How To Wrap Exhaust Headers

[@brendantaylor6879]

I just used this exact stuff (DEI 1 inch) on my motorbike header, and you have just documented EVERYTHING I went through! Not cutting enough wrap, getting tangled, breaking the metal straps, wrap fraying...don't forget tiny shards of fiberglass EVERYWHERE....I basically sacrificed a mechanic's uniform thanks to this job...

[@thunderch1ck3en]

They tell you to soak the fiberglass wrap in water to keep from shedding fiberglass shards. The titanium is made out of basalt, so it's not as much of a PITA.

[@nommchompsky]

Best part was sound the plug wires made when he removed them

[@NoblesTx]

I had to rewind it just to hear that Lmao

[@ryhendo9767]

Giggity!

[@cpt1124]

Honestly man, great video. You didn't edit out the trials and tribulations, and your dry sense of humor made it hilarious. I think based on this I'm going to skip wraps for. Great content!!!

[@mathewshackelford8037]

For you turbo guys (and Eric may have noticed this as well), when you wrap exhaust and turbo manifolds, since it helps retain the heat, it can actually aid in spooling turbos faster since you're losing less heat. This could impact your tune, but not always. Great video Eric!

[@lexmaximaguy8788]

Looks like exhausting work!

[@panzerveps]

It's a fairmount of work.

[@alecfleming373]

Looks like these jokes wrapped it up...

[@Cr0710]

After all that work, I’d be running on fumes!

[@mjrice9136]

LEX Maximaguy87 wow.

[@japiebruce4045]

I cant get my head wrapped around it

[@emtscythe3782]

Stainless Steel Hose Clamps Also work very well on wrap. I personally prefer the pre-soak wrap as it tightens up as it drys and doesn't tend to slip around with the heating and cooling cycles. Great video Eric, this will really help those who have never done wrap before.

[@jonathanpinckney9227]

I was thinking about using hose clamps.

[@cambrown2784]

I love how in the beginning he's trying to teach us this counting the circumfrence to pre-trim the wrap, then by the time he's gotten to the other header he's "just use the whole roll, f*ck it!" lol

[@lichin11]

You have helped me save thousands of dollars in labor and other vehicle repair expenses during the last few years. Thank you.

[@ericthecarguy]

I'm happy to help. Thanks for the comment.

[@TryDiy]

Eric, you wrap better than Kanye.

[@NoBrakes23]

Low bar. Queezy barely bothers to rhyme half the time.

[@TheTurpin1234]

Thats an insult. Kanye is a gay fish. Eric, you wrap better than Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz

[@trychan959]

TryDiy fuck Kanye its like saying Eric you wrap better than yo mama is not nice man :(

[@FreshKicks4545]

TryDiy hahaha that is funny

[@savethehondas7348]

TryDiy that’s not hard to do considering he is the worst wrapper” on earth

[@zachrenison8081]

Great video, always good to watch someone that is not a pro and shows their mistakes ..

[@MachineChrist6]

The pop sound as you removed the spark plug tubes was so satisfying for some reason.

[@spardadmon5236]

Nice! I just ordered RRE headers to replace my stock exhaust manifold and I plan on heat wrapping them before installing. All I needed was a how to vid and I was not disappointed to see your vid pop out as a first choice. Thank you, sir.

[@dmatt695]

Not sure if someone mentioned this or not but to eliminate the fraying I use liquid super glue on the ends. Best way is to do a line of glue across the wrap beforehand then cut it after a minute for a very clean cut. Works amazing.

[@R.E.HILL_]

I like that it's easy to see that you don't do wraps for a living. Makes one not be scared of having a try oneself. Thx for sharing..

[@manteloftheforce]

I soaked mine. Then wrapped. Dried them. Then I hit them with the Silcone heat wrap paint. Dried them a second time. After cutting my hands several times on the steel zip ties, I opted for chicken wire. Looks very nice. I'm very happy with my results. The wrap is hard like a cast and looks as nice now, 3 years later, as they did on day one. And my wife helped me the whole time.

[@drivingparadox]

I'm here because I need to do this and don't know what I'm doing. Appreciate the demonstration and tips. Thanks.

[@lilmanjeeps]

In my honest opinion, nothing beats the awesome look of a wrapped pipe on a car or especially motorcycle. I plan on doing my header and bike now that I've seen this video! P.S. Mummification is definitely a dying field. bu-dum- tiss!

[@PapaWheelie1]

All of those college classes in underwater basket weaving finally pay off!

[@pssst3]

I wish Eric well in his new venture, building custom cars. I have no issue with his doing whatever he wished with his time and energy. Personally, I will miss ""EricTheCarGuy is a channel dedicated to the art of auto repair and helping the do-it-yourselfer", the description that he wrote for KZbin, and which is still the top level channel summary. But I would rather that Eric do what he does because he enjoys it, not because he feels obligated. Change is better than stagnation Eric acknowledges that his new venture is significantly different from his original one, and because of his new passion, has notified everyone, those who share it and those who don't, that he has no intention to move backward. I respect that. It's honest and fair to let your customers know when your plans change and you are moving on. There is one last action needed to complete the change of direction, and I suggest that Eric do it as soon as possible.. Eric built a brand, a reputation and a business on his original mission. I think that for his new venture to be as successful as possible, it needs to be cleanly separated from the old. I think that he should start a new channel, ( Ericthesupercarguy ?), and move the Fairmont project videos already completed to it. Adding a line to each of his repair channel videos to the new channel would be like what he did with ETCG1 and provide a way to keep all his work under one umbrella. Long time viewers who have a continued interest in Eric and what he is doing will follow him wherever he goes. I will, although not with the frequency that I followed his older videos. Because some of his future work on custom cars will be undeniably repair videos, those could be in both channel listings with cross promotional descriptions linking to the 2 older channels. I hope that he reads this and takes my advice. I'd really hate for him to to fail because of the inertia of the old brand and confusion of newer watchers looking for what he isn't doing any more.

[@andyroo3022]

The headers wrapped make the engine look way better. You will have to lay on the ground to see mine, its a VW Beetle. Being air cooled, I could use less heat around the engine. I started my sidewinder header the other day. I found out by trial and error that gripping my hand around the wrap on the pipe and twisting it in a tightening motion as I progressed, this made the wrap snug down really tight, before clamping with the ties. Oh and my hands got very itchy from loose fibers, good to see you wore gloves. I had some unraveled strands on my first section too, so your issues made me feel better. Thanks good video Eric.

[@jscottfischer]

I just have to say your humor and the way you do things are refreshing brother, keep it real!

[@duwonrhee3589]

exhaust wraps are the header manufacturer's best sales person

[@ANo-qc1qx]

Top tip: Ask wife for help! Small hands and an eye for neatness from doing crafts make the job easy and results better! DISCLAIMER: Your results may vary, I will not accept responsibility for injuries you receive as a result off asking! (mine weren't that bad)

[@panzerveps]

So step 1 is to find a wife....

[@ANo-qc1qx]

panzerveps step 2 is to get a project car so you have something to do until you are allowed back in the house!

[@dollarking9641]

wat if a female is working on the engine, wud she ask her husband? i wonder

[@motoktips3024]

Rule no. 1: no women around when doing what you love.

[@MrLunithy]

lol

[@Seandoestech]

Aircraft safety wire is better to lock down those wrap ends and any loose areas of the wrap. Those crappy bands break over time after a multiple heat cycles. If you use safety wire, be sure to get the special tool that allows you to twist and cut the wire. looks really sharp and very pro.

[@techcloan2050]

Yep - .032 SS wire and twister tool is the way to go!

[@hooverspeed]

Safety wire FTW!

[@NoBrakes23]

Man, I haven't played with SWiPes since I quit working on aircraft. Kind of miss it.

[@Seandoestech]

Been watching videos to see how the old pros do it - so cool.

[@LinusScrubTips]

thanks for that info!

[@dandel351]

When I wrapped my headers I did it with them off the motor , much easier that way. Plus I used some thin tie wire twisted together for tension (el cheapo solution) to hold the wrap tight as I went along. Then used the stainless clamps up near the exhaust ports on the head. I also kept the wrap away from the header bolts slightly so that I could still get the bolts back in once the headers went back in the car. Be ready for some smoke when you start it up the first time. Because the header gets hotter and it will burn off the paint that's on the header.

[@Outlawgunfighter1873]

Guess I'm about to go outside and wrap mine. I looked it up to see if it was anything special.seems easy enough. Thanks for having a video.

[@burkeyatm]

Handy hint: start with the longest pipe. If you come up short, you can use it on a shorter pipe and learn how much extra you need in the process. 👍

[@gglovato]

i would've loved to see a thermal camera image of a before and after the wrap once installed on the car, as well as surrounding part temps

[@pudgylittlehamster]

Guillermo Lovato they demish heat very well. I did this for my old truck. headers and a new heat shield inside and you can feel the difference.

[@gglovato]

what safety wire?

[@thiagovilarinho937]

Engineering Explained meets ETCG

[@slipknot73745]

​@paulsonrc If you could prevent wrap shifting it'd make more sense to have no overlap, exposure to laminar heat dissipation. Thanks for your presentation!

[@TheRealFobican]

How many horsepower does this increase the performance to?

[@jacksmith3189]

In your opinion,, what is the life expectancy of “wrapped” headers ?

[@rgreerjr]

a few days

[@lukeschneider8760]

It is generally 3-5 year

[@makantahi3731]

@@lukeschneider8760 you are right, my was 4 years

[@alexgarza2759]

Man you have so much patience. You are the man. Thank you. I have this same set up on the Mustang. Now I have an idea on how to.

[@gavinmcclure8047]

I have to say Eric I dont care for many people on youtube. but I really enjoy your videos . don't matter if its hondas or old school cars.

[@RayLovesCars]

I got a header ordered for my car that’s made out of all stainless and doesn’t have provisions to bolt the stock heat shielding back on. I originally wasn’t gonna wrap it but after watching this I feel like it’s gonna look pretty cool and probably be beneficial to add

[@joshuamitch22]

That pop from the spark plug boot coming of is so satisfying 1:36

[@EricErnst]

wow, at the beginning, you made that look hard. the second side looked much easier. I've used 2" stuff. i chose to use hose clamps to hold the wrap on the primaries and big hose clamps on the collector. it worked well for me. i just used regular black dei wrap, not the fancy titanium stuff. i like to wrap before i even install the headers. cramped angles that would be impossible were cake. 2.4L Alero. 2.8L S10, small blocks in full sized trucks. small block 3rd gen Camaro. 10 degree cooler intake air = 1% more power. keep up the great videos, man.

[@bbrown9763]

Great video. Thanks for leaving the "mistakes" in, that's what we need to know!

[@E-N-A-R-D-L-A-V]

I am wondering if hose clamps would be preferable to the clamps they provided you with. They seem to be made of the same material, and hose clamps may work a lot better.

[@Pwl47]

I wonder if screw type hose clamps might work to hold the wrap in place.

[@freightshayker]

Were you supposed to soak the wrap in water beforehand or use water when applying wrap ?

[@TheOnlyToblin]

The music just dotted the i on this one. Well played, Eric. Well played.

[@corygosso6380]

EVERY time i see your videos i think well at least i'm not the only one that lives with murphy's law you gotta love what you do! anyways i love your vids keep'em coming thank you eric

[@Xsoul1000]

I like the way the samba has ended at the same time you have ended the wrapping... Can't wait to see the Fairmount rolling.

[@markmccawley2526]

I have found better performance and useful life of the headers by spraying them with VHT coating let it dry before installing the wrap, Then perform a second coat. Allow the second coat to tack, this will help retain the wrap to the header. If one is so inclined they can spray the exterior of the wrap too with the VHT.

[@ericthecarguy]

Excellent suggestion. Thanks!

[@TheMikel302]

I have a 347 stroker with patriot mid lengths. I want to wrap them for under hood temp purposes. I heard a lot of people saying wrap ruins headers because they get too hot and rust. Does that vht trick keep that fro, happening?

[@stickyicky2120]

I look forward to every Friday for these videos! Thank you Eric.

[@SuperDave21]

Hey Buddy... you're not the only one that stuff is fiddly to! I hate that stuff with a passion for that reason. I took my headers off and went to HPC (High Performance Coatings) in OKC, OK and had the coated inside and out with their thermal barrier coating and the outside top coated with the ceramic polished stuff.... $385.00 worth of coating on a set of Hooker Super Competition headers but they still look like new I'm told... I sold the car they were on several years ago. DEI makes some great products, but like you say... it's best done off the engine and I went from the primary tubes downward so the overlaps were laying on top of each other like shingles on your house... the exposed edge is on the bottom that way. You rock man! I used stainless safety wire to secure mine with a twisting tool... works great and I hid the ends under the bottom of the tubes. I noticed the bolts are out of your valve covers.... whatcha doing in there?

[@ericthecarguy]

Good eye. I was swapping valve covers and engine accessories that day. That will be in a future video. I would love ceramic coated headers, but this was less expensive. I'm in to this build pretty deep at this point and thought this was a good way to save some $. Perhaps I'll install a set of ceramics later down the road. Thanks for the input.

[@83g4kadm]

Don't leave any small pieces in your pocket, that ends up in the laundry and ruins your wifes work things. Been there done that.

[@frankiegarza3002]

Subs because this helped me wrap the long tube headers on the 67 Coronet so much more easier yesterday I had the stupid thing in my lap with the heat wrap not knowing how to go about it but then I totally didn't think of wrapping them halfway down to the collector altogether and then doing the last two halfway.. DUH 🙏🙏 Thanks breh

[@trainsbangsandautomobiles824]

I've never seen a video on how to install wrap, glad you did one. Between your experience with those ties and boosted miata saying to use aircraft safety wire, I'm going to try this myself on my turbo Escort. Thanks,

[@sfirlaki]

A tip for people making big power (with actual high exhaust temps) or have aftermarket turbo setups, would be to wet the wrap before hand and make sure to pull it EXTREMELY tight after each loop. Its the difference between it unraveling after a few heat cycles vs it never unraveling after 100s of heat cycles...

[@TheRoadhammer379]

Header wrap is a good idea on any headers, doesn't have to be "big power" applications. I use it on my small power 545 stroker 460, the heat soaks into the starter and wreaks havoc on starting without a 30 minute cool down.

[@s3rpith495]

I literally did this the other day on my RX7 and saw this in my feed and was like "Waiting to learn I did something wrong" lol

[@r.arabian3056]

I appreciate your video and you experiencing it like the rest of us humans do!! Mistakes and all. You just helped me prevent making them. Thanks.

[@vetterfellow]

Super informative information Here Eric. 15:22 " Get Err Done " Now that's a wrap if I've ever seen one !!. I'm out !!.

[@TonyLoewen]

I had the same issue with one of the threads on the end pulling and making a mess out of the end of the roll, what I ended up doing is just zip tieing it and that worked great. Great jobs, looks great. An

[@yamaha94O]

Very informative. I have an SVT header I wanna wrap before I put it on my first gen ford focus and this gives me at least an idea how to do it when the wrap kit and gaskets come in. It's a really funky looking header and will probably be a pain to wrap, but the plus side is only have one to do since it's only a 4 banger. Lol

[@VelocityLabs]

That DEI is really good stuff, I installed some on my Eclipse manifold. A word of warning though, when you first start the car they will smoke and smell very bad until whatever it is that's burning is all the way burned off. So I'd recommend starting the car with the hood open and let it run outside for a good 20-30 minutes. Or just hit boost and drive fast so the wind takes the smell away ;)

[@jamesguralski5156]

Is header Wrap better versus having the exhaust components ceramic-coated! what would be the thermal differences? Is there a big price point between the 2?

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I didn't realize it was that difficult. Or that it took so much wrap. Glad I watched this before tackling my car

[@rayparson7899]

kudos to you Eric, great videos, I got some tips that'll save me time and material. and i must say including your own mistakes for us to watch is incredibly commendable! I believe it reflects your honesty and you are a better person for it. you have my subscription, keep it up Chief!

[@billashe2108]

Erick, Did you changed the Valve Covers at the end? From 16:22 it seems as if the right side were polished instead of black and with two Breathers. Why two Breathers?

[@ericthecarguy]

You'll see that in a future video.

[@billashe2108]

Thanks! I`ll be happily waiting for it...

[@AntifIaw]

was hell to do this without uninstalling the part. Got it done, thanks. Used all of my 2" 50

[@KENARDO]

Never took you for a bossa nova fan, Eric. I can dig it.

[@joshuamitch22]

I use to not care about cars but now I get so excited when I see a new EricTheCarGuy video

[@topmodstv3682]

On behalf of everyone that likes to go fast, we need more Fairmont videos.

[@AF29007]

mummification is a *dying* field ;D I'll see myself out

[@t2p]

😂Your level of humour is wasted here

[@lilmanjeeps]

I commented that then scrolled down to see this lol great minds, huh.

[@aussiebloke609]

Excerebration was a growing field for a while - until someone invented the collapsible steering column, anyway. :-P

[@andrewpersaud1606]

Best comment here.

[@babyhuez597]

Lmao!

[@donkyuhbuhts540]

I have a 50' role of the same stuff sitting in wait in my room to wrap my Integra. haven't decided if I want to wrap the current header or get I new one. I'm super excited to cool the engine bay though

[@jasonelizanigel9381]

Eric, you wrap better than my father!

[@jayyoutube8790]

Not sure what kind of turbocharger you got there, (sure you've told us) but I am a foreman at a facility that among other customers, manufactures components for Turbonetics.. The level of precision we manufacture them to, is just amazing.

[@sadakotube]

Good job with the wrap, my first experience went badly. it was glass fibre type, and I didn't soak it, and did not cover my forearms. IT ITCHES!

[@NebukedNezzer]

This was good. I have never wrapped headers myself.

[@Carstuff111]

I have wrapped a few headers, my first attempt was not so good.... it was a little floppy. The second time, I was not able to cover as well as I had hoped, but it worked.. then it came off after a year from being hit with a power washer... the header I wrapped after that was not pretty, but it was functional and I sprayed it with header wraps spray to hide that fact. The last one I wrapped, was a bit of a work of art.... and spraying it with header spray, in black, it looks freaking sick in my friend's engine bay. That all said, the first header I wrapped is currently on my engine these days, and while it was not sprayed, and it is a bit floppy, it has held up, and in all cases, really does make a huge difference under the hood.

[@nachtjager77]

Much easier and better to use radiator hose clamps! Can't stand fighting those metal zip ties! Great vid!

[@Fourm4t]

do you think if the header is sprayed with the rustoleum heat primer and paint then covered with the wrap it would be redundant or help at all?

[@dirkdiggler5821]

I admire your patience.

[@Jsbs1991f]

liked how at the end of the video, you shrank it, so the other video icons would not be in the way of your face. I hate that so much when it does that. So good job and good show.

[@ThatACRGuy]

I highly recommend going over it with a blow torch , just a quick once over , it heats it up and makes it squeeze the pipes tight and makings smoking on first start up less. I worked with a lot of that wrap over the years and found out a few tips

[@vincentemma5298]

Would regular hose claps work instead of those?

[@robertmclean6629]

Hi: I loved this video! Like millions: can we get a FLIR reading of heat exchange efficiency? Like maybe a video detailing why you wrap and it’s pros and cons? Maybe use aircraft safety wire and demonstrate that tool? Wrapping is kind of a dark art as the few people who know a lot about it are race car and aircraft/jet engine mechanics. It’s like welding; everyone want to know about it but no one explains it.

[@Midnight_Rider96]

would it be a good idea to spray high temp primer before wrapping?

[@bransonfleischman2233]

Alistair B primer can retain water, so if you were going to, I’d throw some header paint on there as well.

[@garystump1776]

Hello Eric, this is just suggestion; from front to rear, tube 1) wrap from header to collector ( the metal clamps (they will loosen up and corrode and fall off) suck don't use them, use safety wire, make a double loop around tube and pig tail tight. tube 2) wrap from collector to top and safety wire with double loop tight. tube 3) from collector to top and safety wire. tube 4) start at top and work down and include lower part of tube 3 finishing at collector and again use safety wire. The small band clamps will loosen up in time plus they fray the wrap material. When starting cut the material at 45 degrees and add super glue to edge so no fraying happens. If you use .032 size wire stainless wire ( as used in aviation) it will stay tight and no corrosion. good luck hunting for a job well done. I visit your u-tube often. Thanks

[@3ad3pt3]

The clamps that you use for the axles work great ...

[@jeroenvde]

That's a wrap!

[@FGuilt]

Damn it. you took it! :-)

[@SubGR77]

Kind of surprised that the car guy didn't use that slice of cheese.

[@mr.actiongal1017]

exactly the first thing i was gonna say

[@gdpgdp5902]

What if you use regular hose clamps the ones with screw? Good idea? Instead of the ones you used in the video?

[@izmailovdavid]

Hey Eric, great vid. I was wondering will the turbo manifold cause uneven wear on the engine? Would the turbo on one side cause extra back pressure on that bank of cylinders thus causing extra wear? Thanks

[@izmailovdavid]

I mean the turbo is closer to one side, than it is to the other.

[@MHFtractor]

Can regular hose clamps work on there in place of the ones that come in the kit? I know that they make stainless hose clamps.

[@fxdbeebe]

little off topic but are you going with those breathers on dark matter pikachu or are you goin with a caych can system? i would think for a turbo car that breathers would just get soaked in oil after going on a drive. with the blowby from a turbo, but i can always be wrong lol

[@jessepersaud4815]

hi Eric.For the unraveling of the wrap. think of it as triads on a old jeans you turnt into short. you can simply apply heat at the ends of the triads to stop it from unraveling. I've never done wrapping of the exhaust manifold and i'm quite young but it's just a taught i had and felt like sharing

[@dagda318]

Dear Mr. Car Guy love your videos and have a couple questions. I to have struggled with the metal zip tie hell and will be trying hose clamps in the near future. Does basalt wrap such as you were using still rain down particulates and call for fiberglass safety procedures? If so is their any thing one can do/use to battle this? I cut off my fiber glass wrap in raging fit of itching MADNESS last week. It's been triple digits for far to many days so going with out wrap in my old tiburon with its 2x60 AC is not an option LOL. Sincerly,, The Dagda(hates driving wifey's car)

[@mehrdadmazaheri6922]

That header looks cooler after it's done! 👍

[@AndrewB23]

It looks even cooler after in a few years when it's rusty and cracked

[@OldManFrank]

*Odd* I finally found CARB EO approved headers and was wondering how am I going to wrap them? Then, *BOOM*, Eric does a video.

[@ChrisRestores]

turbo looks good 🤘

[@Aykutreyes]

Hey ETCG do you think I could use hose clamps instead of the fiddly rings?

[@theupscale7130]

Quick question, I have an air intake for my suv, and it gets hot as hell under the hood, would those help if I wrapped the air intake tube with it, or would it be a waste of time/ money?

[@jonathanpinckney9227]

Gonna use this as the tutorial for wrapping the header I bought for my xB.

[@okidsoki]

Hi What is the outside temperature of the exhaust with the wrap? I ask because I am building an inboard marine engine and maybe I want to use not water cooled headers if temperature stays enough lowt

[@Dragferret]

Thanks mate. All the other videos seem to show Chevs. I'm about to tackle a Windsor so your video is quite relevant.

[@wyattoneable]

You have some viewers that left "comedy comments". Some of them were pretty good. Thanks for the tutorial Eric.

[@longaster]

Do the deaden the sound? Looking to tone my headers down just a bit inside the cabin

[@Billybobaggins9]

Maybe absorb some vibration 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@patpalermo7629]

been there, done the header wrap. You will rot the headers out in no time. They hold moisture. Made it through one winter and had to buy new headers.

[@DesignEngineering]

Eric, thanks for the video and using our wrap. If you need some extra, give us a call!

[@mckjordan]

That look absolutely fantastic!

[@ronnygey1363]

how long did that fiddelted stuff last ? any improvements of process in review today?