Exhaust wrap - essential?

[Cock Womble 7]

Following my starter motor saga and consequent exhaust manifold adventures, the heat wrap on my exhaust has all but perished (right now, most of it is doing a very good job of making my arms itch).

Bearing in mind I've now got the super-duper "heat proof" Brise starter motor, how important is having this wrap on the manifold?

[Gingerbread Man]

I too had the starting issue once upon a time. I did a relay mod that supposedly sent more of a direct signal to the starter motor or something. Anyhow that seemed to help but I still had the issue.

I then remove my original Caterham starter motor and overhauled it. Greased, looked at the connections, the lot. It didn't help fully, so I took it off again!

Once back I wrapped the starter motor in 2 plumbers heat proof mats, overlapping each other quite a bit facing the exhaust. Now, they help to stop blow torches burning things, so are pretty good at heat related things.

Since then I've changed exhaust to a 4-2-1 and it's still running fine with the original starter motor. Maybe it's worth looking into as I know what it's like having a non starting car when out and about/ at a petrol station. Especially when you use it daily!


In regards to Exhaust wrap. I've heard and read many things. Some love it and the lower engine bay temperatures.

Others think that it holds the moisture and slowly rots the exhaust. It also passes the heat on further down the exhaust and concentrates in into the can/ cat doing them no good.

I believe it's quite a love hate thing.

[JeffC]

Ive just redone my duratec manifold as well as insulating the bulkhead panels in an attempt to keep my feet cool and yes its bloody horrible stuff, it made my forehead very itchy!!

[7SS]

Ditto to gingerbread man. Changed to the newer starter motor 4 years ago after horrendous click problems. No issues since despite a change to a 4-2-1. Never bothered wrapping the exhaust but have insulated the motor. Not sure if heat wrap on the motor is even beneficial, fitted it to the old motor with no result but carried it over to the new one anyway.

[Johno]

Moisture retention is one accusation, another's that it causes cracking by generating differing rates of cooling, where it's thicker in some areas than others, causing distortion and then cracking.

As for reducing itchiness, soak it overnight and then apply straight from the bucket soaking wet, helps to get it tighter and stops the glass fibres floating above causes all those itches

Let it drip dry and then run up to temp to dry out fully .....

[johnvthe2nd]

I would bin the wrap as unnecessary .. a respected engine builder's opinion was that it passed the problem up the line and increased head temp .. and it looks crap! get down to pwerspeed for a 4-2-1, there's an offer on, you know you want one!

[pikeyboy]

This^ pete burgess told me the same thing when he was rolling roading my old frogeye sprite race car. He wasn't as cross with me though as when I had a foam filter on the front of my air box

[Steve Campbell]

I did the same as 7ss a few years ago on the standard starter motor.....wrapped the feed wires / solenoid and starter with heat wrap to prevent the cable degradation I had seen previously.

[Dave J]

utter tosh

on old school iron heads with dubious cooling it would probably cause problems and valve deat regression, with modern alloy heads it doesnt. Yes it probably will rot mild steel maifolds but stainless systems are fine.

Ive run cool tec wrap for 12 years with no issues on K series and duratec

[Aeroscreens]

No problems in 9 years on my x/flow. Same starter motor and alternator was reconditioned just the once in that time.

[HustleRussell]

My dad blames exhaust wrap for two failing exhaust manifolds on his Mega Grad. Whether he's right or not- who knows, but personally I wouldn't bother.