Header Wrap Help ..... WTF!?!?!

SLOWPOKE693

SLOWPOKE693

🖕TROUBLES🖕
race
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
299
Messages
9,910
Loc
Somewhere in Texas
I wanted to wrap the new header pipe on my SxS to keep the heat off the bottom of the radiator that I relocated to the bed. Bought the DEI brand wrap, metal ties and the tool to tighten them. I worked on the header for over 3hrs the other night and it turned out like complete shit, and not from a lack of trying, over and over and over.....

The fawkin steel ties dont get tight enough so the wrap spins as i wrap the pipes, and for the life of me i cant keep that shit from unraveling when i cut it.

Is there a good video or article out there that can set me straight with this stuff? Im about to tear it all off and forget about it. :mad3:
 
Soak the roll in water. Throw the metal clamps in the trash and use regular old worm drive hose clamps. Wrap it tight and it will shrink up more and harden when it dries leaving it similar to a cast. Once dry, fire it up and enjoy. Avoid getting mud in it or it will accelerate rust. High temp paint is available to seal it but it will need to be reapplied every year or so.

Enjoy the "I have been playing in insulation for 3 hours" itchiness for the next couple days. :D
 
I cut to length then soak in water, ac safety wire to secure, then use the paint. the paint will keep you from getting itchy fiberglas shit on when you are working on it later on.
 
Never even thought about soaking it in water, that makes alot of sense. Thanks!

I like the safety wire idea also, I have plenty in my service truck. :smokin:

I bought the sealer paint already. Didn't think I was going to be using it at the rate I was going the other night.

Hopefully I have better results next time and ill make sure to post up pictures. Failure or not..... :laughing:
 
That stuff is a pain and comes off in time. Power wash, wind, all will ruin it
 
Elwenil said:
Soak the roll in water. Throw the metal clamps in the trash and use regular old worm drive hose clamps. Wrap it tight and it will shrink up more and harden when it dries leaving it similar to a cast. Once dry, fire it up and enjoy. Avoid getting mud in it or it will accelerate rust. High temp paint is available to seal it but it will need to be reapplied every year or so.

Enjoy the "I have been playing in insulation for 3 hours" itchiness for the next couple days. :D
Click to expand...

Came here to give advise, could not have said it any better than this.

Only thing I will add is this might be the perfect time to actually need an N95. The header/turbo wrap job I did on my hot rod diesel left my throat scratchy for a few days. :homer:
 
Congrats on potential install of new corrosion acceleration wrap. You will be happy please to replace you pipes 2-3x less time than normal because accelerated corrosion. leave good review thanks please.

[/chinglish] :flipoff2:
 
Do I really have to worry about corrosion with a high quality stainless exhaust living in Texas? Doesn't the sealer paint keep moisture from being absorbed anyway?

I'm starting to think I hate this stuff more than I did the other day.
 
Even sealed with the paint, if it is in a place where oil will drip on it, it will soak it up and smoke endlessly or until you get pissed and cut it off. I use it on my Doug Thorley tri-y, it has been on 4 heads and wrapped new each time and it does help with heat.
 
SLOWPOKE693 said:
Do I really have to worry about corrosion with a high quality stainless exhaust living in Texas? Doesn't the sealer paint keep moisture from being absorbed anyway?

I'm starting to think I hate this stuff more than I did the other day.
Click to expand...

Well, it's a SxS, so it's probably going to fall apart in many other ways long before the exhaust rusts out 3 years from now.

Likely they used some less expensive 409 stainless for your exhaust, and it certainly is susceptible to corrosive attack if there is any salts (not just road salt) and moisture present along with high heat. If you drive through puddles, it will corrode, and the wrap will make it worse as it will trap this salt and moisture against the steel.
 
It's a huge help with heat. I could easily change the plugs in my big block Mopars with the wrap on, when I couldn't get near them for an hour after shutting the engine off before. It can accelerate corrosion, but not always. The material is very much like a wick and will burn endlessly if you manage to soak them with oil and they light up. I fired up a new Mopar 360 in my first Ramcharger with new header wrap and some friends were helping me prep for starting it and managed to dump oil on one header and ATF on the other. The oil side caught fire first during cam break-in, then the ATF side. I just hosed it down and left it running, but it was one of the more exciting first fire-ups I have done. But yeah, it will smoke and light up if you get oil in the wrap, but like a wick, it really doesn't burn the wrap itself, just the oil in it. Keep it clean and try and run the engine enough to dry the wrap if it gets wet and you shouldn't have too much trouble with rust.
 
It’s also cool when your transmission cooler leaks, soaks the header wrap and it all catches fire. At least I had a fire extinguisher. :flipoff2:
 
Ceramic coating as alternate suggestion when the header wrap issue kicks in layer on.
 
What? said:
Ceramic coating as alternate suggestion when the header wrap issue kicks in layer on.
Click to expand...

I thought about it, but thats not in the budget at the moment. I'm trying to get this thing race ready for July 25th and I still need to buy a bunch of stuff for it.
 
Unless it's medical grade stainless, it will probably rust, just slower. Also, wherever it's welded together tends to be a spot for rust to start.

Wrap is a big help with heat, enough so that I actually wrapped my entire exhaust in my buggy from the headers back, because the pipes were so close to the floor. Wrapping them did shorten lifespan quite a bit though. I wrapped most of the exhaust turbo back in my Jeep too, same reason, but it hasn't run yet.
 
A warning against a company called capps coatings, their ceramic header coating rusts within 5 years.

They claim it wont but it does and they wont do a thing about it.
 
Prevention of fiberglass itch cover arms in baby powder flour something it will clog the pores also get your neck and chest. And if you find areas that itch after take rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and lightly wipe down the area. Way less annoying than the fiberglass itch.
 
I used the same stuff from DEI, header wrap, stainless ties, and the paint with no issues. Wrapped in place, dry, tied off and then painted. That was 3-4 years ago, still working fine today. The floorboard in the TJ is still staying cool.

photo11821.jpg


photo11822.jpg
 
SLOWPOKE693 said:
Do I really have to worry about corrosion with a high quality stainless exhaust living in Texas? Doesn't the sealer paint keep moisture from being absorbed anyway?

I'm starting to think I hate this stuff more than I did the other day.
Click to expand...

I have a set of Sanderson headers on a big block cady that were wrapped. They are rotted. What I grant you is I don't know how long the wrap was on it.

My brief searches stated that Sanderson quality is very good(material/fitment)

FWIW, I had a pair of cast LSx exhaust manifolds coated in Jet coating... they have surface rust/staining.
 
I'll never use header wrap again, it rusts out your pipes and traps any oil and mud.
Make heat shields.
 
Exhaust is aftermarket stainless. I have no worries about oil getting in the wrap. All the vent lines for the engine, trans and xfer case are routed like a fuel cell vent hose and are well away from the engine and header. About the only way its going to get oil on it is if I window the block. If that happens, this fucker can burn for all i care.

Best picture of the full exhaust system that i have ATM...

20200504_011141.jpg
 
Last edited:
How does one go about hiding the cut end of the wrap or do I just deal with the ugly?
 
Last edited:
Dont listen to haters, its a sidexside and this stuff will be just fine. i just did it on my 20 year old Polaris Ranger. use stainless screw clamps or like me, i used some bailing wire twisted tight, 3 separate wires on one end. watch for the smoke billowing up from the seat when you first burn it in. its normal. but still keep an eye on it. :flipoff2:

drastically cut down on the felt heat by riders from the hotness under the seat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh