Header Wrapping

[Mr. Austin]

Just curious on advise and tips and secrets.

Got some really cheap and going to put it on my car.
I have heard Dampen the wrap in water before you wrap the headers. Instead of the expensive exhaust lock ties get the hose clamps. take headers off to do it. BUT i have heard it can crack your headers. true or false? FYI i have long tube headers and only looking to wrap down to the flange.

[Mr. Austin]

Anything?

[Blackmagic1]

I've heard of cracking too. You are keeping the heat in on the metal and it ends up making the metal brittle. Are you trying to just keep heat out of the engine bay ?

[Mr. Austin]

yes. and clean up the motor bay with these. but i have done research and cant find proof of this cracking only "theories" if some one has it was on a turbo or a race car which will get much hotter than what my car will.

[Mr. Austin]

i keep doing more and more research and i have seen MANY forums like this one
http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/all-ford-techboard/467302-header-wrap-2.html
and in each forum it is the same debate over the cracking and rust and everything else. but there is NO i repeat NO proof that leads it to being just the wrapping. it is usually a Turbo, or cold water, or to high of RPM's for too long. In the few cases i have seen that actually have cracked them it was the drivers or something else fault. There are a lot of stories of guys using it and they have issues with it falling off but when they did the research to wrap it tight, take you time, use plastic zip ties to tighten to the maximum and steal garden hose clamps to keep it tight, they say it is a great way and looks great for the price compared to jet coat. But they say to do it right you should dampen it to stretch it out to the maximum and tighten it to the max. if you stretch it to the max then it does have room to breath and to make sure it is 1/4 overlap and no more or less to make sure there is in fact no "hotspots."they talk about all this rust and stuff that headers get. I am on page 8 of google and have checked nearly all the forums and articles and they can never prove it. I just read one about a guy going through headers in 2 years thanks to his wrap and then a guy after him goes on about cracking the headers and what not but there is absolutely no proof of this. I want to in my head but i want what is best for my car like anyone else.
Last but not least i will end with this here is a forum i have found where several HONEST people have used it and have major success with it and one guy has taken them off his bike where the rust would be more apparent due to the header being in the front of the bike he is off the coast so more humidity and he clams 100 degrees plus the salt and humidity. Remember a bike also gets into higher RMP then i would most likely be reaching. here was his attached video in the forum if you did not go to it.
I feel much better now. And i believe i will try for my self. I welcome comments if there are some running through you head. and i apologize if i stated something wrong or misspelt something in advance.
YouTube - The effects of heat tape on mild steel header pipe - XR650R. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xH-8fNq6Ok&feature=player_embedded)