Favorite Exhaust Wrap
Ok, I know this has been gone over many times, Searching the board it looks like EHP Wetblanket was the favorite 5 or 10 years ago. Anyone know if they are still around and if they still have a superior product?
What other options are there?
Thanks
Mason
They cost more than the wrap but I like the Power Therm blankets better than any wrap easy to remove and does a better job
Anyone know any real/reliably reported improvements in reduced running temperatures where exhaust pipes are treated with wrap or other material?
I would like to wrap the exhaust with something, mine is real close to the tranny, it would make me feel better at least... ;)
Quote from: luvrbus on January 23, 2020, 07:01:33 PM
They cost more than the wrap but I like the Power Therm blankets better than any wrap easy to remove and does a better job
Where do you buy these?
I've used Thermotech exhaust wrap on a few applications over the years. It is a woven fiberglass like material. Has been used in high performance racing use. It comes in rolls. You install it wet and when it dries, fits nice and tight. It is like a heavy webbing in comparison. It has held up fine for me for several years. By containing the exhaust heat, the exhaust flow is improved like a hot chimney. Will even be beneficial on non turbo exhaust off the manifolds. The only reported down side could be oil retention from leaks, causing smoke and fire in extreme situations, like in drag racing. Blankets are great, although costly as they are thicker and insulate even better. As far as fire potential, in sensitive areas, Thermotech has covering that can be installed over the wrap.
There are at least two outfits in Ohio that sell exhaust insulation, one is Thermo-Tec in Greenwich, Ohio, and Design Engineering, Inc., in Avon Lake, Ohio. (My oldest son works there). Some of DEI's products are sold through Summit Racing Equiment. EHP Inc. in Temecula, CA has been used in Bus Conversions for years, and has products based on ceramics. The PowerTherm blankets that Cliff likes are made in El Reno, OK. Their stuff is mostly for big industrial situations, and are very expensive. It is hard to compare these various products against each other because they seem to be made from different materials, and have different sizes and thicknesses. I had previously leaned toward EHP, but now I think I have to give my son's employer a shot. One thing that bothers me is that the woven wraps insulate, but they do not seal exhaust gases if a leak develops underneath, particularly with the flexible pipes used for sliding mounts.
We need to have comparison testing of several products in the same use. The problem of insulation soaking up fuel or oils and creating a fire hazard needs to be addressed.
One nice thing with the wrap is that an exhaust leak will quickly show soot marks from exhaust leaks through the wrapping.
If you've got a turbo, a turbo blanket and exhaust wrap show real world improvements.
https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/43718/BICKLE-MASTERSREPORT-2016.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
You end up with spinning the turbo up faster and reaching peak power 2-3 seconds faster. IMHO, that's pretty important especially when trying to pull a hill.
Quote from: DoubleEagle on January 31, 2020, 08:17:46 AM
There are at least two outfits in Ohio that sell exhaust insulation, one is Thermo-Tec in Greenwich, Ohio, and Design Engineering, Inc., in Avon Lake, Ohio. (My oldest son works there). Some of DEI's products are sold through Summit Racing Equiment. EHP Inc. in Temecula, CA has been used in Bus Conversions for years, and has products based on ceramics. The PowerTherm blankets that Cliff likes are made in El Reno, OK. Their stuff is mostly for big industrial situations, and are very expensive. It is hard to compare these various products against each other because they seem to be made from different materials, and have different sizes and thicknesses. I had previously leaned toward EHP, but now I think I have to give my son's employer a shot. One thing that bothers me is that the woven wraps insulate, but they do not seal exhaust gases if a leak develops underneath, particularly with the flexible pipes used for sliding mounts.
We need to have comparison testing of several products in the same use. The problem of insulation soaking up fuel or oils and creating a fire hazard needs to be addressed.
Jerry Jefferson of Jefferson Bus (RIP) had mine made for me for the 8v92 they covered the manifolds,pipes and turbo they were expensive 1200 bucks for the set,preformance was better and turbo boost was higher,the most important part for me was the bedroom was a lot.lot cooler at the end of the day with the 8v92
We installed exhaust blankets in Big Transit for fire protection.
Once turbos showed up, and hydraulic fans were all the rage, buses started burning down.
Pinhole leaks igniting on the hot exhaust bits.
Blankets blocked the path.
Worthy trivia?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
I think I would ceramic coat the pipes instead. We've been doing that with headers for years now and it makes a difference of several hundred degrees at the surface of the pipe, as a practical sense the difference between being instantly scorched on contact with a 2nd or 3rd degree burn and being able to get away with touching the pipes with no harm done. Cerakote makes a bunch of products and they are way better than they used to be both for application and for use. You still have to sand blast the parts first but now you can spray on a water based coating that will self cure at room temperature in 24 hours to a smooth glossy finish that is noticeably durable. You guys should try it. I think you can buy about a pint for about $40 and that should be plenty.
Jim
I ordered some DEI Exhaust wrap to start with, I will let you guys know how it works.
Thanks for the help! ;)
Yes, EHP still in business and we're about to start working in earnest with them very soon on our DL3. More info to follow!
Kind Regards, Phil
Here is an excellent article by a Canadian Yvan Lacroix, who knows about what is it like being in the cold. He did not use the Exhaust Blanket material for his bus insulation but used the same type of insulation to keep his bus warm in the cold Canada winters.
Also, Jay Leno uses this same exhaust material in his race cars to keep the heat from the engine off his driver.
I used this material to wrap the exhaust manifold and pipe in my generator that was continually shutting down due to overheating. After I wrapped my pipe, the heat was forced out the end of the exhaust rather than dissipating thru the exhaust manifold and pipe.
https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/comfort-year-round-with-ehp/
Don't wrap the bellows (expansion) on the pipe or it will break a section of the manifold on a series 60 I have seen it break the manifold on 8v92's too with the heat bellows wrapped
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on January 31, 2020, 08:07:25 PM
I think I would ceramic coat the pipes instead. We've been doing that with headers for years now and it makes a difference of several hundred degrees at the surface of the pipe, as a practical sense the difference between being instantly scorched on contact with a 2nd or 3rd degree burn and being able to get away with touching the pipes with no harm done. Cerakote makes a bunch of products and they are way better than they used to be both for application and for use. You still have to sand blast the parts first but now you can spray on a water based coating that will self cure at room temperature in 24 hours to a smooth glossy finish that is noticeably durable. You guys should try it. I think you can buy about a pint for about $40 and that should be plenty.
Jim
I think I may go this route but I would apply the ceramic coating on the inside of the system so blast cleaning and application would be a little more difficult.
The problem with blankets is that condensation forms inside the insulation on the surface of the pipe. It does tend to accelerate rot and the heat in the pipe is that much greater which destroys any aluminized coating that it may have had at birth. The aluminized coating is good to approximately 800 F whereas galvanized coating is only good to about 600 F
Even then ferritic type of stainless (400 series) will suffer with a blanket but to a lesser degree.
Being a rear diesel pusher I use blankets for safety mainly because of the flash point on engine,transmission fluid which is some where around 450F +/- then diesel with 125F+/- then the antifreeze and lot of engine fires are antifreeze related with a flash point of 232F +/- but I do use the ceramic coating on manifolds some time it does help a little .I have saw a couple hundred degree drop on a diesel engine manifold before using it best I saw on a 8v92 ta was 700F EGT to around 680F
With those wraps rust is always a problem unless you live where salt is never used on the roads and the temperature rarely drops below the dew point. I've seen exhaust pipes turned to crumbly rust after just one year. With the thicker pipes on a bus it'll take a little longer but I've come to really hate that type of rust personally and will do everything I can to avoid it. Which means, no wraps. The ceramic works extremely well, even if just on the outside of the pipe. It keeps the heat in and that keeps the inside of the pipe drier. Since that became a thing I've rarely seen rusted out ceramic coated pipes. Now if I felt more heat barriers were needed I'd probably build a box around it using a layer of thin stainless, then maybe some thermal blanket if I could be sure of sealing up the edges, followed by another thin stainless layer. That makes an excellent barrier which is both effective and durable.
Jim
How about wrapping ceramic coated pipes? Just wondering...
Depends on how good your ceramic is. My first go around, the ceramic was attacked by road salt. Sure didn't see that one coming. But that also was 30 years ago and since then they have gotten much better.
Jim