TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:55 pm

are VW ok with wrapping the exhaust headers? I have a 2276 buggy.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:55 pm

It rusts the pipes in no time, but go ahead.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:58 pm

I live in AZ so moisture is not a problem. I am more concerned about internal temps

Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:10 am

Its a baja right?

Everything is outside right?

Wrapping the headers and what not is to not let the heat out into the engine compartment which is something you dont have.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:38 am

Wrapping the exhaust is used to keep the heat in the header, not so much as out of the engine compartment, (good side effect though).

By keeping the heat in the header, the exhaust gas temperature does not cool as rapidly and therefore does not shrink as much. If the gasses do not shrink, they maintain the same velocity from port to collector. When the gasses cool and shrink, they slow down. By keeping the heat in the header, it helps maintain the rate of flow and increase the scavanging abality of a header.

I have wrapped many headers and it does tend to decrease the life of the header due to the rust factor. But I tend to change setups every few years which results in a change of exhaust system anyway.

It helps in maximumizing the package you have by making it just a little more efficient. Kinda in the same way blueprinting an engine helps the efficiency or a free flowing intake system helps efficiency.

Like Glenn has stated many times, it is in the details.

Sat Oct 24, 2009 11:51 am

would coating the header system with a cold galvanize before wrapping help to extend the life of the tubing?

Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:59 am

DamnitJuice wrote: would coating the header system with a cold galvanize before wrapping help to extend the life of the tubing?

I cannot say it will or will ot help, but I have never seen a cold or hot galvanize withstand the heat exhaust puts out.

Ithink the best approach would be ceramic coating then wrapping.

As a side note, I wrapped my chevelle headers in 1994 and ran them (Hooker Super Comp race headers) until selling the car in 2002. They did not have rust issues but it was a semi trailer queen that got hammered on weekends. No driving in rain, tho towed in rain.

Sat Aug 07, 2010 10:37 pm

so been reading alot of threads about this lately
and it seems theres mixed opinions

is it worth wrapping the exhaust on my baja to keep some of the heat off the motor and full flow lines?

car sits in my garage alot will be my DD in a few months

:?:

Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:54 am

Just take it to a good Jet Hot coater and they will coat your header inside and out. Get yourself a Brand new header first though, it's not cheap so you don't wanna use a half worn out header. You can do it in either cerma chrome or black. I have a couple set done and it's worth it in my opinion. This isn't the same crappy ceramic that EMPI uses on theirs.

Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:16 am

I wrapped my exhaust, not so much for any performance improvement, but because the high-mount header is very close to the carburetor, fuel & vac lines and plug wires. I had an issue with hard starting when the engine was hot. I think the exhaust heat was boiling off the gas in the float and flooding the engine when the car was stopped and air flow nil. The wrap helped this a lot.

FWIW, the header wrap costs more than my cheapie Empi exhaust, so if the exhaust rusts, I'll just buy another and re-use the wrap. :P

Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:25 am

I live in phoenix, and your right, rust from rain isn't an issue....

I had used header wrap on my 63' (non-baja) ragtop. One day doing some engine work, I had pushed on my header and felt a crunch! :?

So I took off the header and unwrapped it.... to my surprise it had been
crystallized....heated so much form the heat retention.... I dropped it from
3-feet high and the majority of then header shattered like glass! :shock:

I wouldn't use it....but maybe in short areas.

Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:29 pm

Quote: would coating the header system with a cold galvanize before wrapping help to extend the life of the tubing? Galvanize puts off toxic fumes when it gets hot, I am not sure if a VW exhaust would get hot enough or not. You get pretty sick from the fumes so I would not want to try it.

Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:38 pm

Wheel_Works wrote: Just take it to a good Jet Hot coater and they will coat your header inside and out. Get yourself a Brand new header first though, it's not cheap so you don't wanna use a half worn out header. You can do it in either cerma chrome or black. I have a couple set done and it's worth it in my opinion. This isn't the same crappy ceramic that EMPI uses on theirs.

how much to jet coat it??? :|

Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:36 am

I paid $100.00 to have mine done. A guy we use to race with has Powdercaoting and Jet Hot coating business and he did it for me.

Mon Aug 09, 2010 6:53 am

I painted mine with rustoleum header paint and then wraped it. But my rail stay in the garage most of the time and I dont really drive it in the rain. I do go through water and mud, but the header is usally hot and it dries off before I can get back home.

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=371

Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:15 pm

Can't say much about performance or rust(it's only ran about a half hour in a shop), but it sure does make it look cooler. :D

Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:48 am

what if you just don't run an exhaust? then nothing to wrap and nothing to rust right? :lol: :lol: :lol: just kidding, this is some good info. I had just planned on ceramic coating mine, but thought about wrapping it also, then at least you can't see the rust.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:01 pm

I wrapped mine-ceramic coated tri mil just out of fear one of my young kids would put their hands on it. I aslo burned myself enough times to appreciate it. I heard about the turning the metal to dust but hopefully it wont happen quickly-especially if Im not running lean. I think it looks like shit compared to the ceramic coating but it's a safety thing for me. In two years I will take it off. Not sure about the rust thing-I park mine in the garage so the heat from the header should evaporate any moisture on the wrap as fast as hell. I can tell you if you spill some oil on it when you change your oil it will make a bitchen smoke screen the next time you drive down the road....like theat old video game :lol: