Header wrap or thermal coating

[papak]

Any thoughts on the relative merits? My primary’s are getting pretty discolored and I would like to control the heat more. TIA

[BirkinBernie]

I had the headers on the Birkin coated silver in 2004 and they still look pretty good.  I suspect it would be pretty difficult to keep wrap looking decent over the long term.  I cannot comment on the relative merits from a heat perspective.  Partly because I have never tried wrap, and partly because I had it done so long ago I don't remember if I noted any real difference in heat.  I have the footwell and trans tunnel well insulated so heat isn't too big of a problem.

 

I actually found a pic of them from 2004 taken just before hanging them on the car.

 

Happy Motoring!

[MV8]

Wrap holds moisture on the surface (less of a problem for garaged, fair weather vehicles) and the insulation raises the temp too high that results in eventual flaking and pipe failure. Wrapping generally voids the warranty on headers. A similar result can occur from only coating the outside of a header but a header that has reasonable wall thickness (16ga or thicker) and is coated inside and out should be able to handle a layer of wrap.

A blanket or shield with a riveted on mat over the top where air can still flow underneath should be fine. Many oems do that.

[coffee break]

Several years ago, with the engine out I did several things to reduce the heat impact on the passenger area. 

- Power coating of the header

- Wrapping the parts of the header inside the engine bay

- Stick-on heat insulation to the bulkhead and down the trans tunnel

Since it was all done at the same time, I couldn't say which had a greater impact, but it was a big improvement.

 

As to moisture, the car stays inside since I don't put the hood on I avoid the wet.

[Alex-Ks1]

I had to make my own headers. no one has then for a 60 deg GM engine V6. I had little engine bay room; it wasn't that big a deal.  I made the head plate out of 3/8 steel plate, used an exhaust gasket as a template. there is a muffler shop where I live so he bent a bunch of tubbing that I cut and welded. no chrome no wraps. no mufflers, just loud as hell Just what I wanted 

[Alex-Ks1]