Never wrap your downpipe...

[David Turbo6]

So i took out my GN for the first time this year,over the winter i wrapped my 3" downpipe with a 46mm wastegate.The reason i wrapped it is because it was sappose to fit perfectly for an 87 GN...but it didn't so my guys at the shop had to Macgyver it and it looks like ****.So i wanted to wrap it to hide the weld marks,after driving it for 10mins i was smelling a burning smell,i pulled over and saw it smoking. I took the car home and ripped the heat wrap off and runs great...I am not sure to leave alone,i did spend enough$$ on itI don't really want to mention what brand it is...or maybe i shouldWhen i called them back he told me that my motor mounts need to be changed..lol what BS!Thanks guys!

 

[DoubleD]

was the wrap actually on fire? The wrap does smoke and smell like s*** when it is first put on there as all the excess stuff is sorta burned off, plus grease on the pipe etc... maybe that was what you were seeing?

Was it affecting how the car was running?

I use wrap on mine which is coated with the DEI silicone stuff. holds up really well and looks really nice.

I also run the wrap on my snowmobiles to keep the heat up in the pipes when you get into the deep stuff. Cannot say I've really ever had an issue...

 

[David Turbo6]

Wrap

No the wrap wasn't on fire, but a burning smell which was strong coming into the interior.
I did not grease it, do i have to?

 

[David Turbo6]

Pic

This is what it looks like!

 

[84ttype]

was the wrap actually on fire? The wrap does smoke and smell like s*** when it is first put on there as all the excess stuff is sorta burned off, plus grease on the pipe etc... maybe that was what you were seeing?

X2

I've had wrap on my downpipe for a couple thousand miles now with no problems, it did smell horrible and smoke a little bit the first week I put it on though but havent had a problem since.

 

[DoubleD]

No, you dont have to grease it, it is just likely that the downpipe and wrap had grease/oils on it from production (they also wax it to keep the fiberglass fibers down) and also probably got a little crap on it from the install.

The small amount of smoking is normal. when you paint or spill crap on headers it has to burn off.

I find that the DEI silicone spray works very well and gets nice and soaked into the wrap. I spray it on the pipe before and after wrap as well.

I wonder if I have pics somewhere...

 

[David Turbo6]

Wrap

Ok guys then i should give it another shot.
It's suppose to handle up to 900°. Thanks!:biggrin:

 

[AdReNaLiNe]

That wrap is fine.

You are going to smell that burning for a few weeks. I wrapped many of my downpipes (motorcycle, MR2) and the smell is always there (A hint of it at least) and if it gets wet, it will smell as the exhaust dries it off.

It's just the nature of the wrap. I've run mine on extremely hot setups without it burning at all. One thing I will warn you about however, is that if there are a lot of welds in the DP so they could get it into the car, the wrap around that pipe will make those welds brittle and weak over time. because it holds all the heat in the pipe and around it. Not allowing the ambient air to cool the outside of the pipe and move that hot air around.

 

[David Turbo6]

Humm...

So since it's been re-welded before maybe i should not cover it?
Is it normal to smoke also?

 

[Nick Micale]

We went through this over 20 years ago, just throw it in the trash.

It does not help anything, but it can and will cause problems.

Unless you have one of the ultra-rare turbo Buicks built that does NOT leak any oil, that wrap acts like a sponge and traps oil. Enough oil and you will have a real fire.

 

[David Turbo6]

Gn!

Thanks Nick i think your right it's BS to wrap it!
I must be to fuzzy i'll leave alone down the road maybe i will buy a new downpipe or cut at the top and have it redone:smile:

 

[turbofabricator]

I see why you wanted to wrap it. Not the best welding job, for sure. I know welds don't have to look god to actually be good, but the rest of your engine bay is top notch. A TIG welder does a MUCH nicer job than a wire feed.

Wrapping a mild steel pipe will also accelerate the rusting/rotting of the pipe, too. I'm not sure why you would have had to modify the down pipe that much to make it fit. If it was that far off, I would have sent it back.

 

[HelloBozos]

Wrapping will save heat!! an paint jobs, But!!...if use on street car over period of time,rain,dirt gets stored in it an it actually accelerates your pipes corroding/rusting .Major draw back if you loose a tranny-oil lines an it hits the wrap,you'll get delayed guaranteed Fire!

Enjoy!

 

[Chuck Leeper]

"Wrapping will save heat!"... And, what's the value of "saving the heat" once the exh gases have passed thru the turbo???????

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

In my case a Wrap solves two problems that could only other wise be solved with a HIGH $$$$$$$$ custom DP.

i am going to have my DP for my Frankenstein Ceramic coated then wrapped
as my DP is too close to my Alky tank (no other place to move the tank to) and the upper A-arm's rear bushing A bushing shield will not fit in between the DP and the bushing.:frown:
Performance gains ????? it should help by not igniting a gallon of M1 while its still in the tank.
and it should help keep the wheel alignment in check by NOT burning the Control Arm bushing.

 

[Pittsburghkid]

So since it's been re-welded before maybe i should not cover it?
Is it normal to smoke also?

Those are the welds? Holy Moly I thought that was a pic of the pipe with the wrap on it. haha. I can see why you want hide it.Can't you grind down all the excess welder slop and atleast make it look a little better than that. With how good the rest of your bay looks it would hurt to try that and hit it with some high temp paint atleast.

 

[GNWANTED]

I have had my downpipe wrapped for a couple of years, no issues as of yet. The only reason I have it wrapped is to try and keep the heat down in the engine bay. I also coated/painted my wrap with header paint.

 

[GSX-PKV]

You have a nice looking engine and that wrap detracts from it. I used that thermotec wrap on my crossover pipe under the car and it lasted for over 15 years there but eventually when it started to fall apart I did not replace it.

 

[DoubleD]

I think if wrap is done well, wrapped evenly and tightly, and then painted, it wouldn't detract from the appearance of the engine bay... Though I'm partial I guess.

I did it to keep some heat out of the engine bay. I imagine wrapping the crossover could yield benefits as well, but my car definitely leaks some oil there at the moment...

 

[Bruce Urie]

We went through this over 20 years ago, just throw it in the trash.

It does not help anything, but it can and will cause problems.

Unless you have one of the ultra-rare turbo Buicks built that does NOT leak any oil, that wrap acts like a sponge and traps oil. Enough oil and you will have a real fire.

Yeah, I agree with Nick...it didn't solve anything on my GN at all, just stunk up the engine bay and more than enough guys told me I'm asking for trouble.....threw mine in the trash. (someone gave the wrap to me as he sold his Turbo and didn't need it)

Was always worried it would somehow set the engine compartment on fire.

Bruce '87 Grand National