Insulation for external engine parts.......

[Scenic WonderRunner]

What would the proper insulation be, to use on external engine parts?



Like my Starter for instance.

I was in over 110* weather this past weekend and about 15 min after shutting off my engine............it would not start. All I got was the "Click".

My new Downey Header goes right down past my new Toyota starter.

I just feel the starter is getting way too hot under these conditions.

Which is better...........?

Wrap the Header?............or wrap the Starter?

Use a "Wrap" or some kind of a metal heat shield?


What other external engine parts should be protected with insulation?

 

[DaveInDenver]

I would figure out a heat shield before I wrap the headers. Wrap insulates both ways, keeping heat out and in. On the starter this might be OK (probably actually a good idea, since it won't generate much heat and insulating it would help), but wrapped headers will be very hot under the insulation and while that heat won't be in your engine bay, it does eventually ruin the headers. In some case their demise will be very quick.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Are your Downey headers coated with any of the commercially done ceramic based coatings? HPC here in Utah does alot of headers, etc... it reduces underhood temps significantly. Other than that, there are premade starter "blanket" materials on the market:

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Thanks Kurt!


I have these......from Downey.

I was lucky enough to find them online....on sale.....for only $350 bucks! I have No Idea how I did that!

Does anyone have some links for the Starter Blankets? Or some type of material that will do the job and not burn up the SWR in a fiery heep of misery?


Downey - Headers - Heavy 14 Gauge Nickel-Chrome Plated 6 Cyl Header System

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

OK.......

Some Links.............

http://www.keefeperformance.com/


http://www.keefeperformance.com/kpheatshield.html





http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_12051_761406_-1_10633

A link to more insulation ideas..............

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_10001_12051_10633_-1_10481




.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Summit Starter Wraps

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I would still look into some of the commercial ceramic coating options... the line the inside and the outside . According their websites, it reduces underhood temps by up to 35%, not sure how that correlates to surface temps of objects in the convection... but it has to reduce those considerably too

Another plus of the ceramic coatings is the headers themselves seem to survice much longer than chrome or painted units. Landcruiser I6 ones are notorious for failing in just a few years due to the rust that is attracted by the extreme temps.

You might look into coaters in your area, its a pretty widely applicated product these days, there are a couple of them in SLC that are doing it now.

 

[Haggis]

I would still look into some of the commercial ceramic coating options... the line the inside and the outside . According their websites, it reduces underhood temps by up to 35%, not sure how that correlates to surface temps of objects in the convection... but it has to reduce those considerably too

Another plus of the ceramic coatings is the headers themselves seem to survice much longer than chrome or painted units. Landcruiser I6 ones are notorious for failing in just a few years due to the rust that is attracted by the extreme temps.

You might look into coaters in your area, its a pretty widely applicated product these days, there are a couple of them in SLC that are doing it now.

After putting a 3" daul exhast system on my '68 Buick LeSabre, I was having trouble with heat soak in my starter. Since I couldn't find header applications for my car i had the factory exhaust mainfolds extrude hone and then sent them out to Jet Hot Racing to be coated. They sent them back in record time, and they were coated inside and out with a chrome ceramic. That was in '98 and they still look like new, never had any heat soak problems with the starter again, flowed like a dream and lowered exhaust temps. That was before my internet days so I don't have a link off hand, but a little diggin' ought to find one for you.

 

[Colorado Ron]

If you decide to do something with headers, coat them- DONT wrap. Back in my racing days I used the wrap. I decided to supercharge the motor and wanted to pull it out for a rebuild. The motor had been wrapped for less than a year and there was serious pitting in the headers from rust/ water build up. Ive never wrapped anything since, always coated.