Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Exhaust Exhaust Wraps

Hey, fellas (and ladies) --

Seriously thinking about doing exhaust wraps on my headers to maybe squeeze some more horsies, but mostly just 'cause I think it'll look cool.

1) Am I going to do somethign stupid mechanically? Anything I should know?

2) Anybody have any good pictures of what it'll look like?

3) For those who've done it, can I get away with a 1" x 15' strip? (I'm just doing the headers, not the cans.

Thanks!

--Jaeger

[Both headers took about 40' of a 50' roll. If you are going to wrap your headers, make sure you keep the roll as tight as you can. I wraped the roll around the leg of a steel workbench and pulled my guts out. I tried it dry first, but couldn't get the wrap tight enough. Then I wet the roll and pulled my guts out to get a nice tight wrap.

As hard as I try, I cannot concieve how keeping already combusted and expelled gasses hot will somehow affect power. If anyone can explain that theory, please share.

JAEGER,
There have posts (either here or on the RAT forum) concerning cosmetic damage when the owner wanted to remove the wraps. That may not concern you, but it seems that the heat retention in the headers irreversibly stained the headers.

When I started with my wraping, a buddy of mine that set up race cars told me the wrap may hold moister and rust out my pipes. I took the chance and haven't had the wrap off since, so I don't have a clue about long term damage. As far as HP, I removed the airbox, and went with K&N's at the same time I did the wrap, so I don't know. Wow 2 post and I haven't helped any, time for a cold refreshing beverage. Good Luck.

Hahah!!!

Lark--Dude, first I gotts say: SWEET BIKE! She's beautiful. I'm in the process of doing much the same as you did -- I'm blacking out the tank nacelle (what'd you use, by the way?) and speedo, likely to do the headlight next. I have a red speedy so the look will be a little different, but we'll see. I'm undecided as to whether I'm going to powdercoat my long TORs.

It took that much to do the headers? No kidding!? Wow. I figured I'd have a lot of leftover -- guess not. Anyway, I ordered 50' of white today off ebay ($10! woo hoo!) that I'm either going to leave white or spray down with a silver/gray, not sure yet. I was already warned about doing 'em wet, but I'm hoping that they come with some other instructions so I can do with a minimum of fuss.

Pipedr--I'm not too terribly concerned about staining. My headers are already going a bit blue-purple, but if I do this I suspect they'll stay that way forever. We'll see. I'm sort've anti-chrome deep down inside, so I can't imagine wanting to take 'em off. Besides, if i care that much I can either break out the buffer or buy new ones. *shrug*

Thanks, folks! I'll post pix when I have 'em!

--Jaeger

Thanks JAEGER, first: where are you at in No. Va. I work at the back gate of Andrews AFB. Were close enough to put some miles behind us when the weather breaks. Next I used a GM Flat Black high heat block paint for the dash, it was the closest match I could find to the satin powdercoat.

Hey lark,
Any chance you could explain what's going on under your seat? What is that cylinder?

Lark -- I'm in Reston, near Dulles Airport. Yes, absolutely! Once the weather breaks (and I can get around the Beltway) we can take a spin out on Kent Island or so. You live in Slower Lower and work in ANDREWS? You're nuts. That's a hellacious commute. (I grew up in New Castle, my folks retired to Selbyville)

--Jaeger

50 feet for both 2 inch wide wrap, after removing -pipes are very blue but mine never been shiny will wrap again when better weather and darker colour of wraps

Hey Greg
Are those the pipes you had fitted when we went to Wales??
What are they?
They pretty good.

I had not.

(This is like pulling teeth!)
So what are they?

Hey JAEGER, yeah its a long ride 90 miles one way, my company told me they were going to abolish my job so I bought a farm over here. They never did and I'm too greedy to quit.I like it here too much to move back.
Nuthin, that is a pasta tin that holds my electrics and ignition, it was going to be a mini keg, but I cut and fit the keg before I lowered the rear end, put the keg on after I lowered it and the chain ate it. I walked inside looked on the counter saw the tin, poured the speghetti out mounted it and it's been there ever since. Makes for a good conversation and works. My first idea was to make it look like an old oil tank, but I wanted to ride and never got around to it. Now it gets enough attention I'm just going to leave it.

Hey Larkfarms,

Can you tell me what kind of bracket you used to attach the seat springs to the frame - you could save me some experimenting time here.

Nice bike, by the way. How did you prep the chrome pieces for painting?

Chris

Lark,
While you’re at it can you tell me how you attached that tin to the bottom and maybe a pic of just that area? It looks cleaner down there then the setup we have. Don't worry I am not planning on an exact copy but just looking for a little inspiration on something different. In the next month or two I plan on doing a homemade freak, a la boogies scrambler and while I am at it something new in that area would be nice.
Thanks in advance.
Sebastian

Gregorz,
how dirty does the white wrap get and are you able to clean them at all? really like the white, something different is alway cool.

Sebastian

Sebastian heat making wraps "gold" first runs the oil used to production of wrap making some smoke you cant keep them white all the time they will stay "gold"
sorry can't find my dictionary

Has anyone used the laquer sprays on the wraps after they're on? I've seen a couple that say "improves the durability and changes color"

--Jaeger

Go on Adey "pull your TEETH"

Nice !! Got a roll of wrap sitting at home waiting for the right moment.

Did you wrap sraight over the header heat shields or did you take them off ?

Tone

O.K. I'm back in one piece after taking a three day ski weekend. All the brackets are home-made, the pasta tin bracket is 1/16 x 3/4 standard stock from just about any hardware store. I stuck it in a vice and starting bending until I got the shape I wanted, then attached the brackets with the interior fender bolts. I will dhave to wait for pics until this weekend, seeing as it is dark when I leave and return from work. The seat bracket I think is a standard Sportster bracket that I cut the barrel off of and welded to my own bracket, then drilling a 10mm hole right below where the tank stops to mount the front bracket. The rear brackets are made from scrap pieces I had laying around the farm. These pieces all ready had 90s bent into them.

Thanks for the info.

Chris

Thanks for the info, look forward to the pics

Sebastian

Robert-
the pics are perfect.(Photopost) get a great sence of how you did it. Can't wait to find something that will inspire me to put something of my own in that space.

Sebastian

Thanks for the pics. They are very informative. Great looking bike.

Chris

Heh. My wraps showed up while I was on vacation, so next warmish Saturday I get they're goin' on! Woo hoo!

--Jaeger

Thanks All, Hey JAEGER a Professional B.S. Artist? We need to go to Vegas. The only inspiration I had was the calander heading into April and my bike not running. I've had some time to play recently and mounted my tag to my leftside rear footpeg, gives me the ability to run it vertical when I want, then horizontal when I have to, and the peg is still usable. I'll post some pics when I'm done.

Ok, folks --

Got the wraps on and they look AWSOME... but now I am concerned about two things:

1) She's running really hot. I expected this, but... should I be concerned or no?

2) I think the wraps actually did help the exhaust flow! Now, however -- and this is connected to #1 -- I think she's running really lean... suddenly she's popping and backfiring like she did with the AI in. Should I put in new (bigger) jets?

Whatcha all think?

--Jaeger

"Whatcha all think?"

I think you're going to burn your exhaust valves.......

I'd only wrap the exhaust on a turbo'd engine, because heat drives the turbine, and more heat drives it more (higher boost). And a turbo'd engine should have special performance ex. valves installed (made from high-temp-resistant stainless steel alloy)

Jaeger, when I wraped my pipes, I also pulled the airbox put on K&N's, and rejetted to 160 mains. Once I adjusted the feul mixture, and balanced the carbs, I haven't had any heat issues, but I still have a slight pop on decel. I think heat build-up depends on your exhaust and your air-flow (filter). If you are running stock exhaust and stock air-box, your going to run hotter.

Well, I'm running the stock airbox but TOR long pipes, which seem to be fairly free flowing--I could almost roll a golf ball through em.

I wrote Bella Corse, and they said to bump up to #140 mains, so I think I'm going to order some #140s and #142s and see how they do. Heh, fortunately jets are cheap, so I can experiment a wee bit.

Heh. Guess I'm grounded until I get those jets in, tho. :P

--Jaeger

--Jaeger

You may also want to consider putting a hole or 2 in your airbox. Check the archives, I remember a few threads about opening your airbox for more airflow. I'm thinking if your adding fuel, you'll want to add more air. Just curious, how's the W Wilson bridge coming, they done yet?

Funny, I was talking about punching some holes in teh airbox this afternoon, though apparently it's already sucking too much air as is! Hahah.

As far as the Woody, I stay away from that corner of the Beltway for the most part; that said, it's coming along, and apparently they're still on schedule. It's a helluva sight, lemme tell ya -- it's going to be quite impressive. I think teh traffic flow is alreayd somewhat improved, though anything would be a step up from stopped. :P

Ordered the jets today, so we'll se how this goes. I'm going to put the 142s in first, as i think i'll need the gas.

--Jaeger

awesome look!

OK, I read the blurb at steelthunder, about wrapped ex. keeping the ex. gas hotter, thereby reducing mass and giving better ex. flow.

I contend it "don't work that way". Cooler ex. pipe temps help ex. flow, as this reduces the volume of gas in the same sized pipe.

If one were to install too big of ex. pipe, that is, in diameter, and thereby hurt bottom end power, then maybe wrapping them to keep the heat in, and velocity up, would make sense.

If wrapping headers were the "hot set up" (pun intended), then every NHRA Comp Eliminator car out there would have wrapped headers. They don't. Not hard to draw a conclusion then.

The one point I'll agree to on this wrapping bit is that it does give one protection from leg burns from hot pipes. But I don't ride wearing shorts (anymore).

One last note: I don't care if a guy wants to wrap his pipes, especially if he likes the way it looks. But, I hate to see folks do it because they think it has improved performance value. It simply "ain't so". (If you do get improved performance, something else is amiss and needs to be fixed!)

i like the look and they (wraps) are no protection from heat they really hot not like exhaust but hot belive me

I agree PapaDean, just can't see how it improves performance, Think it's more of just a look some people like. Retailers will always try to convince their customers, there is an added value to their product to get the Na sayers to change their minds.

I didn't wrap the pipes for performance, or looks per say. After I layed it down, not so gently, the wraps were the cheapest solution to hide the scratches and a small dent on the left side. Same deal with the powder coat on the EPCOs, it covered some minor scratches on the slip ons. I'm a cheap S.O.B. and I know it. After about 5k, I haven't seen any adverse affects from the wraps.

you did know Epcos are stainless and can be buffed back to new in no time. But it still looks good, just depends on each persons taste. Your bike is an extension of yourself when you modify them.

UPDATE ON THE WRAPS AND STUFF...

Well, folks, it's been some months and a couple thousand miles, and I figured I'd chime in and provide some feedback.

The wraps, thusfar, have been quite a benefit at least in terms of looks, and I still believe (strangely) in terms of performance. Like I said, I originally put them on just 'cause I thought they looked cool, but immediately thereafter the bike started popping and backfiring on decel just like she did when i first got her!

Last I checked, that's an indication of running lean. After some months of just running with a backfirign bike (which can be fun, I must admit) I finally got the new 140 mains in , and backed the F-A screw out just a smidge, and she's MUCH happier. Smoother power delivery, much less backfiring (though still just a bit), and maybe just a hair more power.

As for the looks, I still haven't laquered the wraps, but they've stayed "relatively" clean (the bugs bounce off 'em quite nicely). I have received NUMEROUS compliments on the looks, tho.

Otherwise, no cooked valves, no significant overheating, and no other problems to speak of (aside from the "i want to ride more!" problem).

I think functionally what the wraps do is improve otherwise mediocre pipes. Teh bike came with TOR Longs, and I can't bring myself to spend more money on upgrade pipes (nor do I have the dollars). The wraps, however, seem to have improved the flow of otherwise so-so pipes. I've talked to several bike mechanics, and the majority said they would expect some minor improvement with wraps.

Anyway, just thought I'd share with the class. Hope this helps, folks!

--Jaeger