Hey, I was wondering what people thought about wrapping headers. I am not expecting much of an increase in anything, but I just wanted to make sure that i was aware of the negatives.

In all the pictures on HAN of engine bays, i noticed that few people wrap their headers, however after some frustrations with mine (I painted them with high temp paint, and it ALL peeled off), I figure if its not gonna look good might as well have some engine advantages, and wrap the headers.

What does everyone think?

I know CivicSiRacer mentioned he wrapped his headers, did that help ya?

 

thanks for the help......riiight

 

Downsides?

Header wraps hold moisture against the header and can lead to pre-mature failure due to rust. Other downsides are that you have to find a way to secure the ends of the wrapping, usually safety wire is the common choice since it can be done tightly if you have the correct tools for it. Otherwise some elbow might and other wire can take care of it. It's also a time-consuming process usually, and the header wrap can get pricey by the time you buy the amount that is required for the job.

Upsides?

You keep heat energy in the exhaust, which helps exit velocity. Since more heat stays in the exhaust, less is transmitted to the engine bay.

 

they defeat the purpose of having a nice shiny header in your engine bay

 

The purpose of having a shiny new header in your engine bay is to improve exhaust flow, not to look pretty. This is the Engine Tech forum, not Appearance/Cosmetic.

 

High Five on that one, give that man a beer! pretty BOYS want shiny headers, a real MAN wants a finely tuned precision machine that all other boys stare at it and call it "a MONSTER" My girlfriend always comments on how Big my equipment is and how well it performs, not how shiny it is!!! sh!t.