Section : Exhaust

Exhaust wrap

Posted By : Stephen Airey, 04-Aug-2003, 01:26pm

I have just put exhaust wrap insulation material from Agrimach on my s/s sports manifold, when I got it, it mentioned in the instructions that it is recommended to then paint the wrap with a high temperature paint to (strengthen and protect) the wrap. Does anyone have any experience of using this stuff? If so - is the paint (which only comes in Aluminium or Black colour) really needed or is it just a ploy to extract more money from you?

Followups :

Exhaust wrap

Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 04-Aug-2003, 02:58pm

Stephen,

I have never seen a race car that has had this done to the heat wrap... nearly all of them have the heat wrap and you can bet if it gave any improvement the racers would have painted it.

I would say it comes under the 'give us more of your money' catagory.

NiG
http://www.niginthecar.net
- Exhaust wrap
  
  Posted By : Josh Bowler, 04-Aug-2003, 03:46pm
  
  i dont think the paint will help the heat retention of the exhaust wrap but it may stop the horrible dust that seems to come off the wrap after it has been on the car a while and your working around the exhaust manifold area, exhuast wrap gets a bit fragile when its been on a while.
  i have just used some ally paint on the exhaust wrap on my latest manifold, it doesnt make it any cooler, but it looks and feels like it will maintain its integrity longer, i hope it does, thats why i spent the 8 quid painting it!
  - Exhaust wrap
    
    Posted By : Andy Vowell, 04-Aug-2003, 10:39pm
    
    The only problem with painting exhaust wrap is that it would make it difficult to remove should you need to and re-use it again after.
    
    Andy V
    - Exhaust wrap
      
      Posted By : Josh Bowler, 04-Aug-2003, 11:05pm
      
      True, I had the idea of removing unpainted exhaust wrap to re-use, but it was was all dusty and flakey and generally unpleasant, been on the car about 2 years.
      - Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : John Davies, 04-Aug-2003, 11:08pm
        
        All,
        Don't forget, that dust is made of microscopic pieces of glass fibre - not good to breath on.
        As Mac Reynolds says, take care!
        John
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Josh Bowler, 04-Aug-2003, 11:19pm
        
        Which is precisely why I sprayed mine this time.
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Gordon Davies, 05-Aug-2003, 03:06am
        
        Scuse t'ignorance, but what exactly is the purpose of using exhaust wrap in the first instance?
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Graham Reeks, 05-Aug-2003, 08:34am
        
        I think it gives you something extra to paint ... or not. Personally I prefer chicken wraps.
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Josh Bowler, 05-Aug-2003, 10:08am
        
        hehe
        it reduces under-bonnet heat quite a bit
        as well as keeping exhaust gas speed high (apparantly)
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Stephen Airey, 05-Aug-2003, 10:23am
        
        I am a bit suspicious about the exhaust gas speed myself but have heard good things about it reducing under bonnet temperatures which should mean (in my book anyway), that the air density of the air going into the air filters should be higher so you get more oxygen in and more power - at least that was my justification to the wife.
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Josh Bowler, 05-Aug-2003, 10:31am
        
        if nowt else it reduces the burns to your hands when fiddling with the carbs etc
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 05-Aug-2003, 10:50am
        
        Nobody has mentioned the cons though...
        
        When I thought of using this stuff I was told that it can degrade the metal underneath by trapping moisture... and that I would end up changing the manifold more often... and this still effects the indestructable nature of stainless too...
        
        It's alright if it's a racer - because chances are you'll swap it over more often... etc etc...
        
        What was suggested was getting the manifold ceramic coated - but nowhere that I phoned did this... so never got any further with that route...
        
        James
        
        69 Signal Red Spit
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Josh Bowler, 05-Aug-2003, 11:12am
        
        depends how many decades you want the manifold for, i dont think the trapping moisture thing is a major - factor,, maybe paint it hehe
        wheels within wheels the windmil of your mind hehe
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 05-Aug-2003, 11:18am
        
        James - you've been fed a bit of mis-information here...
        
        I've just removed the exhaust wrap from my ex-racer... we'll it all fell off in bits when I transferred it over to the new one. (it's been there for four years - car always lived outside).
        
        In all the exposed parts of the exhaust there is rust (surface), but where the wrap was is still spotless Mild Steel - completely untainted by rust - this is further porven by the line of rust which has crept in where the wrap didn't quite cover correctly...
        
        Must get some more of the stuff!!!
        
        NiG
        http://www.niginthecar.net
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 05-Aug-2003, 11:24am
        
        I did reckon that the advice was somewhat dodgy - because if anything is going to rust its the stuff that is exposed to oxygen - not the stuff under the wrap... perhaps the advice was to do with badly wrapped manifolds?
        
        Well! I shall buy some right away and wrap up my manifold before I put it on the Mk3...
        
        Actually - does anyone know if it'll be a straight swap - I havent figured out where the standard Mk3 exhaust comes apart yet... (not had a proper look) the car has the club's standard exhaust on... plus - I was thinking of getting rid of the middle silencer pipe bit... good idea/bad idea? Advice please!
        
        Oh - and the manifold was originally bought for a 1500 - so not sure if that adapter pipe it comes with is the correct one or not...
        
        James
        
        69 Signal Red Spit
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : Graham Reeks, 05-Aug-2003, 01:11pm
        
        ... so, what other parts of the car could we wrap in this stuff in order to keep it from rusting? I think that could be a question for photoshop, James! It would certainly do a nice job of the bumpers! Like when people wax them for the winter! Perhaps wheel arches ...
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : Andy Vowell, 05-Aug-2003, 01:15pm
        
        A 1500 mainifold should fit a Mk3 head fine, I use 1500 manifold gaskets on my enlarged port Mk3 head with no problems.
        
        If you do get problems fitting up you bell manifold to your standard system you can buy exhaust piping of any diameter including reducers and bends from Demon Tweeks or Merlin Motorsport so you can help it to fit.
        
        (In fact you can buy all the bits including silencer to make your own system from the manifold back, for considerably less than the price of a bought system!)
        
        Cheers
        Andy V
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 05-Aug-2003, 02:32pm
        
        I wasn't too worried about the 1500 manifold fitting on the Mk3 head - because its sold as a Mk3-1500 manifold - so I don't think there is too much of a problem there.
        
        I did notice that on the Merlin Motorsport did all those exhaust parts - never thought of that though... thanks... shame you have to buy the Demon Tweeks catalogue... I guess I better order it then!
        
        I do wonder what the silencers would be like - there was quite a variety - I think some of them said "motorsport" only though...
        
        I was planning on using a GT6 S/S silencer - but that is like 125 quid or something...
        
        James
        
        69 Signal Red Spit
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : Andy Vowell, 06-Aug-2003, 11:13pm
        
        I think they say motorsport only because if you get one too short or too large bore then you could go over MoT noise levels (100db I think, 105 for racing). But I have a medium length (450mm) 2.25 inch bore silencer and still run within this noise limit (just!). Whereas when I started racing with a twin pipe sports system I was well over 100db which made track days a pain.
        
        The silencers and pipes you buy from DT or MM are not stainless steel but are very good quality and much thicker steel than the tin foil items you get from your average kwik fit type place, so will last a very long time.
        
        Andy V
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3... - bore size
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 07-Aug-2003, 01:34am
        
        OK, I am going to be really lazy now...
        
        What bore size is the standard Mk3 exhaust pipe?
        
        (my calipers were squashed in my toolbox...)
        
        James
        
        69 Signal Red Spit
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 07-Aug-2003, 02:37pm
        
        I queried MOT noise regs a couple of years ago when MOTing my Class A racer. The guy got the book aout and read back somehting like....
        
        The noise of the exhaust should not be more than the noise made by a similar car with a similar exhaust!
        
        So not exactly conclusive - I was actually asking for a Db reading on it at the time.
        
        The Highways Act mentions a nominal 85Db as a drive by limit.
        
        And that's about all there is.... Unless it's changed recently.
        
        NiG
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 07-Aug-2003, 04:03pm
        
        No more than a similar car with similar exhaust?
        
        Well, that means that you could get away with anything...
        
        And 85Db from how far away? Side of the road? The next road? Across a field? Sounds a bit quiet to me... I hate grey areas...
        
        Im more and more tempted to make up a system using the Merlin or Demon Tweaks ones... not sure what it'll sound like... but I can easily pass the MOT because I'll just tell them there is no similar... ;o)
        
        James
        
        69 Signal Red Spit
        
        Exhaust wrap - bell manifold on mk3...
        
        Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 07-Aug-2003, 05:30pm
        
        When I oroginally bought my Red Racer - it had had a new exhaust fitted to pass the MOT (fitted by the MOT man) - that was a straight pipe with a single cherry bomb on the end.
        
        No idea how loud it was as the driver had seized the engine....
        
        NiG
        
        Exhaust wrap - how much?
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 09-Aug-2003, 01:26pm
        
        How much of the stuff do I need?
        
        It either comes in 15' or 50'! Methinks 15 is too short...
        
        And Im guessing I should buy some locking ties to secure it all...
        
        James
        
        69 Signal Red Spit
        
        Exhaust wrap - how much?
        
        Posted By : Josh Bowler, 09-Aug-2003, 02:09pm
        
        the 50' 1 inch stuff made by dei page 219 demon tweeks part no. 010101 i think its the cheapest? thats enough to do the job, cheaper in the long run than matal cable ties are the snap straps, page 221 part no. 13001 i think
        
        Exhaust wrap - how much?
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 09-Aug-2003, 02:46pm
        
        Thanks Josh,
        
        No need to pretend you don't know the Demon Tweek page and order numbers off by heart ;o)
        
        James
        
        69 Signal Red Spit
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Andrew Lewis, 06-Aug-2003, 02:20pm
        
        How much of the manifold are you guys wrapping? Farther than the starter?
        I was concerned at perhaps creating more heat under my gearbox than there is already.
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 06-Aug-2003, 02:47pm
        
        Mine was wrapped down to the sump.
        NiG
        
        Exhaust wrap
        
        Posted By : Andrew Lewis, 06-Aug-2003, 03:19pm
        
        Noticeably more heat coming back through the tunnel/firewall?