Wrapped headers....or Unwrapped

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Texas Red

Texas Red

Old Flunky
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This has more than likely already been discussed but after watching an episode of Engine Masters where Steve Brule (at Westek in California) is the dyno master confirmed that wrapped headers produced about 5 HP more with wrapped headers than non wrapped. The belief was that the scavenging effect was better due to temperature differences than non-wrapped headers. The theory may or may not be correct ...but what cannot be argued is the DYNO DOES NOT LIE! I find these things interesting but unfortunately never had the money to drag race nor did I ever live real close to a drag strip so I had to decide if paying bills and a house payment was more important ....or having a drag car. Now that I can afford it all the drag strips have disappeared! Just my luck...... Nevertheless I am interested in your thoughts on this as I have my headers wrapped in my 72 Duster....This leaves it wide open ...throw it at me.
 
I always "heard" it keeps the heat in the pipes which was supposed to keep velocity higher. Unproven by me in any way. One thing I do know 100% the cheap wrap will leave you covered in fiberglass like working in an attic in Mississippi in August. Terrible stuff.
 
I've never liked wrapping headers due to the corrosion caused by trapped moisture and mess that they make. 5hp isn't going to help me one bit as a bracket racer so it's not enough for me to wrap my headers.
 
If you get air under the hood like most engines there probably be a gain from lower under the hood temps to. But is it worth it?
 
Imo -Everyone that I've done on motorcycles, they have to be wet and you wear gloves. That being said it's a p.i.a. and the exhaust require being clamped in a vise. Looking at them in the engine bay after time looks ugly as far as car applications. Never had a rust issue.
 
-Boosted- said:
I've never liked wrapping headers due to the corrosion caused by trapped moisture and mess that they make. 5hp isn't going to help me one bit as a bracket racer so it's not enough for me to wrap my headers.
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Agree. I have two pairs of custom made headers (for car/engine combo NOBODY makes headers for) and a pair of ancient hooker adjustables still going strong (after a couple repairs, that is)
I'm not going to take a chance on them rusting out prematurely due to a wrap. All three are coated however.
 
The heat retention idea is why stainless steel is the best metal for headers. Yes it's true.

I've read for years wrapped headers rust out faster. And if you don't get the wrap tight then it's looking bad hanging off and not retaining the heat, which is why you wrapped them anyway.
 
Corrosion is a big deal with the painted headers as I blasted and painted my 1953 Dodge truck 318 headers straight out of the box and I used a high heat black on them before wrapping. My biggest deal was trying to keep under the hood temps down as a plastic bottom steering column bearing got toasted. on my Duster. I found a NOS bearing from ???? company .....dont remember seems like someone from OHIO (could go back and see through my folders) but the metal one cost me around $180.00 but was indeed a factory new metal bearing. This proved to be the fix indeed with wrapping my headers as well but found I itched like a dog with fleas for 2 days but as 71 Demon stated .... Yep it was not fun......... nor disturbing that hornets nest results in more itching.
These things are never proven until one takes the time to go through the learning pains associated with just that trial n error. Its always what ever cost me the most it seems.....
 
The answer is;
Don’t wrap your headers for the horsepower. As that’s not the point and the gains will be minuscule or non measurable. Do it for control of temperature for one reason or another. I wrapped the down pipes on my boat because I kept melting the skin off my arms. Good a reason as any I guess. The new carbon wrap is much better than the old fiberglass stuff.
 
As stated above the only reason I would ever wrap any part of an exhaust system would be to mitigate heat.

If wrapping headers for HP was a worthwhile endeavor you would see it on NHRA Pro Stock engines. You don't, so that answers the question.

Tom
 
People spend more $$$ than header wrap cost for a few hp here and there. I wouldn’t say hp wise it’s the most needed mod but to say you shouldn’t do it if your only motive is hp is kind of silly, and cause pro stock doesn’t use it doesn’t mean it”s proof of being ineffective, maybe it is or maybe they have another reason not to use it.
 
If pro stock engines picked up 5hp by wrapping the headers, every single pro stock in the country would have em wrapped.
 
It's because pro stock use stainless steel headers and coatings. Much more reliable and easier to work with.
 
Could be, but generally there's more than one thing going on, eg. pro stock uses shorter rod ratios now 1.65-1.7 vs 1.8 not cause short rods make more power, cause shorter deck makes a narrower V8 which makes narrower tunnel ram which makes way more power than longer rods.
According to Darin Morgan, but if you left out the tunnel ram factor you would assume that short rods must be better.
 
TT5.9mag said:
Yup exactly. And tunnel rams haven’t been used in years either.
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Whatever they use on top, they found narrower intakes makes more power.

Point was unless you know why they don't/do use X doesn't mean it helps/hurts unless you know why they don't/do use X.
 
71GSSDemon said:
I always "heard" it keeps the heat in the pipes which was supposed to keep velocity higher. Unproven by me in any way. One thing I do know 100% the cheap wrap will leave you covered in fiberglass like working in an attic in Mississippi in August. Terrible stuff.
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I wrapped my down pipe and up pipes in the fiberglass stuff, I hate it. If I so much as look at the stuff my hands and arms itch for the rest of the night.


TT5.9mag said:
The answer is;
Don’t wrap your headers for the horsepower. As that’s not the point and the gains will be minuscule or non measurable. Do it for control of temperature for one reason or another. I wrapped the down pipes on my boat because I kept melting the skin off my arms. Good a reason as any I guess. The new carbon wrap is much better than the old fiberglass stuff.
Click to expand...
Got a link to the carbon stuff? I'd love to get rid of the fiberglass wrap.
 
DNasty777 said:
I wrapped my down pipe and up pipes in the fiberglass stuff, I hate it. If I so much as look at the stuff my hands and arms itch for the rest of the night.



Got a link to the carbon stuff? I'd love to get rid of the fiberglass wrap.
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Mine was the "carbon look" from Amazon or Ebay. Make sure to read what it is made of
 
DNasty777 said:
Got a link to the carbon stuff? I'd love to get rid of the fiberglass wrap.
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Sorry not carbon, titanium crushed lava is the stuff I used. I misspoke.
E50B9F62-159F-4EA4-B0A8-5310BE4F0EF5.jpeg

This is what i ordered.
713C3C9B-7B90-4684-B048-EA03229498C2.jpeg

Finished.
 
273 said:
Whatever they use on top, they found narrower intakes makes more power.

Point was unless you know why they don't/do use X doesn't mean it helps/hurts unless you know why they don't/do use X.
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Well I do know they don’t use header wrap for horsepower. And I know that because they don’t use it. If sticking a 10 dollar stuffed unicorn on the hood made 5 more horsepower they'd do it.
 
TT5.9mag said:
Well I do know they don’t use header wrap for horsepower. And I know that because they don’t use it. If sticking a 10 dollar stuffed unicorn on the hood made 5 more horsepower they'd do it.
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As long as the stuffed unicorn is within the rules of course...
 
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