I got long tube headers on my l98 and man does that engine compartment get hot. Does header wrap actually work or do I need to look into getting coated headers ?

 

From what I've read, and I could be so wrong it's not funny, is that wrapping the headers will cause the internal temperatures to be crazy high and cause the metal on the headers to fail. Ceramic coating them will provide heat insulation and will protect the headers from corrosion a lot better than wrap would.

 

Wrapping headers will void the warranty. If ya read the install instuctions with most it is stated very strongly not to wrap them. Is the heat causing any problems? If its not causing a problem then dont worry about it----thats part of headers they pull heat out of the head and its gotta go somewhere.

 

I wrapped the headers on one of my past cars. Boy does it look good before you fire that engine up. After a while it just becomes a bigger mess. Like Mrbrooks said it's the hottest part of your exhaust. I would either deal with that or JETHOt coat them bad boys. But man ya Gotta love the sound of a set of long tubes.

 

Don't wrap them...it just holds mositure up against the tubing and they'll rot out in two years. Trust me....I seen it a dozen times or more. Ceramic coat them.

 

Wow... thanks for all the responses. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and shell out for ceramic coating. Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

If you drive in the rain, or park your car outside, dont wrap them. They will collect moisture.

They are good, if youre after performance and lowering temperatures. They are bad if you are after looks and making your engine bay pretty.

The hot exhaust (when hotter) flows quicker, which actually gives you power. As for rotting out, your headers will be that rusty in two years anyway.

 

It's actually the retained heat that destroys the metal.

 

Oh great. I wrapped my headers a couple of months ago, hopefully they last. I am super happy with 'em as they are shortys and don't really get wet. They make the engine bay much cooler though which is a good thing. Less chance of burns, which is also a good thing. Oh well, i have hacked up flowtech's to fit the rhd column, so by the time they rot out, i will prob upgrade anyways.
The headers look like a light grey under the wrap (no rust yet), but hopefully they will last.

 

I used header wrap on a y-pipe on my old Chevy pickup cause it passed real close to the transmission pan. I ran it for 2 years through northeast winters and never had a problem. I plan on using it on the headers I am putting on my Formula next week.

 

I used to run Edelbrock Headers on the old engine. I did wrap them initially.. Then had the wrap removed and had them jet hotted.. Edelbrock invalidated my warranty because they didn't do it. But, of course they charged alot more. I just had my new Hooker 2210's Jethotted directly from them and it didn't have a warranty issue.