Header Wrap

Scott Long

Registered User
Whats the general consensus on wrapping headers? I hear it can cause them to corrode faster but for a car that won't see bad weather can it actually help them live longer?

Should I paint them first with a high temp paint? They have a silver paint on them but it's crappy and I'd like to scuff them up and re-coat them and then maybe wrap them.

The underhood temps lower from the wrap would be a benefit since I want to prevent heat soak.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/dei-010126/overview/
 
From what I understand, if you want to wrap them you need to ceramic coat them. The wrap will just wear through paint or powder coat. I don't even think inclement weather makes a difference. If there is humidity in the air, it will probably deteriorate just as quickly. That's just my understanding. I'm considering coating and wrapping mine, and I would be curious to hear other people's results.
 
I was planning on having my headers coated by Swain Tech. As that would be my preference if trying to cut heat and keep headers for as long as possible.

Baring that, high temp paint and wrap is fine. Just be aware that wrap can hold water. If you are not driving daily far enough to get enough heat in the header to burn out the moisture it will eventually become a problem.
 
If i remember correctly dont ceramic coat and wrap. the temps will be way too high for the steel. i have wrapped cast iron exhaust manifolds and inter cooler tubes with dei header wrap and noticed a big difference.
 
I have had my long tubes on for about 17 years and they look brand new. I spray paint them with vht high temp paint real thick and wrap them. You have to burn off the crap paint that comes on cheaper headers like Mac. Then red scotch them clean and spray 2 thick coats of vht.
 
Ive thought of wrapping my stainless long tubes to hold some of the heat in to give the 02 sensors better readings. With the lt kooks the 02s are so far back that they don't get really good readings and it makes the car hard to tune. If you have ceramic coated its really unnecessary imo.
 
Ive thought of wrapping my stainless long tubes to hold some of the heat in to give the 02 sensors better readings. With the lt kooks the 02s are so far back that they don't get really good readings and it makes the car hard to tune. If you have ceramic coated its really unnecessary imo.

That is a thing I never had thought of right there! How did you come to that conclusion about the O2's?
 
Last edited:
That is a thing I never had thought of right there! How did you come to that conclusion about the O2's?

As far back as the o2 sensers are I have thought about wrapping the length of the primaries to the collector so it will retain heat better so the 02s get better readings w out having to move them fwd. Plus it would prevent me from starting a forrest fire on dry years because of how low my car sits, every time I pull it on a grassy feild it burns the grass a bit :D
 
Wrapping doesn't help o/2, especially on our cars which use a self heated o2 sensor. The problem with long tubes and o2 sensors is the sensors are so far from the exhaust ports than the EEC expects that you can end up with wild swings in AFR as the computer attempts to bring things to stoic. This especially so at idle or other low exhaust velocity engine uses.

For long tubes I'd figure out the leanest cylinder and stick the o2 in that primary tube.
 
The header wrap causes premature failure in two ways. Metal fatigue by the heat being held in and potential corrosion by keeping moisture in due to condensation and what not while car is sitting. Ive wrapped headers back in the day but I dont think Id be wrapping a set of 600 plus dollar headers
 
I have JET coated Kooks mid length headers. I still wanted to keep it even cooler so wrapped them as well. It's been running about a year. No problems yet and the under hood temps are low. It makes it harder to change spark plugs and I probably wouldn't do it again. I actually probably will switch to 94-95 ported manifolds for a modestly modded car like mine in the future. I might even switch back to that at some pt.
 
there is only one way to go.

get them ceramic coated BOTH inside and out. This will keep the heat down as well as keep them around for a while. Doing both sides will keep both heat and noise down. I do that now on every set I put on something. This is best done when the headers are new as they can do the insides better.....Rich
 
Back
Top