Header Wrap - Evil or not?

Ron Earp · 12-07-03, 07:52 PM

What is the current thinking with wrapping headers on GT40s? I've done it on street cars with disasterous results. They trap moisture and will rust out headers on no time flat.

But I'm not driving the 40 in the rain like I did the street car. So, those of you that that done this did it cause problems?

I like the idea of reducing temps a bit and getting whatever, if any, power this might provide. Plus, I've got to get my system coated so this might be a way around that expense if I just flat black 'em with high temp paint and wrap them.

R

Mark Worthington · 12-07-03, 08:24 PM

Ron, I wouldn't do it on a GT40, first because it's ugly and ruins the appearance of an otherwise gorgeous engine bay, and second because, as I understand it, cood ceramic coatings are nearly as effective.

Ron Earp · 12-07-03, 08:29 PM

I don't think they look too bad, if you aren't going for the show car look (I'm not). I don't know about being as efficient from the standpoint of reducing under hood temps. I can touch header wrap with a hot motor with my bare hand, can't do that with a ceramic coating unless I want some mean 2nd degree burns. Yours are ceramic coated from George, right? Yours might look fine I think, mine were sort of so so. But, you are probably right, coat them.

R

Jools · 12-07-03, 08:31 PM

Ron, I was going to wrap mine at first, but every one that I spoke to advised against as all had experienced some degree of corrosion ( but this is wet old England! ) Power gains seemed minimal, but again i don't know if any one has done any real before and after testing? On a dyno when your holding 6000 rpm i'm sure the figures look great , but how often in the real world will you be holding max revs for a long enough period of time for heat soak to make huge differences to your power!! The wrap gets dirty very easliy and is hellishly difficult to clean. Finally if you've gone to all the trouble and expense of custom pipework, do you really wants to cover it all up with a bit of old carpet! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

gt40rick · 12-08-03, 07:57 AM

Ron, as you can see mine are jet hot coated and wrapped. After about 4 years I rewrapped them, when I removed the old wrapping the headers were like new. All I can say is that I think they look good and I probably have one of the coolest (temperature), engine compartments found in a GT-40.

Paul · 12-08-03, 01:13 PM

Ron I have had mine ceramic coated inside and out in silver that looks like chrome when finished. The ceramic coating is supposed to reduce the heat/ energy by keeping it in the inside of the which is said to give an increase in HP.Here is a pic of my pipes the motor belongs to Dave Bache

Mike Dozier · 12-08-03, 02:34 PM

I suspect a poll of 100 gearheads would answer 90%
that wrapping is better for temp reduction...but it looks like hell.

Considering how expensive the system is, I would think
internal coating is mandatory. If your existing coating
is "marginal" maybe recoat it in a few years after the
car is 100% de-bugged.

MikeD