Ceramic Coating v. Heat Wrap

[TerryG]

Has anybody tried out exhaust heat wrap as an alternative to ceramic coating? All the exhaust suppliers i can find for my RR will all void the warranty if i have the manifolds coated so i am looking for an alternative for the first year until my warranty expires.

[M Paul Lloyd]

You know I was under the misconception that heat wrap was illegal on road cars!

I'm all ears.

(Said Nelly)

[Luxobarge]

I've used it on the Midget, which has a "sports" stainless multi-branch exhaust manifold. Not as an alternative to ceramic coating as such, but I wanted to keep the under-bonnet temperatures down a bit as the manifold is right underneath/among the carbs on an A series as you know, and the colder air they're fed with the better.

I can't give you specific quantifiable information since fitting it, other than to say it's not given me any problems whatsoever, it's quite easy to fit (if a bit fiddly in places) and looks good. Seems to work, but then I never ran that configuration without it, so I can't say specifically if it works - it seems to though. I never have any vapourisation problems, if that's relevant to your question.

MPL - why on earth would it be illegal? That's perplexed me, that has, unless they think it's made of asbestos or something, which of course it isn't.

Hope that helps!

[TerryG]

It does indeed.
As long as it doesn't spontaniously combust it must be better than nothing. It is cheap enough that i'm not worried about it being 100% as effective as ceramic coating but if it is 10% better than bare steel it must be worth a go.
Thanks Luxo.

[Luxobarge]

No worries TG - no way will it catch light, it's completely fireproof and non-flammable, and as I say I can't give you quantifiable results but I'd wager it's a lot more than 10% efficient compared to an unshielded manifold! I used 2 or 3 layers on mine, maybe 4 in places, in the end you get limited by what you can physically fit around the manifold and still get at the studs to tighten them up.

Cheers

[M Paul Lloyd]

Thanks for that Luxobarge, I have a job waiting for some of that.

I did wonder but was told (by a vehicle inspector no less) that it is prone to absorbing oil spills which makes it a fire risk, but presumably he was talking out of his bottom hole?!

Its never too late to learn something new is it?

[Luxobarge]

Ah, right, oil spills. Well, I suppose so, but it'd have to be an awful lot of oil before it caught light, and to be honest the amount of smoke that'd be given off before it caught would surely alert even the most dozy driver that there was something amiss? It wouldn't worry me, that's for sure!

Some H&S nazi might have come up with the oil-spill theory, but I've never heard of it being illegal, and it's sold in lots of outlets in this country described as "exhaust wrap" which I'm sure it wouldn't be if it was illegal, so I really wouldn't worry to be honest.

Cheers!

[M Paul Lloyd]

Thanks for that Luxobarge, much appreciated.
Yes I suspect an attack of overzealous H&S was in the mix, along with the chaps own set of 'rules' thrown in.

[JPB]

.....I suspect an attack of overzealous H&S was in the mix, along with the chaps own set of 'rules' thrown in.

The world's full of that sort. This thread, indeed this entire board isn't the place to have a rant about the twunt who delivered my new garden hut but couldn't put the parts in the garden "because of health & safety, innit guv'nor?" but I wouldn't be entirely shocked if he were related to the fella who fed you that line about exhaust wrap. Somewhere, in Middle Englandcestershire, there's a village where they breed. Scary thought I know but....

[TerryG]

It must have been a REALLY big lorry to deliver a whole garden!