Do Turbo Blankets Work?

We used real science to test if Turbo Blankets produce a noticeable benefit. The short answer is yes. But using an Infrared Camera you might be surprised at the differences.
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[@kogulification]

You've taught me more, then what I've learned in school

[@PileggisGarage]

Guess Rob should do grammar lessons then?

[@kogulification]

+Nick P yes, yes he should 😂😂😂😂. But you get the point

[@AKM7GOATWOLF]

Too true mate XD (It's worse for me cause I'm Indian)

[@kc550]

*than

[@harryguy76]

LMAO.. it's not a spelling bee DB lol.Get stuffed.

[@samthemultimediaman]

wrapping your headers and or entire exhaust also helps a lot too

[@SWATROLLK9]

Yes. I have a super charged mercedes C230 Kompressor and my ambient temps went down about 20F degrees.

[@hardskider]

Rust.

[@SWATROLLK9]

+Lucio Guy no. All you do is drive the car and it will evaporate moisture bud.

[@datownkidd]

Thats also a really good way to crack your headers.

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

+datownkidd youve got thin, shitty ass headers then.

[@duranamo4297]

I Put one on my 2011 Mitsubishi Evo and I have noticed that it builds boost a lot sooner than it did before without the blanket.

[@jimmy2f]

Good job with the video. I have one thought. Your shiny intake has a very low emissivity. Meaning that it reflects infrared light. Not convinced the heat you saw in the infrared image was real. Most likely reflected IR light from the turbo housing. You will need to take temps of intake with a contact probe to confirm actual temps.

[@topdownb58]

lmao the rubber jokes....did me a big ol chuckle...

[@Wulven-Hollow]

+Rob Dahm That really was an awesome spin especially cause you can tell it was basically improv.

[@TheBrokenLife]

Jokes aside, melting things like engine mounts and cushion clamps is a VERY real concern when packaging turbos for OEM applications. Been there, done that. IMO, I'd strongly consider a bunch of heat wrap on your down pipe, in addition to the blanket, Rob. If you run it down a ways you may get rid of some of that interior heat too.

[@isopropylyummy]

Turbo blankets are always good! someone on NASIOC took their thermal camera, and tested blankets/gold tape/and some other items and came out with some good info.

[@HaunterMusicDJ]

love my turbo blanket so far. really noticed a more consistent band and earlier light spool off casual stop and go driving in my WRX

[@PoorManMods]

i did a video similar to this last year, i had a lower quality blanket not like one you had, I only at a laster thermometer and you did a much better job than I did, good stuff man.

[@vimmeh]

Very informative video Rob, I run a TB on my old v3 Impreza STi. With its top mount intercooler, it would absorb a lot of heat from the turbo nearby. With the addition of the TB, the turbo area is now much cooler but more importantly the TMIC is cold to the touch, they do work.

[@RyanDeClue]

Love love love real world application information videos. No speculation, just hard fact. Turbo blanket or no, this is precisely the reason I'll be going with rear mount turbos. I'm really surprised you haven't as well. I mean, it's out of the engine bay, further time and distance for the air sheathe to cool, easy access and install, No manifold fabrication. Hell, on my OctoRex I've even got heat shielding where the muffler used to be .

[@DatBlueHusky]

because of this video, i just bought a turbo blanket for my wrx. Reason i never gotten one is that theres a hole inside the hood scoop that cools the turbo but the blanket will help during hot summer days in traffic.

[@playwolf253]

I really like these videos really interesting and informative

[@bigdaddy_z33]

Last time I had a hole in my rubber, my race car nearly disappeared

[@cliffweatherbee6914]

I've only been watching Rob Dahm for a little over a year now. I LOVE seeing these older videos! Rob has been so detailed and thorough for years!

[@observingrogue7652]

This is why I really like turbo blankets & full exhaust wraps. They protect everything from the heat, and I think they keep the heat in the exhaust system, so the whole system is more consistent, the exhaust flows out better, and doesn't slow down & create some resistance, because of the colder sections making the exhaust flow denser, like the final parts of the straight pipes, the mufflers, or the parts of the plumbing hit with cool air.

[@nzsaltflatsracer8054]

All turbo & hot pipe blankets are NOT built out of the same stuff & are NOT equal & the most expensive on the market is NOT the best. Silica quilted blankets are by far the best. The goal of boosting an engine is to increase the air density to the engine & hot side heat absorbed by the cold side is counter productive to that. Plus if you're picking up hot intake air under the hood you are also decreasing the density charge. Monitor the charge temp at the engine, the lower the better.

[@Nizmopower]

Yessss plz do more videos like these whenever you have the opportunity! Being able to walk away from a video with more knowledge than I had before watching it is always a plus in my books.

[@meshracing8508]

Literary just purchased turbo blankets and exhaust wrap for the RX7 and GTR today before watching this video,. This helps explain the spider web paint cracking I have on the RX7's hood. Very informative, thanks for making this!

[@ka124as]

You still got em? Nice cars!

[@Wulven-Hollow]

Can't wait to see more about the 4-Rotor. So far it looks awesome.

[@stingofpurlear8]

Great great GREAT! Video dahm!... ive just finished a turbo upgrade on my rx7 and have been in discussion about use of a turbo blanket, the one negative that ive thought of is the fact of it holding heat in could produce moisture and also may scortch the oil!?!... great vid

[@TessellationRow]

Definitely do more science videos! Performance can be gained using a blanket due to a less thermal energy transfer between the exhaust gas and the turbine housing. A cooler turbine housing absorbs more heat from the exhaust gas (decreasing pressure, temperature and ultimately mass flow) As turbine surface temperature increases , an ever smaller fraction of exhaust thermal energy can be transferred to the turbine housing. This leads to less pressure loss and better mass flow. The major drawback to turbo blankets is a BIG increase in heat transfer engine oil. On a rotary, which has very very high EGT's normally, this could easily lead to oil coking.

[@A4ANT]

I need to do research on oil coking on Honda K20C engine

[@hexrx]

I would love more videos like these. Quick question, with the heat trapping effects of the blanket, what does that latent heat do to the oil/water that remains in the turbo once it is shut off? Would the blanket introduce an environment that promotes oil coking?

[@Sounds_about_right]

Love how you explain everything using real scenarios and using your own physical testing.

[@gamerx262]

Love these types of videos! I would love to see more like this, or possibly more about rotary engines in particular.

[@2trekkertrek]

Please Please PLEASE do more of these!

[@BlakesGarage]

I have that same PTP lava turbo blanket on my car. Love it.

[@amaninawindow]

This is the first video I've seen of yours and was thoroughly impressed. Concise, informative, entertaining. Subscribed!

[@MetalMilitia072583]

I'd be interested in more videos like this.

[@OverpassVisuals]

Do more of these. Thanks!

[@DakotaTheKid97]

We definitely need more videos like this, especially with how in depth you went to describe everything. It was perfect, keep it up.

[@TheCheckerdboy777]

Please post more of these videos. Loved learning about this and it was very interesting

[@colear3]

I rarely watch through to the end, but I was genuinely interested and watched this all the way through!

[@JetCityHooligan]

Would love to see a difference between a bare turbo, ceramic coated turbo and ceramic coated with a turbo blanket. I know the ceramic coating on my ducati's exhaust helped a ton keeping heat off my leg as well as keeping the radiant heat off the parts that the exhaust is near throughout the bike.

[@ironman18952]

I am a firm believer in exhaust wraps or coatings aswell because I have had guys come in complaining of hard starts after a hard run down the road. the cause was the heat from the header or turbo evaporated the fuel in the fuel rail

[@adamtooms8977]

one of my favourite videos of yours recently. i love learning about things like this

[@bombebomb]

So, I need to keep the blankets on to prevent rubbers from breaking, life lessons by Dahm.

[@JJfan48]

I've worked with turbos for the past year at an airplane engine shop. going to start suggesting blankets now for the racers. thanks Rob. would love more!

[@MrAcat1988]

Ive been watching for a long time. This was one of my favorite videos so far Rob. Excellent quality and great work man! Thanks

[@PatonHaus]

Cool video, it was interesting to see the IR images.

[@samc5898]

I know it's late but this is amazing and if you do more of these, I definitely won't complain

[@slanted-rcdriftingsa166]

Less heat also decreases the possibility of engine wear or mechanical failure. To protect the paint on the hood however, I'd just pop a reflective insulation guard under the bonnet where it's meant to be (or run methanol lolz) I will defo second some of the comments below. Get that turbo blanket, wrap your headers and use quality lubricants including coolant. Also ensuring that your custom radiator provides good enough cooling (heat dissipation) for your particular vehicle, is never a bad idea. All this comes down to; if you want your car to perform consistently, invest some time in researching upgrades, save up the bucks and stick to only installing quality parts. Very informative video, thank you @Rob Dahm ;)

[@TheProPilot]

I did a ceramic coating and lava rock wrap on my manifold, turbo and downpipe and I witnessed about a 600rpm difference from where the car would make 1psi of boost. I did the test back to back the same day and did multiple pulls to confirm it.

[@BFE08STI]

I like how much you giggle when talking about rubber xD

[@JayyR34]

Rob, I super appreciate this vid, you definitely did your research. I like how you explained, and showed the data you learnt, you made it very easy for me to understand. I'll be checking out your other videos too, especially the AR vid. cheers!

[@CastleRockable]

Definitely blanket turbos. I work at a petrochemical plant, all of our steam turbines and turbo expanders are blanketed. When you insulate, it keeps the process more adiabatic and closer to the ideal isentropic process.

[@M0l2175UN3]

This was a good thing to cover, another would be how much does wrapping your turbo manifold/header change the temp.

[@OleMateJ]

please do more of these type of vids man loved it

[@Monstero5o]

When heat is contained in an object that pushes hot air, that contained heat helps push it out faster, also keeping the temps around the dump pipe and rear housing the same stops unwanted expending of metals and stops regular flow. It's like driving down the road, and in one area for 1000m its 40 degrees and after that for 1000m is 10 degrees and keeps changing. I have a turbo blanket and heat shield aswell and you can notice the car comes on boost 0.90secs faster on boost and its alot more constant. Next up is Ceramic coating Make a video on Ceramic coat headers, rear housing, dump pipes etc?

[@velocity211]

great video. please make more videos like this getting into the technical stuff. especially with your extensive experience with modifying cars, it would be helpful to many.

[@jfreundST1]

I mean... this should come as no surprise. That bubbled and cracked hood is insane! Plus, the rubber pun was good :)

[@aw11man26]

One more thing to remember is that hotter exhaust gas has a higher velocity which help in scavenging exhaust out of the turbo and exhaust quicker which also helps turbo spool. 1 more thing to remember with a rotary is that it's exhaust gas is several hundred degrees hotter than a piston engine. Because of this heat soak is worse so a turbo blanket and thermal control is even more important with a rotary. Also the RX7 engine bay is real big so there isnt as much air flow especially when you drop a larger engine than what the factory engineers meant to be in there. A 3 rotor engine will be worse than the stock 13b and a 20b will be even worse.

[@carkid70]

this is the kinda stuff I love to see on KZbin. I love it when MCM does it, and I'd love it if you did it more

[@deezznts]

Dahm kept mentioning the cost of the Turbo Blanket like it was $1000. I checked out of curiosity and they are only like $50-$150. I thought they were going to be way more expensive. Definitely worth the money for the benefits you get. Excellent video BTW.

[@HammerRocks]

Thanks for doing this video. I've always wondered if they worked. Now that I know, I'll be getting one immediately.

[@turbow02]

Love the scientific angle of this video. Common sense hot-rodding instead of rumor and tradition. Keep it up.

[@realnameno194]

What a smart dude. Well put together video, wonderful explanations, thoroughly enjoyed the depth of the answers. Subscribed.

[@boostedbuiltgarage]

Even if there is no performance gain, it's ludacris to not run one, especially in a tight location. They have made a world of difference on my 2 cars, so much so I can basically rest my hand one my turbo when & after its been running. p.s. Liking the vid Rob!

[@DodgeCrazed]

Dude loved the video. I like your delivery of the science end of things. You explained this in a way that was both scientific but also simple and easy t understand. I loose interest easily if it gets to long winded or over technical. Great job. Keep it up.

[@THISLOVETHISHATE99]

yes keep doing video's like this it helps me make informed decision for when i finally build my 2jz 240sx

[@chubbylee240]

you should try the gold reflective tape under your hood to see if it helps with heating up your hood. Maybe do the intercooler while your at it too. Definitely cool to watch and learn from this vid

[@Odium515]

I love these informative videos. very fun to watch and interesting

[@hrdcoreme]

I love these bro-Science videos. I work for GE on gas turbine for power generation plants. And it’s true about the blades growing with the case and closing up the clearances in side making it more efficient. On the bigger Turbines that have bucket width of 19 ft. They take in to account not only thermal growth but also centrifugal growth. Awesome video even if it was a long time ago. Lol

[@DiabloDeezy]

Absolutely loved the video, i was suprised myself that there was such drastic diferences by just addidng the blanket! Thanks alot for the vid man.

[@realreviewsforrealguys1504]

to answer your question, yes. i love the videos that discuss the theory of scientific, mathematical, and mechanical aspects of modern car engineering

[@Skrillfreak]

I'm looking to do some custom turbo work on my z car, and I wanted to look into turbo blankets, and who knew I'd be taken way back to your old videos. Long time subscriber, thanks for doing what you do, Rob!

[@kevinprovince8889]

Thank you. This helped me make my decision for a turbo blanket for my Fiat 124 Spider.

[@Streetzlegend]

Absolutely make more videos like this. As you learn teaching that to others helps you understabd even more too.

[@fashkanof]

BEST VIDEO SO FAR DO MORE STUFF LIKE THIS!!!

[@evoblade2000]

Great video and I enjoyed the use of the infrared camera.

[@elisheffer6049]

Definitely make more of those videos, It is really interesting to learn and see how *go fast merch* really handles from a scientific point of view, rather than "feeling the difference". GJ

[@xCometo]

doing a engine rebuild myself on a 2.5 wrx sti impreza 2006. currently just 420whp but little things like this are really intresting. good shit

[@Zakkday]

dude, rob, yes. we need more videos like this science rules.

[@inuysha360]

I'd love to see more vids like this!

[@pagz7779]

I definitely liked this video, I always like to learn more about cars and how different parts of them work and can work better. That is one of the things that I really like about your channel Rob, that you have a really good mix of entertaining and also educational videos. I love seeing when you post a new video, can't wait to see more about the 4-rotor!

[@avii5429]

Great video, really informative! Never even considered that simply keeping the turbo temp stable, you can get better performance from it. I know there's no proof of that, yet, but it makes sense to my brain. And I always thought blankets were honestly just a waste of money. Actually seeing just how much heat there is with and without it, I now think its an absolute necessity if you're gonna run decent boost and want to keep a nice paint job. And you definitely should do more video like this one, can't wait for the 4 rotor build tho!

[@raymondshansivarajah2166]

Actualy there is prove to that. Search for the link in some of the comment here. It leads to the research done.

[@RubenLensvelt]

I remember from my Bsc in engineering that the turbo charger exchanges potential (inertia) energy between the exhaust gas and the intake gas. Potential energy in the gas is a technical term for the speed of the gas. What happens in fact is: the turbine takes the mass of the gas, multiplied by its speed and turns it into angular momentum and speed. Then at the compressor side it happens vice versa. The thought that I'm trying to convey here is that the turbo utilises the speed of the exhaust gas, not the pressure differential. Now, the speed of the exhaust gas will be that of the speed of sound at its temperature. The speed of sound always only depends on the temperature(as long as the gas mixture stays the same and not suddenly becomes a different gas or so). Low temperature gas has a low speed of sound and the speed of sound is high in a high temperature gas. When the gas flows from a high pressure place to a low pressure place, it will travel at the speed of sound. Less than an atm. is needed to make a gas flow at the speed of sound. The reason to keep the exhaust gas hot as it "shoots at the turbine" is because then it shoots the fastest. The faster the exhaust gas bumps into the turbine the better. The speed of sound at 400C(red-hot steel) is about 575m/s while at 1200C its about 1000 m/s. I may be wrong of course. Let me know if you find out this is not why a blanket on the turbo makes it work better. Cheers.

[@blakerobison9370]

loved this video definitely need to make more

[@DyeSM1]

My turbo blanket literally just came in today. Thank you for justifying my purchase!

[@briansaysdie]

Hey, cool video! As someone who has driven cars with NA motors, I've always wondered why some people chose to cover their turbos this way. Thanks for the explanations.

[@d.c7464]

Thermal shielding makes a huge difference and when you have the money. To do it correctly it starts in the cylinder and goes out from there. Coating for pistons, cylinder head and valves. The exhaust ports are then coated with a ceramic thermal bearer. Now the exhaust system thermal coatings and other types of bearers can be used and it all adds up.

[@ryanh5712]

wow that's a good thought on the heat rushing up against the intake manifold and making all kinds of bad things happen with a tune.

[@zpwslayer9719]

I love these types of topics. I would love to see more of this.

[@vinayarora5918]

hey since you have a thermal camera how about a similar video comparing stock vs header wraps vs ceramic coatings......maybe even both combined, a lot of people remove heat shields to install headers, heat gets transferred to oil pans and transmissions

[@GenFreak.]

would love to see more vids like this !!

[@yeevoviii852]

I don't like holes in my rubber either lmao

[@Lightdasher360]

I like learning. I also like Dahm videos. More of these, please.

[@CrazyDragonCross]

Definitely keen on more scientific videos from you. Mixture of knowledge and comedy are always entertaining in KZbin videos!! Keep up the great work Rob!

[@brendenschoeberlein4822]

Always love learning new things. Keep it going

[@omarsamad5480]

This was great.More of this please

[@onelowvdub]

you should put a lover section right behind the turbo exhaust on the hood . and have it so the cool air will go over and pull the heat out of the hood in that area

[@thabelt29]

Love this type of shit man. Totally becoming obsessed with cars and learning how power adders work with the engine and literally everything else about cars is enjoyable knowledge. Keep doing these

[@rolandlafleur5585]

Great info Rob,cant wait for the 4 rotor

[@offtrackpl]

Finally, the most positive and funniest guy is back

[@billgoatgarage]

Everybody likes scientific videos and learning mixed with a little bit of fail! Good video!

[@zackaryhurd8904]

bad ass bro I'm subscribing for sure

[@mohammadalmarri9455]

MOAR! I really would like to see more.. Because i am a beginner and would like to learn more for my 240z ^^

[@skepticalskeksis221]

I have done my own research on this topic, and giving what I have learned, I agree with everything you said. Well done. Since you have that laser temperature measured Doohickey.. test out how effective that reflective gold film is. Clearly it does something, (i.e. McLaren F1). I'm interested to know how well it works tho.

[@ZackTheKack]

I dig these videos man. Keep it up! I'm really stoked to see that 4-rotor!

[@corypetersen4822]

Great JOB +Rob Dahm, I always like watching informative video's. Kind of like Real Street does, and other KZbinrs, it's always interesting to prove something or learn something new. How about a video about billet wheel vs cast wheel for the turbos? Going T3 vs T4, twin scroll, internal gate, external gate, forward facing, top mount? Now that you are using that thermal camera what about something with heat soak in the intercooler? Measure IAT after "spirited" runs? There are a multitude of things you could do with the thermal camera that would be fun to watch!

[@bigbassracer]

I could do stuff like this all day awesome!! keep them coming can't wait till you have a video of the 4 rotor