With summer heat, added with engine heat, makes for an added demand on performance engines. Extremely hot temperatures may greatly reduce engine component life and cause expensive component failures to occur much quicker then they should.
There are a variety of products on the market, that can be easily installed, that will add to the lifespan of expensive engine components. For example, a turbo shield will lower the turbo heat exposure by about fifty percent. This by itself has performance advantages, such as lowered turbo lag and improved spooling. Since a turbo can cost thousands of dollars to repair, shielding it from the damaging effects of heat can yield major cost savings in the future.
Other item specific thermal protective wrapping exists for batteries, starters and different engine components. In most situations, these wraps can be installed quickly without component removal since they wrap around each part and are secured with specially designed high temp stainless steel fasteners.
The highest performance gain, and reduction in heat, occurs when exhaust manifolds or headers are fully wrapped. This procedure alone can reduce the heat in the engine compartment by fifty-percent. The primary reduction in heat allows engines to run cooler, provide more horsepower and last longer.
Exhaust wraps can normally be applied by most automotive enthusiasts without removing the exhaust manifolds or headers. In areas where pipes are very close together, they may be simply wrapped as one. The start and ends of each wrap are secured with stainless steel fasteners, which are designed for extremely hot environments.
One of the best values for consumers is to purchase all of the needed parts that are included in exhaust wrap kits. A kit will have all the needed components to wrap a set of V8 exhaust manifolds. In most applications, each kit will include one-hundred feet of two-inch wide exhaust wrap, a can of high temperature silicone spray and the required stainless steel ties to secure the wrap after it has been installed. Many exhaust wrap kits are priced 10-20% below the price of buying each product separately.
Nearly all cars and trucks would benefit from lower engine compartment temperatures. While individual parts can be wrapped, the main step an automotive enthusiast can take to lower engine compartment heat is to wrap their exhaust manifolds and headers. For under one-hundred dollars, an exhaust wrap kit provides the best benefits for ones budget.