Anyone here done a back to back HP, MPH or ET comparison with wrapped headers vs bare?

What were your experiences?

mine are wrapped..
i suggest a few things if you wrap them.
first ..
start at the collector end and wind toward the primarys..
i like to use stainless steel saftey wire to hold and or set each section or at hard turns..
once its all done..i buy a few cans of vht aluminum paint..and soak the heck out of the whole setup..i use a full can on each header..maybe 1.5 cans on each header...you let it soak in and keep applying..
this is the best way to make them last the longest and it will repell oil and water..
and prevent it from getting freyed...and falling apart...
it almost becomes a coating...
i have no opinion on power differences..
but it sure is cooler under my hood in the hot summer.
i can grab a pipe a few minutes after a pass..
makes pulling plugs less dangerous..and you sweat less..the temp difference is very noticeable.
best of luck

oh and wear an old throwaway longsleeve shirt and tape your gloves to your rists/sleeves
..that fiber wrap will itch for weeks after wards...
cheapst

Good advice - thanks!

My only suggestion is to soak the wrap in water before installing and use long sleeve shirt and gloves... probably a mask of some sort as you can see the flakes of glass floating in the air..

Instead of the wire to secure the end, I started at the engine and worked my way to the collector.. at the collector, I used a large radiator clamp to secure everything..

I hadnt thought about the spray paint, but it sounds like a good idea and probably worth trying..

the paint sounds like a great idea another thing i do is start your wrap about 5 inches down then wrap up to the top then back down all the way,you wont have a fryed end to deal with at the top.

What are your headers like underneath? Coated, painted, bare?

All good advice. One thing worth noting is that the additional heat will take its toll on your pipes ... they will become brittle and crack - at the flanges or at sharp bends. Not instantly of course, but their life will be shortened down to a couple or a few seasons.

I agree- all great advice and thanks.

Is coating a better way to go, or is it less efficient in heat reduction?

There was a article on header wrap in a magazine not to long ago, had some good comparisons on heat, Can't remember witch one right now. Anybody else read it?

Any headers that are wrapped should be DRY DAY DRIVEN cars only!!

I've seen tons of absolutely rotted headers that were wrapped. We bought a brand new set of headers for my buddy's 390 Javelin, two years later it had exhaust leaks, and as he was about to pull the engine we were astounded- we grabbed the wrapped headers tubes and they crushed in our hands!!! It was like they were made out of paper in spots.
We learned later that headers that are wrapped on daily drivers usually don't have long header life!!

I'm a firm believer in coated pipes... a good shop
does them inside and out side... the first bend in
any pipe is the one that gets the big temp(right at
the outside of the bend)

my headers are TTi ..anyone who owns them know they have thick pipe material on them.
my headers where ceramic coated before i wrapped them..
the VHT silver super high temp paint goes on after the wrap...you absolutely soak it on ..
it looks like they where almost dipped in the paint..
it holds up way way better then just raw wrap material..
this is the second time ive wrapped them..the pipes are from 04.. no issues..
the change in underhood temp from just the ceramic coating..to the wrap is a TON different.
i can park my car after a pass (on no2)
pull my jacket...logg my time slip and reach in and grab a head pipe full fisted...its hot...but not hot enough for me to get burnt..fyi...
and just leaning in under the hood to adjust carb or timing...is noticably cooler...even had friends notice it....
the reason i start at collector and go to head pipe ..is the collector section of the pipe holds up much better...as the forward motion wont,,wind,rain,stones..even bumping something while rolling...wond pull the wrap apart...
the first time i wrapped it head pipe to collector..and it came apart down there..
cheapst..fwiw...