Heat Wrap on Headers

E-Type
1

The paint on my hood above the headers on my 68 E-Type OTS can blister from the heat. I have a heat shield attached under the hood above the headers that stop the blistering, but my mechanic has told me to remove it as it can boil my brake and clutch fluids. I can see that it does direct the heat downwards and does not allow it to go through the left hood louvers. My mechanic has suggested that I put heat wraps on my headers and this will stop the blistering of paint when the heat shield is removed.

Has anyone any advise on putting heat wraps on my headers. Pros and cons and is it easy to do with the headers properly installed.

2

I don’t know how you can wrap the OEM headers with heat wrap, especially with the headers in place. I’m not sure your mechanic is correct regarding the boiling of the fluid in the bottles.

What several people have done is fabricated a shield that attaches immediately above the headers to reduce the radiated heat while allowing for plenty of room between the shield and louvers to allow for air circulation. Such a shield could be made with a downward portion about 2" deep to help protect the brake bottles.

3

As in this e.g.

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IMG_16133024×4032 2.59 MB

2 Likes
4

Thank you very much for the replies. Do you know if this device can be purchased from Moss, Barratt, etc?

5

I bought an XJ heat shield, a winter project will be to work out a mount. These were stainless, and it should polish nicely.

I also replaced the lower heat shield with a large sheet metal panel, not so much to protect the brakes as for the AC hoses.

6

I wrapped my downpipes with this stuff. They were much easier done off the car. It needs to be wrapped very tight and it’s quite cumbersome. The band clips are a real pita in my experience. It is effective though.

7

They use heat wrap on headers to make them flow better it’s very hard on the pipes longevity, drag racers don’t care . Cats are wild animals for high speed not pussy cats for lounging around town in traffic

8

There’s a fellow on EBay that fabricates the heat shield. Was like $125. Out of Oklahoma. But I don’t see him on there at the moment.

IIRC, there was a fellow on the forum, that had purchased one but didn’t use it. If it was @bobgthomas he may still have it.

9

If you are going to fabricate a heat shield, as a reflector, use stainless steel, not aluminum. Stainless is a very poor thermal conductor, while aluminum is a very good conductor.

1 Like
10

All I have ever heard/read about header wrap is… Don’t. Issues from corrosion to thermal cracking.
If you fab or source a shield you can always adhere additional insulation to it to better block radiated heat. Another question might be why are your manifolds so hot? Too lean?

11

There are ceramic coatings that are available that work very well in reducing external heat from exhaust headers. I used them on my 65 E Type race car, where on a long full throttle run they would glow red. A typical example is this: https://www.jet-hot.com/

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This is what I currently have on my E-Type. It shields the paint on the hood above the headers, but it also reflects the heat down onto the fluids. I bought the car like this 2009 and do not think I have had an issue with it. Maybe if I removed the reflective tape or remove the reflective tape and put a later of asbestos on the stainless steel facing down.

13

I wrapped my original pipes and manifolds down to the bottom of the engine. It definitely reduced the temps until one morning *BANG-BLAM BLAM BLAM…
It seems that the tape absorbs and holds humidity which caused massive rusting after only a few years. The downpipes all but disintegrated and the manifolds where getting thin.
One pipe let loose bringing the other with it.

1 Like
14

After they became collector’s items, they are no longer driven and are placed in climate controlled living rooms to be admired and considered ‘investments’. No point whatsoever in expecting them to be driven.