Quad Motorcycle

In the performance auto industry, header exhaust heat wraps are manufactured to reduce underhood temperatures, which leads to significant increases in engine performance.  In fact, a typical heat wrap is capable of dropping under-hood temperatures by as much as 50%.

There are two basic kinds of exhaust heat wrap products found on the market.  The typical heat wrap is made of glass fiber, while the most expensive wraps are made from pulverized lava.  As one would expect, the better exhaust wrap rolls do cost more but offer greater performance and durability.  These expensive heat wrap products are also very simple to install and do not require a finish coat of high temp silicone.

Heat wraps made from glass fiber are usually made for up to twelve-hundred degrees of direct contact, while the leading finely crushed lava wraps are rated to eighteen hundred degrees.  In nearly all cases, consumers normally conclude that the greater thermal protection ratings of finely crushed lava heat wraps are worth the extra money.

Even though heat wraps are mostly manufactured for the automotive aftermarket, a wide selection of industries use such wraps to lower heat.  Whether the goal is to reduce human exposure to heat, or improve the life of a heat sensitive component, heat wraps are very flexible and extremely capable of reducing a major amount of heat for many years.

Exhaust heat wraps are manufactured in varied colors and sizes, which includes black, tan and gold.  Heat wraps made with glass fiber require a high temperature silicone spray coating finish to protect the finished wrap from road debris, grease, oil and other contaminates that may cause failure.  Wraps made with glass fiber are usually more difficult to install and may require that the product be soaked in water before applying .  This is normally true when headers or exhaust manifolds have complex turns or restrictive bends.  On the other hand, heat wraps made with crushed lava conform to difficult shapes easier and don’t require a finished silicone spray application.

Whether you are considering a heat wrap product for added performance, or better engine component life, it is important that you weigh the advantages of each type of product.  While price of glass fiber heat wraps may be a good marketing tactic, the greater performance of finely crushed lava heat wraps and easier installation can be worth the extra money.