Exhaust Wrap ?

[Alpineandy]

Situation: Rear engined car, Front Rad, Water temp good but engine compartment gets very hot. Particularly the alternator which backs on to one of the exhaust manifolds and Knackers itself every year or two. Initial Idea, Wrap the manifold with thermal wrap, but have been advise by a 'quite knowledgable' friend that this just knocks out the whole exhaust system. He says that it's fine for a track car (where the system is likely to be changed regularly) but not for a regularly used fun wagon. His comment is that the heat has to go somewhere, so It's pushed into the silencer which isn't built to take the extra heat. Have you tried this stuff? or your mates etc? or are you just a clever... who knows these things?

[Alpineandy]

Thanks chaps.
I'm thinking about the heat shield (as well as the wrap). I guess a double layer of steel with a small gap between them may be the best idea.

Concerning the wrap, Being rear engined the silencer is very close to the manifold. It's has around 6 inches of pipe between the manifold and the box, and even that's curved so the real distance is more like 4 inches. The manifolds aren't stainless, but I seem to remember that there was some form of resin spray available, which you could spray on to the wrapped pipe. I don't know if this seals it from moisture tho. I haven't seen it advertised for a while, It's probably been banned by the EEC!

[Alpineandy]

ceramic sounds interesting, but doesn't it have the same drawbacks as wrapping?

[AlpineAndy]

Thanks guys, It's a 'sports' system on it at the moment, which has a reasonable amount of life left in it. I guess that when it needs replacing I'll go for Stainless and wrapping. Until then I'm leaning towards a heat shield rather than go ceramic (OK finance is also a limiting factor). I looked at agriemach website, who stock the wrap, but they also have a material shield that ties to the pipe and exhaust wrap paint which mentions resins etc. Anyone used either?