This is one for the performance fans out there. I don’t really know much about this, despite the fact that the exhaust on my 900 is wrapped.
The theory here is that once you wrap your exhaust manifold in this heat-absorbant bandage, it retains a lot of heat in your exhaust headers instead of radiating it into the engine bay. The result is a quicker evacuation of exhaust gases from the combustion chamber, as well as reduced heat in your engine bay.
The reduction in ambient heat is supposed to be of benefit (especially to turbocharged engines) because cold air is denser and you can therefore get more punch from your turbo by keeping the air temp down (which is why we have intercoolers, water injection and cold air intakes – they’re all trying to do the same thing). The other advantage in some cars will be the reduced possibility of damage to heat sensitive parts, wiring etc.
Here’s what the finished product looks like (not a Saab manifold):
The bandage is quite thick and the whole process is a) relatively expensive at around $80 for 100 feet of tape, b) time consuming, and c) awkward. You have to try and wrap the entire manifold and tight spots can be a pain in the backside.
As mentioned, I’ve got a wrapped exhaust on my 1985 Saab 900, however I’d be interested to hear the thoughts of others who have done this. My exhaust was already wrapped before I bought it, so I don’t have a before/after experience to relate here.
If you’ve wrapped your exhaust, did you find that it had any effect of the performance of your car, even if it’s just keeping temperatures down a bit rather than a noticeable performance gain? Even a small effect?
Did you think it was worth the time/money/effort?
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There’s a quick piece on the process of wrapping one’s exhaust here.
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