More on Header Wrap

[Johnson David-QA2282 <David.R.Johnson@domain.elided>]

In addition to the high risk of cracking headers, at least in some circumstances header wrap may also be a fire hazard.  When combined with an oil leak, there is the possibility that the oil soaked wrap could ignite from the heat of the exhaust.

I knew of someone who suspected this had happened to his his car when it suffered a massive engine fire and was completely burned out.  Being a curious and suspicious type, he experimented with some steel pipe swathed in oil-soaked header wrap material, heating the pipe internally with a propane torch (he did not apply a direct flame to the wrap).  He found it was not too difficult to set the wrap on fire by this method, and once ignited it burned quickly.  As a control he also attempted to light the stuff without oil, and to set oil alone on fire, with no success.

He concluded that the wrap held and distributed the oil in such a way as to make it highly flammable, presumably a phenomenon similar to flour explosions in bakeries.  While this may not be the most scientific experiment ever conducted, it seemed realistic enough to convince me not to use the stuff, and to pass on this warning to others.  Worth exactly what you paid for it, of course, but perhaps it may help prevent a further tradgedy for someone.

Personally, I like the ceramic coatings others have recommended, which seem to work well although they are more expensive and cannot be applied in situ.  I'm not sure I'd recommend Jet-Hot after my experiences with it, since it peeled off my (non Alfa) Y-pipe and allowed it to rust within a year or two, but it has done a nice job of protecting my headers.  I would be inclined to try a different vendor next time, but the principle seems sound.

Dave J.
1987 Milano Verde
1964 2600 Sprint

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