Exhaust Tape

In article , Scott writes:


AS sells an insulating tape for exhaust pipes. The theory that it will
cause more of the heat to leave the end of the exhaust pipe and less
into the engine compartment.

Since I have an updraft cooling system this would be very nice in the
summer since my exhaust pipes are below the cylinders.

Anybody use this stuff? Does it work? Does it last?

Any tips for installing it?

Scott


Scott,

I would try the ceramic coating of the exhaust system instead of the wrap. I
don't have personal experience with the wrap but have heard a number of issues
with it.

Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)

The wrap works to reduce heat in the engine compartment but tends to
accelerate the deterioration of exhaust systems because the heat is held
in the pipes. Also the ceramic cloth holds moisture when the engine
isn't running and collects all oil spills to smoke like crazy when the
engine is running. The wrap is available less expensively from outlets
such as J.C. Whittney. Bob's suggestion of ceramic coating is a good.
The coating is usually both internal and external, protects the steel of
the exhaust system and smoothes the flow of exhaust gasses. It also
reduces under cowl temps but I do not know how it compares to the wrap.
The draw back is that the ceramic coating costs a good bit more than the
wrap.

Scott wrote:
AS sells an insulating tape for exhaust pipes. The theory that it will
cause more of the heat to leave the end of the exhaust pipe and less
into the engine compartment.

Since I have an updraft cooling system this would be very nice in the
summer since my exhaust pipes are below the cylinders.

Anybody use this stuff? Does it work? Does it last?

Any tips for installing it?

Scott



--
Bruce A. Frank, Editor "Ford 3.8/4.2L Engine and V-6 STOL
Homebuilt Aircraft Newsletter"
| Publishing interesting material|
| on all aspects of alternative |
| engines and homebuilt aircraft.|

Hi Scott,

There are two main advantages in using the exhaust wrap. One is as a
means of reducing under cowl temperature, the other is performance. By
keeping the exhaust temp in the pipe instead of radiating out, the
exhaust gas speed is higher which aids extraction. That's why you
often see it on race cars and bikes. I have used it on race bikes and
it definitely shows up on the dyno (around 2 bhp at the rear wheel on
a Harley), and I have used it on my Rotax 912 aircraft engine, and it
has been on the stainless steel exhasut system I made for over 9
years. It certainly keeps the undercowl temps in check, and I haven't
had any cracks or breakages in 500 hours of use.
Having said that, I don't know if I will use it on the thinner and
much more expensive Vetterman exhaust that I have fitted to my nearly
finished Lycoming-powered RV6, so it's your call. If I had made my
own exhaust, then I probably would use it.
Cheers

Martin in Oz

AS sells an insulating tape for exhaust pipes.

Any tips for installing it?

Scott

I have a Hatz Biplane and it runs hot.
I got some Pipe wrap from Spruce.
I cut it in half and did each pipe overlapping
about 1/2 inch each time. Use the clamps liberally. The Oil Temp went down
approx 15 Degrees and the heat in the
front cockpit is virtually unnoticeable.
The only part I did not wrap was the Carb heat portion of the pipe. It works.
Good Luck with yours.

Bill OParowski

Thanks everybody for the replies. .

It sounds like the wrap does work but would require extra attention for
inspection of cracks. Does it stick to the pipes? Can I remove it
every annual or every other annual to inspect the exhaust pipes?

I have heard about ceramic coating the pipes. Can this be done after
they have been used for a few hundred hours? Also once they are coated,
does the ceramic interfere when repairing them, ie..welding a crack?

thanks,

Scott

Scott wrote:
AS sells an insulating tape for exhaust pipes. The theory that it will
cause more of the heat to leave the end of the exhaust pipe and less
into the engine compartment.

Since I have an updraft cooling system this would be very nice in the
summer since my exhaust pipes are below the cylinders.

Anybody use this stuff? Does it work? Does it last?

Any tips for installing it?

Scott



--
"Those who sacrifice freedom to get security, deserve neither."
- Benjamin Franklin

"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...

One disadvantage of the wrap is that IF you do have an exhaust crack, the
wrap will make it that much harder to see the crack during an inspection.
The ceramic coatings would be better in this respect.

KB


Something else to remember is that ceramic coated headers/exhaust tubes
are basically nonweldable after the coating is applied. You have to do
significant grinding to get to "clean" metal and access to both sides is
required. If you do not clean the backside of the weld, Ceramic junk
will contaminate the weld and render it useless.

I also think the wraps do a better job of heat shielding. Think about it
for a minute.
The major auto makers use heat wrap strategically under car hoods. They
have NO
CONCERNS whatever about weld repairs. They could apply ceramic coatings
cheaply due to economys of scale but use tape instead. I'm sure they find
that it
works better............

Scott

In article , Scott writes:


Thanks everybody for the replies. .

It sounds like the wrap does work but would require extra attention for
inspection of cracks. Does it stick to the pipes? Can I remove it
every annual or every other annual to inspect the exhaust pipes?

I have heard about ceramic coating the pipes. Can this be done after
they have been used for a few hundred hours? Also once they are coated,
does the ceramic interfere when repairing them, ie..welding a crack?

thanks,

Scott



I don't know about removal of the wrap but would suspect that it will not go
back on as easily once removed. Just a guess.

My understanding of the ceramic coating is that it can be applied even after
the pipes have been used for a while since the pipes are normally bead blasted
before application to ensure that a good bond is achieved. I would recommend
that it be done before use though. I am not too sure about the repair aspect
but don't believe it would cause any problems.


Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)

In article , "Bruce A. Frank"
writes:


The wrap works to reduce heat in the engine compartment but tends to
accelerate the deterioration of exhaust systems because the heat is held
in the pipes. Also the ceramic cloth holds moisture when the engine
isn't running and collects all oil spills to smoke like crazy when the
engine is running. The wrap is available less expensively from outlets
such as J.C. Whittney. Bob's suggestion of ceramic coating is a good.
The coating is usually both internal and external, protects the steel of
the exhaust system and smoothes the flow of exhaust gasses. It also
reduces under cowl temps but I do not know how it compares to the wrap.
The draw back is that the ceramic coating costs a good bit more than the
wrap.



I would agree that the upfront cost of the ceramic coatings are more but would
question the long term cost differences. I believe the long term benefits of
the ceramic coating will totally offset the costs.

Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)

RobertR237 wrote:

In article , "Bruce A. Frank"
writes:


The wrap works to reduce heat in the engine compartment but tends to
accelerate the deterioration of exhaust systems because the heat is held
in the pipes. Also the ceramic cloth holds moisture when the engine
isn't running and collects all oil spills to smoke like crazy when the
engine is running. The wrap is available less expensively from outlets
such as J.C. Whittney. Bob's suggestion of ceramic coating is a good.
The coating is usually both internal and external, protects the steel of
the exhaust system and smoothes the flow of exhaust gasses. It also
reduces under cowl temps but I do not know how it compares to the wrap.
The draw back is that the ceramic coating costs a good bit more than the
wrap.



I would agree that the upfront cost of the ceramic coatings are more but would
question the long term cost differences. I believe the long term benefits of
the ceramic coating will totally offset the costs.


Probably true if you farm it out, but the DIY bottle cost $19.95
in AS&S catalog...

Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)

In article , Richard Lamb
writes:


I would agree that the upfront cost of the ceramic coatings are more but
would
question the long term cost differences. I believe the long term benefits
of
the ceramic coating will totally offset the costs.


Probably true if you farm it out, but the DIY bottle cost $19.95
in AS&S catalog...



Two questions on the DIY application. How does it compare to the professional
application which is bead blasted before application and baked on? Can the DIY
be applied to the inside of the pipes as well as the outside?


Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)