HPC Coating or Thermal Strapping?

[Emancipator]

What exactly would I ask for and where in Perth can I get some of this heat strapping style insulation? Who makes the best VALUE stuff... and would it be suitable for keeping the cooler pipe (outlet side) cold as it runs over the radiator due to the cursed RB30 Plenum setup.

Cheers,

Brent.

[R31 POWER]

would it be suitable for keeping the cooler pipe (outlet side) cold as it runs over the radiator due to the cursed RB30 Plenum setup.

Yer Brent i'm looking at doing that to coz after a few mins idling that pipe gets heat soaked from the motor.My cousin used that exhaust wrap stuff but have'nt found out how it goes yet.

[Warpspeed]

You can buy the exhaust heat wrap in coils from any decent car parts place, but it is horribly expensive for what it is SURPRISE !

Or you can get better stuff cheaper in a wider variety of sizes, but you have to hunt for it. It is called "fiberglass furnace tape" and it is used as a sort of gasket material and pipe wrapping for boilers, furnaces, kilns, pizza ovens and so on. It comes in rope or tape. The rope is used mainly for door seals, but the tape comes in a very wide range of widths and thicknesses. It looks a bit like fiberglass matting.

Look in the yellow pages under furnace repairs, or something like that.

For heat insulating intercooler pipes and induction systems, I have found black sponge neoprene sheet is easier to use, and looks a lot better. It is the same stuff they make wet suits out of, and makes superb pipe insulation. It stretches, and you glue it straight onto the pipework with contact adhesive like "quick grip". Petrol washes off any glue that ends up where it should not be.

This neoprene wraps around sharp bends easily and neatly, and looks good in the engine compartment. Clark Rubber shops have it in various thicknesses. It is expensive if you buy yards of it, but you probably will not end up needing much.

.

[Busky2k]

As a reference I got my tubular manifold HPC coated for $120 ea... but thats cos I had 3 of them done at the same time. If you want pics, i'll post!

But yeah I wouldnt wrap the exhaust manifold. Thats asking for trouble.

[Roy]

But yeah I wouldnt wrap the exhaust manifold. Thats asking for trouble.

I was going to do it over the next few weekends, why is it not a good idea.

I thought that it was the rapid changes in temperature that causes the manifold to crack, not the actual temp that it runs at. With less extreme cyclic temps i was thinking that in conjunction with my existing HPC coating it was going to help manifold durability as well as under bonnet temps

[Timd]

I have also heard or read somewhere that it is not a good idea to wrap cast exhaust manifolds. Cant remember why if i come across the reason ill post it.

[Anquetil]

I've been contemplating the heat wrap as well, as my IC piping doesn't seem to be the most efficient at dissipating heat.

How do some of these prices fare compared to those who have purchased elsewhere...

http://stores.ebay.com.au/autoFlash-Store_...displayZ2QQtZkm

[R31 POWER]

But yeah I wouldnt wrap the exhaust manifold. Thats asking for trouble.

You mean cast don't you? not stainless?

[R31Nismoid]

I've been contemplating the heat wrap as well, as my IC piping doesn't seem to be the most efficient at dissipating heat.

The I/C pipes are not there to dissipate heat.

That is your I/C job

You might get a bit of heatsoak through the pipes, but seriously, if your running 14psi... from cooler outlet --> plenum you aint gonna be picking up massive amounts of heat through the piping.

Maybe a few degress is anything.

[Busky2k]

The reason its not a good idea to wrap turbo manifolds is because you are trapping all the heat in the metal. Aftermarket turbo manifolds already run real hot and are fragile. Wrapping them is making your risk of cracking one alot higher. (Im not sure how you are going to wrap a cast item anyway, but they are more sturdy)

Most places say dont even heat wrap your dump. The metal eventually crystallises and becomes very weak, altho mine is wrapped for a year now, its startin to look a bit odd I have to admit. I dont care if it busts cos Im going to replace it anyway.. Check this out;

http://www.centuryperformance.com/heatwraps.asp

Altho that applies to headers, its very good information. Its no coincidence that using heat wrap voids warranty from virtually all header manufacters.

[Trust33]

Cant you buy ceramic coat in a can?im sure ive seen it advertised somewhere.It would a good alternative to getting a shop to do it.Has anyone done this?

ive heard about the heat wraping the dump pipe thing.Its got somthing to do with condensation after use being trapped in between the tape and the dump.It s;owly kills the metal.Their suggestion was to coat it with a coat of ceramic of heat paint before heat wraping the pipe so it's got a protective layer.

[FATGTS-R]

I was told to stay away from heat wrapping because although it reduces the heat being transfered out from the metal it also keeps the heat trapped underneath it. Without wrapping, your pipes etc would cool down after shutdown in lets say 30 minutes, but with the wrapping on they would stay warm for a lot lot longer supposedly accelerating the deterioration of your metal.

On the intercooler topic, I was told to use uncoated alloy piping from turbo to cooler as alloy is a good disipater of heat and then use HPC coated piping from cooler to manifold as it would stop heat penetrating the coooled air inside the pipe.

Sounds feasible in theory?

[Roy]

Interesting read, but im still not convinced...lol.

Firstly, in my application the turbo will be properly supported by a brace, not the manifold. So when at elevated temps, wont be under any mechanical loads from supporting the weight of the turbo.

Secondly i already have my manifold ceramic coated by Competition Coatings so the heat transfer thru the internal coat into the material is already reduced.

And getting caught up in the physics of things, if what he says about thermal friction is true, then the hotter exhaust manifold will be cooled by the exhaust gases that are at a lower temp. So i need someone to further explain this thermal friction as i have never heard that term before.

Lastly my experience with stainless steels and other materials used in the pharmaceutyical, petrochem industries is you have dramas when things have rapid rates of cooling/heating etc.

If something is cooled (quenched) slowly then it is usually more ductile, so resists becoming brittle and cracking. The thermal wrap would control the rate of cooling which stops undesirable metallurgical changes.

I think cooling is more critical then the heating, when i drive im always careful/mindful that even if my engine is warm i resist booting it until im comfortable the manifold is at a reasonable/uniform themp (i know it never will be but trying to minimise any warping by throwing 800deg Cgas at a 20deg C manifold especially considering stainless expands more then the equivelant mild steel)

I dunno...have to have more of a think, but i need to know what this thermal friction thing is. Is it simply a term for friction of gases ie energy is depleted from the exhaust gas due to friction with the walls of the manifold, and the frictional losses equate to temp increase?

[nickor33]

just been reading thread

intercooler insulating suggestions have been

1. HPC coated piping high performance coating ( don't know what they are exactly )
2. Neoprene ( wet suit material
3. Fibre-glass / foil tape
4. air con insulation tape ( used in buildings to insulate air con pipes over distances
5. uncoated alloy piping instead of aluminium

hope i helped you

[SimonR32]

Biggest thread grave dig ever!

[nickor33]

hopefully this will revive it

Just doing some more research. found a guy who has measured the difference in temperature

7 - 10 degrees ( don't know what car though but it says the return pipe goes over the radiator like aftermarket gts-t - gtt FMIC kit )

using oven mitts ?

Insulating the Return

[MrStabby]

just been reading thread

intercooler insulating suggestions have been

Insulating the intercooler exit piping? Really? What happens when the turbo is operating hard and adding heat to the incoming air, so the compressed air is HOTTER than the underbonnet temperature.....

[Rolls]

Insulating the intercooler exit piping? Really? What happens when the turbo is operating hard and adding heat to the incoming air, so the compressed air is HOTTER than the underbonnet temperature.....

In that circumstance insulation would affect the temps negatively, as the ambient temp is cooler, in fact most the time it is. I never saw the point in heat shielding anything other than the exhaust.

Edited January 29, 2011 by Rolls