Header wrap mod on 2000 Katan 600

[ironhorse]

I have this on the New Mexico forum.........too lazy to repost here.

http://www.cycleforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=235663

Short version - installed header wrap to keep the heat in the headers and not on my feet, etc. Also supposed to make the engine work more efficiently. Seems quieter to me. Google the wrap or look on Jeg's, Summit Racing, Yearwood's, etc.

[DooD]

Good idea.....Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a wrapped header hold heat better, thus increasing exhaust gas velocity inside the tubes?

If you find that the fiberglass is gettin' to ya pretty bad, try showering with an S.O.S. pad.....I used to cut fiberglass pipe insulation with a band saw all day, and that seemed to be the only way to get it out of my skin. Just a thought - not recommended for people with sensitive skin!

[ironhorse]

Rode to work today - seems to have more torque. Is quieter and sounds "different".
Want to get a slip-on now.
Would've cleaned up the welds inside the pipes at the header/cylinder flange, but had already made enough parts trips and wanted to ride.
Rained today, streets were wet, so I didn't get on it much (not that I'm a super rider....)

[Hudson]

Yay for thermo dynamics! Something *I* can yab about!

This is a common trick on hot rods, but the science is all the same for any engine really.

Dood is absolutly right, hot exhuast tubes allow for the gasses to pass through them much easier due to the fact that the gasses stay hot instead of cooling down along the way. It's not 'velocity' however, its /viscosity/! but pretty much the same idea.

Exhuast pipes are normaly designed with one thing in mind - sound, keeping it down. However, some people actualy design their tubes to /bleed heat out/ also! don't ask me why, but the idea is fricking stupid. some exhuast systems even advertize this, like its some sort of great idea. it's not.

Where wraps come in:
Wraps help do two things: one, hold the heat in, and two, keep the built up heat from escaping and over heating nearby componets, like, say, your expensive plastics.

Now the science behind it is really basic gas science, hot gas moves faster than cold gas. why? because the molecules are spread further apart, just like chunks of mud in a water pipe, the more loose they are, the faster they flow.

Most people don't think it would make that much of a differece, but be aware it can often make a /huge/ difference in power, often adding a few HP, a common trick for hot rodders to push the max out of an engine when they have already hit top end every other method.

And yes, it can change the tune of your tubes.

As a bonus, if you get the right kind of wraps, you can move them around and change them up. some people find having the wrap 'thicker' on one portion of the pipes vs others (hint, try this trick around where the tubes bend..) that they can get varied results. again, water pipe with mud clumps flowing through it, wheres it gonna want to slow down? where the pipe bends, where the pipe narrows,etc.

Also, another place you can check this science out, those huge cans at your rear end? many brands are stuffed with a baffleing material, which also serves as an insulation. If its old, and a little worn, its thermal properties wears down. With a little homework, or maybe some calls to manufacturere's home base, and some skill, you can re-pack your cans. (if yours have that sort of technology in them)

*whistful sigh* I love science.

[Sizzler]

Hmmm.... a debate is brewing

I am NOT schooled in the laws of thermodynamics nor mechanical engineering and have no schooled/professional experience in either of these disciplines.

Having stated that I do find hte arguments for/against heat wrap usage to be interesting and I do understand what each side is saying.

For y'alls reference check out the following website where another guy argues the at heat wraps do more harm than good:

http://www.centuryperformance.com/heatwraps.asp

Again, I'm not arguing for or against, just passing along a website addy from someone that has an opposite opinion (sometimes practical experience is the best kind).

Personally, if I was 100% sure there would be no harm done I would wrap my kats header pipes just because I like the look of it

[BarMatt80]

the only negative that i have heard of people using header wrap on exhuast is that it holds moisture toward the pipes. and rusts the pipe out. I know when they get hot they would evaporate the heat out, however i do know of a guy that put it on his header and all the sudden it was like his turbo fell off his car, but what happened that it rusted the headers or manifold from holding water that it finally blew through.

[Hudson]

I'm a little on the fence with the arguments that page makes. Yes, if your engine is configured one way or another, your prefroamnce gain will vary.

but one-race pipes because of wraps?? omg oxidizing issues? etc? i'v never once heard of that happening. so either this guy has seen some really botched jobs, or hes done them before and somehow done them wrong. I can make up lots of really fancy charts and pictures too, doesn't really proove much. :P

He's also compairing nascar's results to your joe monkey ride rigger.

The argument 'they wont replace headers that were wrapped', is pretty weak overall also.

You do /anything/ to a part, they probaly wont cover it, that includes riding your engine over a specific RPM, and since you can't proove that you didn't, tough luck chump. (but then how would they know you wrapped them? :P)

Most manufacturers will cover a part if it breaks like, instantly, but if its been used for any lenght of time at all, they normaly won't, just my experiance with that.

bottom line:
This is just like any custom mod on any vehicle, Do at your own financial and physical risk. Anything non stock has the potential to work really well, or really screw things up.

Rule of the wrench, and always has been, always will be.

Also, parting note, some wraps are designed very differently than others. some wick mosture away, others might trap it inside. some might have a gooey coating inside to help seal them and fight wear and tear, others don't. some are high tech, others are just fancy fiberglass ace bandages. YMMV.

[iwannadie]

i always liked the look of wrapped pipes i planned on doing it eventually. also figured it would be a performance gain. i dont know if rust would be a big deal for me in arizona seeing as i never ride in the rain....

[brooder]

It's not just rain. In Arizona you may be alright (never lived there so I'm not sure), but in Illinois, where humidity hovers around 150% during the summer, water can still get inside and rust.

[MIBagentQ]

humidity hovers around 150% during the summer

the engineer in me says that that isnt possible. But hey, what do I know

[GytRDunKat]

humidity hovers around 150% during the summer

the engineer in me says that that isnt possible. But hey, what do I know

I know the feeling of unbearable humidity... nothing like cutting through the air with a knife

[stangdude22]

Does anyone have any suggested brands? places to find it?

[ironhorse]

I asked about the trapped water/humidity aspect and was told it shouldn't be a problem here in Albuquerque. I also don't ride in the rain UNLESS the weather guy is wrong (like the day after I got the header wraps installed and ready to ride!!!)

Another reason I put them on was the possibility of heat damage to everything elso on the bike (my feet and arse are on the bike also) - not to mention the fact that you have an aluminum motor/oil pan etc., which is an excellent conductor wrapped almost 1/2 with hot exhaust, with 5 gallons of gas sitting on top. I don't see how it could hurt to wrap the header to get more heat out of the engine - even if I have to replace the headers maybe twice during the bike's life. IF mine fails, I'l get a Jet-coat header (or other heat-insulating coating - inside and out) and put wrap on it, too!! I think this is especially relevant considering I ride 99% around town for errands and to and from work at "low" speeds and sitting at stop lights.
The failure of the header is fairly small consideration when you are talking about the possibility of heat-induced motor, fairings, wiring, etc. failure. I can still drive the shit out of the beastie with a hole in the header (until I get it fixed, anyway.)

Look up Yearwood's, Summit Racing, Jeg's, or just Google "header wrap". There are other products than the Ace bandage-style coverings, also.

[ironhorse]

And another thing - the motor is air-cooled, BUT there is an 800-1400 degree (depending who you ask) heater in front of it (the header) pre-heating the air before it goes to cool the motor. MY thinking is that if I can cool the incoming air down any bit at all it will help the motor.

[tzortn]

That is usually what header wraps are used. It does help the exhaust gas keep its temp and therfore it speed, but it does a lot more in terms of protecting other parts. Under a car hood keeping the heat in the exhaust and not in the intake air means more power as well.