I just bought some slp headers. from what i understand they increase the under hood temperature. do i need to buy some hood insulation now?

 

you're better off getting those suckers coated. that would definitely prevent underhood temps from flaring up as well as preevnting rusting, and burning your plug boots. thats probably the most common you'll get from users around here. and underhood insulation can't hurt if its only 30-40 bucks if i'm not mistaken

 

you can probably get away without teh thermal coating and have the sparkplug boots survive and the temps be reasonable but teh coating will definatly help. Im not having any problems from not having the coating but, as i can attest from accidetaly touching the headers while the car was running, they get really hot.

 

I've been fine using no insulation for about 2 yrs now. I'd say get them coated.

 

i have no $$$ to get them coated. i had to borrow money from my parents to buy them as is, so coating is out of the question. i have just heard that it will make your paint fade. i just had my car painted 2 months ago. needless to say i dont think that i am ready to have faded paint yet.

thanks,
David

 

It shouldn't get that hot under there. Since you don't have the money to have them coated, go out and get a couple cans of vht 1600* paint (or whatever the parts place has) and coat them yourself. You'll have to take all the paint off and clean them good with solvent and then paint them so that the paint will stick. That would help a lot, while being relatively cheap.

 

My friend has an 88 IROC with SLP headers and no hood insulation.. the hood is fine so far.

 

Exactly how hot can headers get? Someone must have some idea.

 

I believe around 1200-1400* or so.

 

a buddy of mine had one of those laser temperature things and we pointed it at my headers while the car was running. if i remember correctly it was around 1000 degrees or something crazy like that.

 

If i were you, before i got them installed, i would save up the money to get them coated. It will help you out greatly in the long run as well as keep those temps down. But thats just my .02

 

When I saw a test done of coated vs uncoated headers, the coated were in the 5xx degrees, while uncoated were 8xx.

 

The engine must not have been warmed up completely, they get hotter than 800*.

 

While we're on the hood subject... how would the extra heat of headers affect my fibreglass hood? i've heard it does funny things with the paint on a steel hood, but have heard nothing about 'glass hoods.

 

I don't think it would have any ill effects on a fiberglass hood. I would imagine that the heat transfer is better so it stays cooler. Besides if you have a fiberglass hood you most likely have a scoop or something that lets the heat escape.