To wrap or not to wrap?
 

Hi Guys,

How many of you wrapped your single turbo manifold with ThermoTec header wrap? Are there any benefits of using these type of product other than reduce radiant heat? Does it really help with turbo response? Or does it make your turbo manifold more prone to cracking.

Thanks, Jay

This is the manifold that will be wrapped.
http://communities.msn.com/Meko/phot...oto&PhotoID=11

I have heard mixed opinions on this. I was considering the wrap on my turbo. Now I'm not so sure it's a good idea.

It helps in thermal overload on the turbine, I would not do it !

I ran wraped on my TO4 and with an insulated exhaust housing and it cased exsesive wear of the turbine tips "melting" and also overheat of the rear bearing and the same for the rear housing in which the rear seal runs.

OK maybe for a drag car, but not for a circuit racer or for long power runs.

This was with water injection and a rich fuel mixture as well !!!!

I highly recommend heat shielding and ducting cooling air to these areas to keep temperatures under control to avoid these premature failures.

Think about how long these turbo's last on diesle truck running at 30+psi...hundreds of thousands of kilometers, due to the lower exhaust gas temperatures involved.

Let the heat out, do not keep it in, there is more than enough energy there to do the job, I know it says different in the laws of themodynamics, but the differences in responce and ultimate power are minimal compared to the cost of rebuilding the turbo and replacing fatigued headers.

If you ever get the chance, stick your nose under a late modle Porsche 911 Turbo and have a look at the elaborate system they use to adress the issue of exhaust and turbine cooling...

The entire header is encased in heat shielding to which is connected front facing scoops ducting cooling air to both headers, and exiting the rear of the vehicle, obviously to reduce thermal stress and increase the life of the turbo's (turbines inparticular and seals/bearings)

The same attention should be paid to the wastegate system, as it can fail from thermal overload as well.

Just a few of my experiences on this subject :)

Rice Racing,

I highly recommend heat shielding and ducting cooling air to these areas to keep temperatures under control to avoid these premature failures.

Do you recommend a stainless heatsheild or aluminum, and what guage should I use? What about those turbine wrap heat shielding (gray one) that Pac Racing sells. Are those any good?

I know it says different in the laws of themodynamics, but the differences in responce and ultimate power are minimal compared to the cost of rebuilding the turbo and replacing fatigued headers.

This was the reason why I address the issue in the first place. This will be a street driven car that will see some circuit use. It is a dry bearing housing, I didn't want to mess with water lines.

Thanks, Jay

Stay away from turbine blankets of ANY type.

Unless you have the latest and I mean the latest IDYCAR type turbo's manufactured by Garrett, that cost in the region of $25000US you are asking for trouble.

These turbos are designed to run at high elevated temperatures using exotic materials such as Inconel and the like, These units are designed to run at 1150degC+ Truck based tech turbo's (ALMOST ALL THE ONES WE USE) are designed to be reliable at 900degC and lower.

In relation to actual EGT's the lower the better in terms of the turbine/bearing housing/seal life. It is double as hard on Rotaries as you know....but yeah you need a balance, I have found that even when the EGT is ok, the residual heat insulated in by those thermal baries still cause problems in relation to the long term reliability of the above mentioned components, even in a water cooled bearing housing !

I used stainless heat shields in my car 1.2mm thick is plenty enough with a 1inch minimum air gap to header/turbine parts. And yeah duct some cool "ram" air to it, what I also do for stationary stop start driving is use the radiator fan waste duct onto these area for when there is little forward motion for ram air to do cooling.

Man where were this type of info before I purchased my FD..
SHIIT I got a single custom conversion and the manifold is wrapped in this exhaust wrap also part of the DP is also wrapped.

So I should take them out then?

There is no problem in wraping the DP, mine is wraped in this section to keep heat of the intake manifold.

Insulating the DP has little effect on the temp of the turbine or the header, so you can leave that on. The stuff on the header is another matter.

Rice is right, it heavily accelerates wear, wrapped headers are more prone to cracking, and you'll be re-wrapping constantly.

I don't know what happens but it looks like it bonds together after you pull off the header material looks thinner and the wrap looks like it's become metal?

weird shit.

Gentlemen, thanks for the input. I will take the wrapping off the header/manifold.

I don't understand why A-spec (CDN) would put them on though.

So to put the jet coat stuff on ur header is bad?? I havent heard of anyone doing this i think but i figured i would ask anyways..