Hey guys anybody use any of the gold Heat Reflective Tape?? I've been seeing this come up a few times the last couple days. I'm as skeptical as they come. Seems like snake oil.

I saw a YouTube video where a guy in Texas used it on his intake piping in his Acura with the IAT sensor in the intake manifold. He took a datalog driving before tape and after tape and according to his datalog there was damn near 30 degree drop?? Can that even be real??

For what it is it seems kinda pricey but what do y'all think?? Works?? Or trying to sell sand in the desert??

 

Alrighty so update I talked to a couple guys at my transmission guys place and one of the old boys there had more of this chit than you could share a stick at. Lol. So I picked up a 30' roll from him for $20.

This guy has his entire racecar layered with this stuff I'm talking engine bay, firewall, transmission tunnel and even his fuel cell and going off his word he says it "does what it should do"

So I covered my two intercooler pipes that see the majority of radiant heat. I haven't gotten back out because the weather sucks right now and I really wished I had thought to take a before tape datalog. But oh well.

After putting this stuff on I can say without a shadow of doubt that I wouldn't want my worst enemy to use this stuff. There's zero chance of getting away from wrinkles when dealing with piping that isn't straight

 

It might reflect some IR if its perfectly flat and shiny & reflective.
But the tape is also acting as an insulating, holding heat inside the tube.

The question is an equation, is relfected IR > insulated heating?

You would calculate surface area, and difference between outside and inside temps, account for aluminum by itself which is a great conductor of heat and radiator of heat, and minus that ability when you insulated with the wrap/coating (like paint or wrap or whatever is insulating it, has a coefficient of insulation). And compare with the surface rejecting IR

by inspection just a guess but you are raising the temps more than lowering them. I say based on there being much more convective heat transfer through nearby items by fluids(air is a fluid) compared to the probably negligible IR absorbed by the curved surface area exposed to that IR which by the way - you can place a simple heat reflector shield between the source of IR and achieve the same thing without insulating the tubes.