Exhaust manifold wrap
Discussion
Zener said:
Made a big difference seller on eBay, it was cheap colour as gone but it's stayed intact over 5 years , no regrets 
Did you soak the wrap before you put it on? I was told that the reason that mine lost colour so quickly was because I soaked it, the dye is heat baked so gets washed off if you get it wet before you fit it. I was thinking of cooking the wrap in the oven before I fit some next time, there's no way I'm fitting it dry it's hard enough to do wet 
s p a c e m a n said:
Zener said:
Made a big difference seller on eBay, it was cheap colour as gone but it's stayed intact over 5 years , no regrets
Did you soak the wrap before you put it on? I was told that the reason that mine lost colour so quickly was because I soaked it, the dye is heat baked so gets washed off if you get it wet before you fit it. I was thinking of cooking the wrap in the oven before I fit some next time, there's no way I'm fitting it dry it's hard enough to do wet I would advise against using manifold wrap altogether.
Firstly, it doesn’t allow for manifold expansion and contraction during heat cycling, which can cause cracking.
Secondly, it absorbs road salts etc which can accelerate manifold corrosion.
It can be expensive, but ceramic coating is really the only way to go.
However, you can buy a tin of it, have it applied then baked on professionally for not a great outlay.
Firstly, it doesn’t allow for manifold expansion and contraction during heat cycling, which can cause cracking.
Secondly, it absorbs road salts etc which can accelerate manifold corrosion.
It can be expensive, but ceramic coating is really the only way to go.
However, you can buy a tin of it, have it applied then baked on professionally for not a great outlay.
From experience of its use on motorbike headers, let's put it this way; once used, always needed. The acceleration of corrosion on stainless steel underneath wrap is quite shocking. And yes, the changed thermal dynamics can be argued to cause cracking, then again who can say that they wouldn't have cracked left unwrapped too.
None of this might bother you of course.
None of this might bother you of course.
Sir Paolo said:
I would advise against using manifold wrap altogether.
Firstly, it doesn’t allow for manifold expansion and contraction during heat cycling, which can cause cracking.
Secondly, it absorbs road salts etc which can accelerate manifold corrosion.
It can be expensive, but ceramic coating is really the only way to go.
However, you can buy a tin of it, have it applied then baked on professionally for not a great outlay.
Rock salt my car dont even know that stuff exists Firstly, it doesn’t allow for manifold expansion and contraction during heat cycling, which can cause cracking.
Secondly, it absorbs road salts etc which can accelerate manifold corrosion.
It can be expensive, but ceramic coating is really the only way to go.
However, you can buy a tin of it, have it applied then baked on professionally for not a great outlay.
the wrapping and cracking thing is up for debate my manifolds are un-welded originals with no pre-cats and at over 100k+ miles if they was going to crack they would of done so already 
I do let the primaries breath however having wrapped many motorcycle exhausts there is a massive difference "exhaust wrap"
the normal stuff (comes in different colours) is harsh to touch difficult to work with meant to be soaked before use and after 6months becomes "hardened" and brittle and can break off easily if touched etc
then i was told by a bike builder to use the "proper" Gold coloured stuff DEI titanium stuff , it only comes in this colour does not need to be soaked and is far more "supple" and almost silky to touch , when wrapping it does not shred all the lint and bits far easier to work with and creates a far better finish and stays supple does not harden or break i.e stays as a silky cloth almost rather than fibres , this is what's in my current bike 6 years later , the other cheaper stuff i had to re-do all the time at least every year as it's out in the elements and gets knocked by feet and legs getting on/off the bike etc
wrapped my sons manifolds with this last year (VW Jetta mk1) and it's been great but you always need far more than you think you will !
and the metal zip ties watch a few motorcycle wrapping videos on youtube as it gives a good idea of how to start and the lap over ratio etc
the normal stuff (comes in different colours) is harsh to touch difficult to work with meant to be soaked before use and after 6months becomes "hardened" and brittle and can break off easily if touched etc
then i was told by a bike builder to use the "proper" Gold coloured stuff DEI titanium stuff , it only comes in this colour does not need to be soaked and is far more "supple" and almost silky to touch , when wrapping it does not shred all the lint and bits far easier to work with and creates a far better finish and stays supple does not harden or break i.e stays as a silky cloth almost rather than fibres , this is what's in my current bike 6 years later , the other cheaper stuff i had to re-do all the time at least every year as it's out in the elements and gets knocked by feet and legs getting on/off the bike etc
wrapped my sons manifolds with this last year (VW Jetta mk1) and it's been great but you always need far more than you think you will !
and the metal zip ties watch a few motorcycle wrapping videos on youtube as it gives a good idea of how to start and the lap over ratio etc
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