Heat Tape wrap your exhaust pipe ?

[FLYER15015]

In reading some old posts, I ran across 38 special's brake lock up problem, and several other's high engine bay heat problems, so I thought I'd post this just to see if anyone has done it.

I just ordered 25' of "header insulating silica tape". I plan to wrap the exhaust pipe from the manifold heat riser cross shaft clear down past the master cylinder to where the pipe goes into the "X" frame. My goal is to reduce the engine bay temp's the steering sector and master cylinder temp's and see if this has any effect on the dreaded "vapor lock". I know that big honking exhaust manifold is the culprit, but you have to start somewhere.

25 ft of 2" DEI titanium exhaust wrap was $25.50 + free frt from Amazon, and the instructions seem simple enough. So for a "driver" up here in the mountains, and having to run corn gas all the time, I thought I would give this a try.

Anybody been here before ? Want to share your results ?

Mike in Colorado

:cool::cool::cool:

[jvelde]

Mike, did you end up wrapping your manifold, and if so, did it do any good?  I have been thinking of doing this on my '39 - they seem to be prone to overheating.  Surprised your post generated NO responses.

Thanks,

John V.

[Marty Roth]

Mike,

 

I just saw your post for the first time, but also saw the product on Amazon yesterday for the first time, and was going to ask for opinions here on the FORUM. My initial thoughts were for both the '37 Roadmaster, as well as the '41 Cadillac since both tend to have heat issues.

 

Hopefully someone else is also looking into this, or has done it in the past and will share thoughts and results. This would be far less expensive, and less labor-intensive than the Jeet-Hot coating, and I don't know how good that is either at containing heat to the exhaust system.

[Bill Stewart]

Mike, yes the insulation will make the engine bay just a little cooler and may help to avoid vapor lock (though I kinda doubt it), but the exhaust pipe will be just a little hotter where the insulation ends under the car. Don't know how much that may matter.

Bill

[hidden_hunter]

I’ve wrapped the exhaust in the Cadillac, does help keep temperatures down a bit. 

 

The stuff I used was awful to install, you must  wear safety glasses and gloves when using it because it’s like fibreglass and you don’t want it in your eyes. It also attached using metal fasteners which absolutely tear up your hands in the engine bay

[Larry Schramm]

On 8/19/2012 at 8:19 PM, FLYER15015 said:

In reading some old posts, I ran across 38 special's brake lock up problem, and several other's high engine bay heat problems, so I thought I'd post this just to see if anyone has done it.

I just ordered 25' of "header insulating silica tape". I plan to wrap the exhaust pipe from the manifold heat riser cross shaft clear down past the master cylinder to where the pipe goes into the "X" frame. My goal is to reduce the engine bay temp's the steering sector and master cylinder temp's and see if this has any effect on the dreaded "vapor lock". I know that big honking exhaust manifold is the culprit, but you have to start somewhere.

25 ft of 2" DEI titanium exhaust wrap was $25.50 + free frt from Amazon, and the instructions seem simple enough. So for a "driver" up here in the mountains, and having to run corn gas all the time, I thought I would give this a try.

Anybody been here before ? Want to share your results ?

Mike in Colorado

:cool::cool::cool:

 

[FLYER15015]

Yup, 8 years later.

My how time fly's .

Here is my installation and yes, 8 years later and lots of miles too, it still looks like this.

I do believe it has done it's job keeping the heat down in the bay and by the M/C.

Went from the base of the exhaust manifold all the way back past the master cylinder and to the "X" member of the frame.

Used radiator clamps about every 8" just to make sure it did not unravel. So far every thing is still in place.

 

Mike in Colorado

Edited November 20, 2020 by FLYER15015 (see edit history)

[Terry Wiegand]

I have followed this thread with interest for several reasons.  I have a 1916 6-Cylinder engine that has gone through the rebuild process and I am not far away from the initial start on the fresh engine.  I realize that the '38 is 22 years newer and has 2 more cylinders, however, in my thinking, this means more under-the-hood heat generated than the six will have.  Also, back in 1916 the vacuum fuel tank was right in the middle of the exhaust manifold.  In my humble opinion I don't think that this was the best place to mount that tank.  But, Buick did this for years and it seemed to work quite well.  Being mounted right on top of the carburetor had its advantages.  I did not like the appearance of the rusted exhaust manifold.  I spoke with the folks in the Portland, Oregon area about ceramic coating both of the manifolds.  They told me that the ceramic coating was like putting tinfoil on the turkey to help contain a lot of the heat near the vacuum tank.  We sent the manifolds out to them and the cost of doing both pieces and shipping both ways was a tad under $400.00.  I did not think that this was out of line and I am very happy with the results.  The intake is cast Aluminum and that turned out really well.  There was no mounting flange warping and both manifolds are tight to the gaskets.  I checked both of them on my table saw top and they were perfectly flat.  They have told me that this coating on manifolds and pipes helps to funnel the heat out through the system instead of letting it build up in the engine bay.  We shall see when the time comes.  My biggest concern was the heat right next to the vacuum tank.  Here are some photos to show what we ended up with.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas