Exhaust Pipe Wrap

David Maner

I purchased some fiberglass exhaust pipe wrap a while back and wrapped my exhaust pipe up to the bracket that bolts to the VC460 engine that stabilizes the exhaust pipe. After a short run of maybe a couple miles when I got back to the shop I could smell something burning. The pipe wrap I purchased was black and the color was a paint or something like that and apparently that coloring was burning off. I couldn't tell that the temperature under the seat '86DS was any cooler and when I checked the temperature of the pipe at the head it wasn't much cooler than the bare pipe would have been after the same drive. Mind you this was a 95 degree day.
Yesterday needing something to do I reused the same wrap and wraped the pipe most of the way to that bracket. Drove around about the same distance as before but this time I didn't notice the smoke or the smell quite as bad as the first time. I guess I was burning the color off of the pipe wrap the first time.
I still have quite a bit of the pipe wrap left and was wondering if it was ok to wrap another layer over the top of this layer. When I wrapped this pipe I overlapped the wrap by about 2/3 maybe even more in the tight turn coming from the head to the cross piece above the engine.

My question is: Is the pipe wrap's purpose to cut down on the under hood/seat temperatures or to keep the exhaust hot heading back to the muffler? By keeping the pipe hotter at the head is that causing the exhaust valve to run hotter, maybe even the head?

Educate me on the whatfors of using exhaust pipe wrap. Maybe even explain to me the proper way to get there from here.
Anyways heres a photo of what my wrap looks like right now.

Thanks for any and all comments.

Peace and lets all have a wonderful day

ETA: This Golf Cart addiction is an addiction I fully enjoy and is about as benign as my wallet can stand :-)

Attached Images

exhaust-pipe-wrap.jpg (97.8 KB, 0 views)

BGW

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Shepard

Header wrap is a 3 fold subject -- one it can increase horse power --- 2 it can decrease engine bay temperature -- 3 it will destroy your headers in short order. The trade off comes if it does the job the installer wants it to. I think you want a cooler engine compartment and to add protection for your fuel tank. I don't think any power increase interests you so we go on to a negative issue. The wrap cools fast and holds condensation formed against the exhaust pipe and causes it to rust from the inside out. The header pipe metal deteriorates faster just because its heated. There are many articles that speak the pro's and con's on header wrap. I think protecting the fuel tank from to much heat is a good reason to install it.

PS -- it stinks bad till it heat cures.

sho305

You can also make a heat shield, a piece of tin or alum pan works great. Just place in between them and it will reflect a lot of the heat. I put one in back of my frame the header is close to the bottom of the bagwell and I didn't want it to get too hot on that plastic body. As seen in lower left of this pic, just a plate of alum.

Attached Images

IMG_20170507_183748.jpg (198.6 KB, 0 views)

BrutalSoldier

My wrap job on header and the homemade heat shield over fuel tank.
20170808_202103.jpg

BrutalSoldier

Do you think I will have this problem? Humidity out this way is very low even A/C puts off very little condensation.

sho305

Should only need the shield near the hot pipe, unless you make it larger so you have better places to attach it. Make sure you leave an air space behind it so cool air can flow behind it.

Shepard

I can only relay the information. I can't say what will happen in your location. Like I said -- there's a trade off -- if it does what the installer wants it to do -- keep the engine bay cooler -- then replacing your header every now and then wouldn't matter. Don't ride in the rain or snow either if it can get the header wrap wet -- be careful where you store your ride when not in use. Don't park it in a dirt floor shed as it will draw moisture. Remember - there's pro's and con's to consider and keeping the engine bay cooler is a good Pro. If I was concerned about heat in the engine compartment I would install a fan in the seat shell or a clutch fan.

https://www.centuryperformance.com/e...o-not-use.html

BrutalSoldier

I felt the need to try something. After running cart on jack stands over 5 min the plastic side of gas tank was so hot I couldn't hold my finger against it. The powerful engine fan was blowing hot air across header directly on tank.
I did think about the fact the cart was not moving but also body wasn't on so I felt better to be safe than sorry.

raydhd

Interesting. With us VC 460 yamaha users the cylinder head is in the back of the cart and the tank up front so we don't face the same issue. In fact the under seat temp seems MUCH lower than with the stocker I guess mainly due to the difference of the muffler location.

Shepard

Please don't get me wrong, I would use header wrap in the right situation. In yours and Dave's machines it is a necessary thing to do with the fuel tank where it is. I do not want to be negative with all the moneys spent on your machines -- but seeing how yours and Dave's are set up with the engine pointing forward [love that aspect] I would make my own exhaust and go straight down then back under the cart to a muffler. You both have lift kits and you guys don't go stump jumping, I don't see a big issue having the exhaust underneath.