EXHAUST WRAP + OIL LEAK = CLOSE CALL
04-23-2007, 10:07 AM
#1
resident n00b
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EXHAUST WRAP + OIL LEAK = CLOSE CALL
I just wanted to thank all of the guys who warned me to check my header wrap & also the guys who warned not to do it at all.
I've always used header wrap in the past on my american classic V-8's to lower engine bay temps, but because they ran out to the side i never had any leaks touch them. Well not on a porsche.
After a few days of tuning it took my 951 out for some abuse on the local twisties. After a good 40 mins of hard driving with regular boosting i decided to check the fluuids & glimpse under the car. Well guess what, there was smoke coming off of the crossover pipe.
So I let the car cool for a while and then pulled into a park and after finding some wood planks i drove the car up onto the curb & the planks so i could get under it safely. Once i got under i could see that a there was a spot of oil on the headers about the size of quarter, but it was burnt, so with a razer blade i put in my "survival kit" i cut the wrap off of the crossover pipe.
Once i got home i let the car sit & run. There is a small oil pan leak that drips about one drip ever 5 mins. I'm not going to worry about it, and now i don't have to with most of my header wrap sitting in the trash.
The cross over pipe is singed black under that oil stain and I'm glad i caught it.
On a side note. with my header wrap on the exhaust i was able to touch the wrapped pipe with my bare hands just 5 mins after shutting off. Once i pulled the wrap off, the pipe underneith was still super hot. Exhasut wrap works, just not on a leaking car.
-Jake
I've always used header wrap in the past on my american classic V-8's to lower engine bay temps, but because they ran out to the side i never had any leaks touch them. Well not on a porsche.
After a few days of tuning it took my 951 out for some abuse on the local twisties. After a good 40 mins of hard driving with regular boosting i decided to check the fluuids & glimpse under the car. Well guess what, there was smoke coming off of the crossover pipe.
So I let the car cool for a while and then pulled into a park and after finding some wood planks i drove the car up onto the curb & the planks so i could get under it safely. Once i got under i could see that a there was a spot of oil on the headers about the size of quarter, but it was burnt, so with a razer blade i put in my "survival kit" i cut the wrap off of the crossover pipe.
Once i got home i let the car sit & run. There is a small oil pan leak that drips about one drip ever 5 mins. I'm not going to worry about it, and now i don't have to with most of my header wrap sitting in the trash.
The cross over pipe is singed black under that oil stain and I'm glad i caught it.
On a side note. with my header wrap on the exhaust i was able to touch the wrapped pipe with my bare hands just 5 mins after shutting off. Once i pulled the wrap off, the pipe underneith was still super hot. Exhasut wrap works, just not on a leaking car.
-Jake
04-23-2007, 12:05 PM
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Glad you caught it early. I've had that fire...not very cool. The argument for the wrap is that you will always catch the oil leak before it gets dangerous. I'm happy you did, but it often goes the other way. If you need wrap....use Swain tech instead. IMHO.
04-23-2007, 03:47 PM
#4
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Swaintech is a better coating than JetHot based on the data logging and collection others have done.
But I'm curious to know if the spray coating being offered for wrap makes the wrap any less susceptible to fire/ignition. Cool-Tech offers a rattle can spray coating that they claim makes wrap more resistant to moisture and the elements. Of course it won't make wrap fire retardant but I'd like to know if it makes wrap resistant enough to be livable.
But I'm curious to know if the spray coating being offered for wrap makes the wrap any less susceptible to fire/ignition. Cool-Tech offers a rattle can spray coating that they claim makes wrap more resistant to moisture and the elements. Of course it won't make wrap fire retardant but I'd like to know if it makes wrap resistant enough to be livable.
