is Silicone based, he said he'd kill me if I sprayed it anywhere near the shop.....so I guess baking them after paint isn't an option....

I just brushed on the RTV from the tube, you can do it with your finger. Spraying it would be a messy operation.

AA wrote:

I just brushed on the RTV from the tube, you can do it with your finger. Spraying it would be a messy operation.

Not the RTV, the Silicone High Heat header spray from DEI....the only stuff that's safe for painting wrap.....

The high-temp RTV used for sealing the clamp joints is definately safe for painting header wrap. It's actually thicker than the spray, and has held up fine on mine for two years so far. See page 4 of this thread.

Ah...ic. We just tested the spray on some wet clearcoat, it didn't fish eye....so he's lettin me spray 'em in the shop now.

On a diff note....I'm takin apart a Viper right now. The downpipe-to-resonator connection is the exact same as the SSAC DP....even has the same clamp LOL

Got 'em wrapped! Definitely a PITA...but with a little looking at em first, it's possible....
I soaked the wrap in a bucket of water first. Also found out that wrapping them while hanging is WAYYY easier, leaving the bucket underneath the header while you wrap (keeps the wrap wet and off the floor).

I put the pipes together and makes marks on them to see where to stop the wrap (at the joints)


Here is the front header (still wet)


The crossover pipe painted....


Didn't have much choice on the rear header. I could only wrap the primaries so far, as they touch about half way down. Then I had to wrap 2 at a time, then 3. It ain't pretty, but it'll work. After a nice thick coat of paint, it won't be so ugly...


I cut all the "extra" strands and flattened the edges before I put them in the booth to bake. I'll be painting them Monday, and baking again.

They've been painted and baked, done for over a week now. Too bad I have no time to put 'em in yet! I had to change the 2 idler pulleys on the S/C drive instead......

Don't you think you wrapped that pipe, the one with the flex joint too close to the end for welding.
Or am I forgetting something.

EDIT: Oh yes, I am forgetting, that pipe has a "V" Band connector on it for an extension pipe that gets welded to the Cat Converter.

The wrapping and paint job look very good.
Almost as good as mine....J/K Actually looks better than mine. Very good job.
See what some frustration and patience will do.

IS there really that much of an advantage to doing this vs the headache and hard work??

Regardless they look good. Can't wait to hear about the install.

There is a very real advantage thermodynamically - the exhaust will flow faster through a wrapped header.

You can get the same thermal efficiency with ceramic coating inside/out. It's $200 + shipping to have this done; SLPs come coated from the factory. When you add up the wrap, the installation kit, gasket, and the time invested, you end up paying just as much making SSACs perform like SLPs.

Yeah, I got the DynoMax Mega Clamp stainless "band" clamps from Jegs ($45), New gaskets ($15), 100' of 2" wrap plus ties ($45), and 2 cans of DEI Silcone High Temp Header (wrap) paint ($20). So basically I have right around $500 invested into the headers. Can't wait, shouldn't be long now

AA wrote:

There is a very real advantage thermodynamically - the exhaust will flow faster through a wrapped header.

You can get the same thermal efficiency with ceramic coating inside/out. It's $200 + shipping to have this done; SLPs come coated from the factory. When you add up the wrap, the installation kit, gasket, and the time invested, you end up paying just as much making SSACs perform like SLPs.

How much money are the SLP's.??

The SLP's are $699 and the installation kit is $89.99 which is a must for a proper install. I got lucky and picked up both for $400 cash local from someone virtually brand new! Deal of the year and he gave me O2 simulator with spark plug wire harnesses too.

Alright.....I suppose this would be a product update??? I had my car in the air today and did a little inspection. I have to say, the DEI Silicone Header wrap paint I used is absolutely amazing. It says it repels and resists pretty much every single fluid you can put on it, and they aren't lying. Here is a picture of it now. You can see that the end of the DP is rusty, but the wrap looks exactly as it did the day I put the headers on.......even with all the salt and road grime we have here in Michigan, it's managing to stay perfectly intact.....BTW the P/N for the paint is 010302

I've debated the idea of wrapping my SLP headers since the day I bought them. Back in 2005, the stainless headers (ceramic coated) were so beautiful, I really couldn't hide them, especially for what they cost buying new. Up to that point, they were the single biggest investment I'd made to the car.

Fast forward 7 years later. My headers have held up AMAZINGLY well. Soon after install, the primaries developed a nice dull sheen that, although not chrome looking, I still very much enjoyed every time I popped the hood. Even after all this time, they have changed very little. The only thing is a VERY slight coating if mild rust, which I understand is a protective barrier for this type of stainless, and won't spread or rust through. It's hard to see unless you look closely. There is a little more rust on the flanges, but you can't see those anyway. Welds are all sound. I really couldn't ask for a better product.

Recently, I had to pull the engine for a rebuild. I considered the opportunity to wrap for a few reasons:

1. In theory, wrapping insulates the primaries and crossover, keeping the heat inside the pipes. This helps the exhaust flow, thermodynamically speaking. It also helps decrease underhood heat, which I noticed immediately after installing had increased from installing the lighter, thinner walled headers. Benefits of cooling the engine bay include easier engine/trans cooling, and perhaps most importantly, lower IAT at idle.

2. Sound deadening. My SPL headers came with a single layer braided flex pipe in the downpipe area. It had a nasty reputation for allowing sound to escape in the form of a "tick". Wrapping the flex pipe made an IMMENSE difference in the sound! The tick all but went away. Using the same principles to wrap the rest of the system should lower the sound even more, hopefully returning to near OEM manifold levels. We'll see.

3. I am a sucker for looks, and when I see race cars and vintage cafe bikes with bad-ass looking exhaust wrap, it always made me drool a bit. In recent years, I've grown more fond of this look, especially with black and dark metallic colors. And since my headers are a little rusty and dull, I figure it's time for a change.

Here's my front header before the job:



Here's the wrap I chose. It's a kind of dark golden metallic color. I was going to do black, but this stuff just seemed to have the right look. 2" x 50 ft long roll was enough to do the front header + the crossover tube. Price: $42 at JEGG's. You can save a few bucks going with JEGGs brand, but they don't have this color.



Before wrapping, put on some gloves and wear some eye & breathing protection. This stuff is basically like fiber glass insulation, and you don't want it to be itching you inside or out!

There are different ideas on how to wrap. Thermotech says you soak the wrap in water, then wrap, then run the car to bake it on. An optional silicone spray paint is available for added durability. They suggest using stainless steel zip ties to secure the ends. I did it a little differently. Here's the end of the first primary. I am wrapping it DRY. At the end, applied a bit of high temp copper silicone to secure it to the primary. The idea is the wrap will hold itself together without needing a tie.



I pre-spooled a bunch of wrap around the primary (20-30 times) to avoid needing to pull 50' of material through every new turn. If you don't spool it first, you'll be taking a while to feed it through each time.



Beginning progress...



First primary done!



Cut the end and feed it between two primaries. Pull hard and it will stay put.



Here's the 2nd primary done using the same steps as the first. I secured the end of the first wrap by pulling the 2nd wrap between the two primaries good and tight.





3rd primary done. Instead of cutting it, I pulled it between primaries to secure the 2nd wrap, then continued on to wrap the collector. This gets tricky, and some water could help here to get it to flex a little, but I didn't need to wet it.



At the end I folded the wrap to half width and secured with a tie.



Finished front header.





The crossover pipe was almost too easy. There was just enough material left to finish it. Will post pics of the crossover and rear header later on!

That looks really nice! I really like the wrapped look, and your choice of wrap looks great! I'm really interested to hear how you liked them wrapped!

I have witnessed a few Turbo Buick with wrapped headers and downpipes that have rusted out. Most of these cars were from the rust belt but never the less there was rust where normally there is not.

I don't doubt it. I would ask those few Turbo Buick owners if theirs were mild steel, or if they had the Jet coating done. I know there are varying opinions on whether or not it will rot, crack, or otherwise damage the headers, so I want to try and see. I feel the inside/outside ceramic coating will help protect the metal from cracking, and on the back header, I might coat exposed parts with silicone to keep out the elements.

I wrapped the braided flexpipe for the last 7 years, changed it out a couple of times, since it gets a lot of exposure from the winter elements. It's surprisingly clean, almost like the wrap was protecting it. This durability experiment was one of the reasons I felt comfortable wrapping the rest.

My exhaust manifold cracked while i had them wrapped.I dont know if its from the age of the manis or that theyre plain steel and cast iron 7 couldnt handle the heat stress,dont know. But they did and now I only have the crossover wrapped.Actually they cracked twice while wrapped.unwrapped so far so good.
I dont know anything about the relation between a wrap and SS headers so I cant say if this only happens to the cheap stuff..

Guess we'll find out - I've been warned! I've gotten a lot of years of solid performance from this set. I would hate to wrap a new set and have them fail, so this seems like the right time to try it.