Header wrap to keep heat off of tranny and rear shock.

[Stumpalump]

The exhaust pipe and it's heat generally runs right next to the transmission. On mine it also crossed right under the tranny bell housing so I wrapped it. That's a lot of heat next to the tranny at low speeds.



I did this to the Jeep 10 years ago and it's still holding. They want about $50 bucks a roll for it at local parts stores so I never did it to the van until I found 1/2 roll at Goodwill. It looks like E bay or the web has it for under $20. The 2" wide stuff is very easy to use.



I used CV boot hose clamps to secure the ends. You can wrap the pipe by the rear shock if it runs close to it. Heat is what makes the shock fade and wear out.

 

[rayra]

Seems like a real good idea. It that the plain glass type, stays pliable? I seem to recall there's an impregnated version that sort of bakes hard.

Also, isn't that stuff usually wound with a 50% overlap, effectively a double layering? I should have done it on my C-10 long ago / couple transmissions ago

 

[Stumpalump]

Seems like a real good idea. It that the plain glass type, stays pliable? I seem to recall there's an impregnated version that sort of bakes hard.

Also, isn't that stuff usually wound with a 50% overlap, effectively a double layering? I should have done it on my C-10 long ago / couple transmissions ago

I've used the plain stuff and it stayed soft. It's just fine if you clamp the ends. This was impegnated with black stuff. My hands got dirty. I'll see if it gets hard. 50% overlap makes sense. I started with half a roll and just wrapped it to make the distance. Mine was literally on the shelf at a Goodwill store with out a price or box. No telling what this stuff really is but I'm 90% sure it's the black impregnated wrap that gets hard. I better toss my big fire extinqishers in the rig for the first trip. Wish me luck that it's not some kind of flat cannon fuse!

 

[Ozrockrat]

You can paint it to stop water wicking. Not sure what the stuff I used on the Ambo but it set like a rock.

 

[rayra]

...Wish me luck that it's not some kind of flat cannon fuse!

heh. It's not labeled with 'ACME', is it?

 

[Stumpalump]

heh. It's not labeled with 'ACME', is it?

That cracked me up. I grew up watching that crap and is probably why I'm twisted!
Mine did not get hard. It looks just like the pics and stayed soft.

 

[robert]

Hey now, Wile E. Coyote was anything but crap. Certainly better than what they put out these days.

I had trouble with the headers on my old FJ-40 rusting out after I wrapped them and had a similar problem on a Yamaha Maxin that I wrapped. It costs more but I think I'd go the ceramic coating route if I tried it again. Maybe the hardening type works better, no idea.

 

[rayra]

I seem to recall a wrap that was like the sort of plaster-impregnated gauze they use for making casts. But that was long ago. The current ceramic coatings seem very nice, doubly so in fancy colors. That's worth looking into as well.

 

[Stumpalump]

Looks like they are still at it!

 

[rayra]

http://www.thermotec.com/products/11001-exhaust-insulating-wrap.html

 

[Coachgeo]

Historically it seems such wraps are known for quickly rotting the exhaust out by rust . when first came out they hit the market fast and hard touted as the next best thing... then lost favor nearly as fast due to the rotting issues. Wouldn't consider it without a stainless exhaust if it is compatible.

 

[paranoid56]

Hey now, Wile E. Coyote was anything but crap. Certainly better than what they put out these days.

I had trouble with the headers on my old FJ-40 rusting out after I wrapped them and had a similar problem on a Yamaha Maxin that I wrapped. It costs more but I think I'd go the ceramic coating route if I tried it again. Maybe the hardening type works better, no idea.

what issues did you have?

i have always heard it causes the exhaust to rot/rust faster, but i have had it on some trucks for 10+ years with no issues. but i also live in southern California.

 

[pappawheely]

On my Chevy Colorado, I used header wrap on the intake tube to keep it insulated from hot underhood temps. It has worked fine for that.

 

[robert]

what issues did you have?

i have always heard it causes the exhaust to rot/rust faster, but i have had it on some trucks for 10+ years with no issues. but i also live in southern California.

I don't know why exactly, I was told that as the exhaust cooled there was condensation that the wrap held but that's doesn't make a lot of sense to me-maybe differential cooling and condensation inside the pipes/thermal cycling? I do know that the first Spectre header rusted out pretty darn quick while the second, unwrapped and sprayed with high temp paint, lasted until I sold that truck. Personally I never felt like those headers were very high quality products to begin with as I had to have both of them planed at a machine shop to get them to fit flush. I sold the Yamaha while it was still wrapped to another Clemson student so I still saw it around campus and the pipes on it were in bad shape pretty quickly too.

On the Cruiser I had my uncle help fabricate some heat shields out of sheet metal that helped cut down on the amount of floorboard heating. As anyone with an FJ (a real one, not the abortion known as the FJ Cruiser :ylsmoke knows, the exhaust is routed directly under the driver and later models had a catalytic onverter there as well (mine was straight piped).

There are a lot of new materials out these days though so they probably work better. I know that my uncle was having heat issues with an MGB he had and that even after hood louvers and some venting it was still hot; ceramic coating the headers (plural- built Rover V8 in it) finally helped get the underhood temps under control but it's not cheap to have them done properly.

 

[Stumpalump]

The wrap gets wet in the rain. Let the vehicle run down a moment before you park it overnight if you think the wrap is drenched.