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I've seen people use header wraps to insulate their headers to keep the heat inside which supposedly helps speed the exhaust through the system and also potentially helps reduce engine compartment temperature. Has anybody messed with this seemingly simple upgrade and if so was it helpful in any way? Also, if there is a real world benefit, does it apply with a stock 996 exhaust/engine?
One thing I have learned over the years in the import tuner biz is never over do it. Some ppl like to go crazy and wrap it more than once or use the wrong stuff. This has resulted in pipes cracking due to the heat not being allowed to disapate properly.
the major problme with wrap is rust, the moister is trapped and casues the pies to rot out and leak.
it should cut engien compartment temperatures but the benifits would likely be negilible.
I have no data to back this up try and see but I fell that it wouldnt have any benifits
Ceramic coat, not with that jet coat stuff but real plasma applied ceramic material. Better performance then a wrap. Really no down side. Did mine 2 years ago, still looks like new. This ceramic material is very tuff stuff. Not too expensive to have done.
Porsche has been using this stuff for years on head exhaust runners etc.
I'm wrapping the headpipes on my Buell S1 to keep the heat away from my right leg. Looks kind of racy too. Being in the business (Speed Merchant) I would wrap the pipes on my Carrera if I was racing it, had done every other allowed modification and the prize money between first and second place was substantial. I wouldn't waste my time or money on it for any other reason.
I initially figured that the difference wouldn't outweigh the drawbacks, but it never hurts to ask. I guess the initial rule...there's no such thing as free horsepower... still applies!
[QUOTE=TBH996;3343769]I've seen people use header wraps to insulate their headers to keep the heat inside which supposedly helps speed the exhaust through the system and also potentially helps reduce engine compartment temperature. Has anybody messed with this seemingly simple upgrade and if so was it helpful in any way? Also, if there is a real world benefit, does it apply with a stock 996
header wrap comes in a variety of materials, and does have far more benefits, positives , than negatives. A properly wrapped header with quality wrap will reduce the radiant temperatures by 50 to 70% giving you a much cooler engine bay. The heat reduction also helps increase the longevity of all the surrounding parts, plastic, hoses etc. The heat reducing in radiant heat now becomes conductive heat in your headers and raises egts, burns more efficiently and increases performance. The cooler temps in the engine / intake also help performance. That's verifiable across all applications. That's why race cars have done it since race cars were racing. The down side to wrap is, cheap wraps can smoke at start up, smell bad etc. Choosing a quality wrap eliminates most if not all of that. As for wrap destroying headers because of moisture not quite, not exactly. Cheap headers or headers not designed to take the heat they're now holding once wrapped will break down faster than ones that arent. Cast iron manifolds or anything cast iron should never be wrapped they need to breath, wrapping them will destroy them fast. In a nutshell the correct wrap put onto the correct manifolds / or headers far exceeds the cost and effort involved in performance gains and radiant heat reduction. It just comes down to what you're wrapping and with what. Is it necessary on our street cars absolutely not, most of what we do them is not lol. Will it increase horsepower and performance and decrease engine bay temperatures absolutely. Can it cause premature header /exhaust manifold deterioration absolutely if done incorrectly to a part not made to handle the heat trapped by the wrap.
Last edited by Garage19builds; 04-17-2023 at 03:22 AM.
Yesterday I installed aftermarket headers to my 996. I considered wrapping them but decided instead to have them coated inside and out with Cerakote . Yes they will still give off heat but my understanding is it helps with exhaust flow . Plus protects against rust . Might be a good option for you if you have someone local to perform the work .
I've seen people use header wraps to insulate their headers to keep the heat inside which supposedly helps speed the exhaust through the system and also potentially helps reduce engine compartment temperature. Has anybody messed with this seemingly simple upgrade and if so was it helpful in any way? Also, if there is a real world benefit, does it apply with a stock 996
header wrap comes in a variety of materials, and does have far more benefits, positives , than negatives. A properly wrapped header with quality wrap will reduce the radiant temperatures by 50 to 70% giving you a much cooler engine bay. The heat reduction also helps increase the longevity of all the surrounding parts, plastic, hoses etc. The heat reducing in radiant heat now becomes conductive heat in your headers and raises egts, burns more efficiently and increases performance. The cooler temps in the engine / intake also help performance. That's verifiable across all applications. That's why race cars have done it since race cars were racing. The down side to wrap is, cheap wraps can smoke at start up, smell bad etc. Choosing a quality wrap eliminates most if not all of that. As for wrap destroying headers because of moisture not quite, not exactly. Cheap headers or headers not designed to take the heat they're now holding once wrapped will break down faster than ones that arent. Cast iron manifolds or anything cast iron should never be wrapped they need to breath, wrapping them will destroy them fast. In a nutshell the correct wrap put onto the correct manifolds / or headers far exceeds the cost and effort involved in performance gains and radiant heat reduction. It just comes down to what you're wrapping and with what. Is it necessary on our street cars absolutely not, most of what we do them is not lol. Will it increase horsepower and performance and decrease engine bay temperatures absolutely. Can it cause premature header /exhaust manifold deterioration absolutely if done incorrectly to a part not made to handle the heat trapped by the wrap.
Holy Thread Resurrection! Let's see...thread floating around in 2006 and then the conversation picks up in 2023. Wow...just wow! Let me think about it...what was I doing in 2006. Ummmm...well...I wasn't thinking about wrapping my header pipes. Yeah...yeah. Now it's 17 years later...gosh almighty! OP is probably dead or senile...just saying.
Hey man, I love it. Alot of old threads lost in the RL system. In 2006 I was in my 3rd year of tracking my 996. Just put on the FVD 200 cell cats and mufflers. No good choices for headers at the time until they figured out equal length long tubes. Thought about it, we all talked about it, but most didn't wrap their headers or had them coated. So instead, I bought a Brembo GT big brake kit. Got a few years to go as a 58 year old for senility to kick in. But in the meantime, planning in putting on a set of FVD M&M headers. Still don't know if it's worth it to wrap or coat the headers. Hope we find out on this thread.
The absolute best solution on the market for insulating your headers is headershield, it is expensive, but thats what you get when you are using the same stuff the guys at the tip of the motorsport spear are using. The dude who runs it, Kam, is a Porsche guy too and all around cool dude.
Ok trying to spot the details.... How does wrapping the header reduce engine compartment temps when the headers are not in the engine bay??
I could see it at low speeds in heavy traffic, but above about 30MPH??? ...
Wrapping headers on a street driven car is asking for cracking. I’ve done it many times and all have ended in crack failures. Cheap or expensive headers, cheap or expensive wrap, the header almost always cracks, and the wrap gets ratty looking, and in the case of low hanging headers, most times ripped from road debris.
08-24-2006, 07:23 PM
Header wrap
