S38 Headers Wrapped

[M5W]

Heres some pics of my lastest venture. DEI Exhaust wrap on my headers and some block-off plates for my air pump entries. Just have to cut off the air tubes going out of the port, then spray the headers with high temp silcone spray and there done.

Before: naked







Now: All bundled up



Air Pump Block-Off Plates





The high temp graphite gaskets



Masked off areas for spraying





After Spraying





Cleaned Up Flanges

[5mall5nail5]

I would use copper spray to seal the block offs to the headers as those will probably leak over time.

[M5W]

I'm picking up some high temp graphite exhaust gasket sheet after work today, will that last long ? My only concern is it leaking over time. Use copper spray with those as added insurance ?

[attack eagle]

looks nice.

[Burn535i]

badass

[romodude06]

That looks sick. :]

[nmp411]

Niiiiice

[screwbiedoo15]

Looks very nice. Jw, how come you didn't do ceramic coating?

[M5W]

I decided to wrap em just cause. No real reason.

[OrE34]

gives the headers a good look. awsome

[TheGoldenOne]

very nice job on the wrapping...I neglected to use gloves/longsleeves while wrapping mine and boy was that a mistake. How did you do it?

[M5W]

Latex gloves and dipped the wrap in water before wrapping it around the headers, gets a much tighter fit when it dries.

[5mall5nail5]

Also traps moisture and causes corrosion

[teambutter]

Hmmmm.. I would've thought that once the headers got to operating temp there was no way moisture could be retained??

[5mall5nail5]

The fiberglass cloth in and of itself traps moisture... operating temperature or not.

Silicone spray can help, but it can also trap moisture.

Ceramic coating is always preferred used

I'd show you a picture of my old manifold after removing the DEI heat wrap, but I don't think I have it any longer. It was terribly rusty and corroded. It was stainless.

[M5W]

I used a little electric heater overnight to dry them , and i'll be masking of the unwrapped areas tonight and spraying the wrap with a high temp silcone spray from DEI made specifically for protecting header wrap from moisture and corrosion. And also a wet header dosent stay wet very long after being heated up to 1500°.

[M5W]

I used a little electric heater overnight to dry them , and i'll be masking of the unwrapped areas tonight and spraying the wrap with a high temp silcone spray from DEI made specifically for protecting header wrap from moisture and corrosion. And also a wet header dosent stay wet very long after being heated up to 1500°.

[M5W]

How long did it take to get as rusted as you say it did ? A season ? I couple years ?

[teambutter]

Thanks for the info 5mall5nail5... Learn something new everyday...or try to at least!

[M5W]

I'm actually concerned now. How long did it take for the wrap to fail ? I followed the procedure to eliminate any air pockets in the wrap and it has dried tight to the steel. After spraying it is there any other way to keep it dry ? Also i only drive this car in the summer and it rarely sees rain.

[M5W]

Updated

[5mall5nail5]

The header wrap didn't "fail" but when I removed the setup from my car after a year it was heavily corroded underneath. I'll look tonight I think I have my wastegate dump tube still.

Its not really a matter of seeing rain - moisture in the air gets under that stuff, normally the moisture evaporates with ambient heat or exhaust heat, however if moisture gets underneath its not as quick to burn off, if at all, and it corrodes.

Don't worry about it, but next time I'd send them out to be coated.

[M5W]

k. Also looks like because of funding issues my turbo project is put on hold yet again. Having Metric Mechanic putting in there rally cam (284 degree intake, and an e28 m5 exhaust cam (254 or 256 i believe) with the port work so i'll be running NA for another season or two and if and when i go turbo i will swap out the rally cam for my stock cam.

[M5W]

Updated. Just waiting to cut off the air tubes next week.

[M5W]

Here are my air tubes cut off