Heat Wrap for your Intake?

[CB7Nub]

I have a AEM short ram and it gets warm after a while driving when I had my wagon with OEM exhaust manifold. I'm looking to swap into on my green CB7 that has a Megan header that makes a lot of heat in the engine bay. I'm looking into getting some heat wrap for the intake. I don't care about looks, I just want cooler air. CAI is not an option for me. And I won't wrap the header because they may crack with all of the heat, while the AEM short ram is one piece so it shouldn't crack.

This is somehow I would build the wrapping for the intake.
http://www.team-integra.net/forum/bl...heat-wrap.html

Has anyone done this or anyone have any suggestions/comments?

Now just to clear up this isn't header wrap I'd be putting on the intake it's a reflective material like tinfoil that will keep hot air away.

[Skeet Skeet]

I don't see it doing much good honestly unless you had cool outside air force feeding itself into the filter. When I last had my F22a tuned, the tuner tried a dyno run with and without cool air going into the intake and there was only like a 2hp difference. If you really sit down and think about it, you are sucking in that hot air from the engine to begin with and it just so happens that the intake is probably the same exact temp. I wouldn't get one of those head shield gaskets either unless you have your actual manifold off alot. They don't work well as soon as the engine gets good and hot. This information is coming from a professional tuner who I have asked stuff like this before.

[deevergote]

Any sort of insulating material will be fine, and a reflective surface won't hurt. The intake doesn't have incredibly hot air going through it as the header does, so cracking isn't ever going to be a threat.

There won't be an incredibly noticeable gain from doing this... but it's not a bad idea.

Wrapping the header has been done by quite a few people on here with no problems. It does put additional strain on the metal, but I don't know of anyone on here that has actually had a header crack due to it.

[CB7Nub]

I don't see it doing much good honestly unless you had cool outside air force feeding itself into the filter. When I last had my F22a tuned, the tuner tried a dyno run with and without cool air going into the intake and there was only like a 2hp difference. If you really sit down and think about it, you are sucking in that hot air from the engine to begin with and it just so happens that the intake is probably the same exact temp. I wouldn't get one of those head shield gaskets either unless you have your actual manifold off alot. They don't work well as soon as the engine gets good and hot. This information is coming from a professional tuner who I have asked stuff like this before.

But even for $20 bucks or whatever the cost is, for 2HP it's worth it to me. Of course it's only 2HP, but if you take into account similar things that are low HP and ignore them you could be wasting on good opportunity that's why I asked.

Any sort of insulating material will be fine, and a reflective surface won't hurt. The intake doesn't have incredibly hot air going through it as the header does, so cracking isn't ever going to be a threat.

There won't be an incredibly noticeable gain from doing this... but it's not a bad idea.

Wrapping the header has been done by quite a few people on here with no problems. It does put additional strain on the metal, but I don't know of anyone on here that has actually had a header crack due to it.

Oh yeah makes sense of course that the header is a lot hotter, like the Iceman intakes have a similar effect, or the CF intakes, but those are expensive for a intake lol. And I already have a AEM short ram right beside me so why not?

Problem is though for the header it's a Megan header. I did some research on them and wrapping it isn't a good idea because the welds aren't supposed to be strong (they look strong ) and may crack over time, my Honda mechanic told me and they place I bought the header from too. But if I had a good header like Bisimoto of course, but I'd get that coated if I was going to go hardcore like that.

I think I'll try it out, why not.
I really hate how the battery is blocking the intake, I love it how when you do one mod you aren't satisfied and you have to change something else. I guess I entered the cycle of wasting money.

[deevergote]

Yep... that's why I haven't opened my engine yet! As soon as I get to that point, it's "if I'm going to do this, I might as well do that at the same time..." and the next thing I know, I'm spending $10,000.

It's a neverending cycle.

Just remember, when it comes to engine bay temps and intake air temps... when the car is in motion, the air in the bay is relatively cool. The only time it really gets hot is when you're sitting at idle.

[Losiracer2]

I wrapped my GReddy header and it takes the heat fine. I even have an Iceman intake but I still suffer from the affects of heat soak. I can tell when I'm driving the car w/ the AC on and it feels like it bogs when I hit the gas sometimes when its really hot out.

But having the heat wrap reduces the under bay temps dramatically, I'd say by at least 30 degrees sustained. It also saves all the wiring and electronics by prolonging their life.

I also wrapped my AC line, the part that wasn't covered w/ the stock insulation and I think it helped somewhat.

Pic of my bay

[SilverShadow]

I read this with much interest and started to consider it until "cooler" head prevailed. I'm thinking to myself, why do they call it cold air intake when all it does is sit inside a hot engine? I've accidentally touched the silver tube on mine after it was off 10 minutes and got a nasty burn! As Deever got to saying...the air flow is cooler when car is moving as opposed to sitting, just notice your temp gauge if sitting or after you go 80mph on a real hot day. So the fix would be to increase the fast/cold air and decrease sitting/hot air with vents? My car does fly on a cold night going home and is so sluggish on same road during the hot day. 2hp more...I'll leave it the way it is..and not touch it!

[CB7Nub]

I wrapped my GReddy header and it takes the heat fine. I even have an Iceman intake but I still suffer from the affects of heat soak. I can tell when I'm driving the car w/ the AC on and it feels like it bogs when I hit the gas sometimes when its really hot out.

But having the heat wrap reduces the under bay temps dramatically, I'd say by at least 30 degrees sustained. It also saves all the wiring and electronics by prolonging their life.

I also wrapped my AC line, the part that wasn't covered w/ the stock insulation and I think it helped somewhat.

See you have a "quality" header while I have a no name basically Megan header, they are known to crack sometimes. But I never though of the electronics and wiring getting damaged. I'm going to wrap my header and the AC lines too, never though of that.

Matter of fact my header is touching one of the A/C lines and it's slow making a dent in the line. Thanks.

...I'm thinking to myself, why do they call it cold air intake when all it does is sit inside a hot engine?...

CAI goes out the engine bay into the bumper where the air intake resonator used to be. The piping is thru is still in the engine bay of course. Thus you are getting "cold" air from the bumper area while the short ram (SRI) is getting air from within the engine bay which is usually hotter.

[Julio@Bisimoto]

Any sort of insulating material will be fine, and a reflective surface won't hurt. The intake doesn't have incredibly hot air going through it as the header does, so cracking isn't ever going to be a threat.

There won't be an incredibly noticeable gain from doing this... but it's not a bad idea.

Wrapping the header has been done by quite a few people on here with no problems. It does put additional strain on the metal, but I don't know of anyone on here that has actually had a header crack due to it.

A more effective way to keep heat down in your engine bay rather than wrapping the header would be to have you header ceramic coated inside and out. With header wrap it retains a lot of moisture that can severely effect the material and welds of your header. Not to mention it does not look that good lol.

With ceramic coating of the header will give a strong barrier against the elements and since the inside of the header is coated it will retain the extra heat with out cracking the header which I have seen on some cases.

This would greatly lower you under hood temps and retains all the heat within the merge collector helping the thermal energy which greatly helps the scavenging effect resulting in more power. This is why I always recommend for people interest in Bisimoto headers to invest on the coating.

F20B with coating

[benjerman112]

I wrapped my intake for the same reason, but don't know if it did anything.

[Losiracer2]

I wrapped my intake for the same reason, but don't know if it did anything.

The purpose of the wrap is to keep heat IN not reflect it outward, I believe.

[thepowderblue]

If you want major hp some how run the intake in your car and have in in a ac duct so when ur ac is on you will have ice cold air going into the motor. It will be alot better then 100*+ air from outside

[t1ger]

The purpose of the wrap is to keep heat IN not reflect it outward, I believe.

that wrap is for insulating, if it's cold air from outside, it stay cooler with that wrap than without it, that hot enginebay air is not in direct contact with intake pipe, so no heat transfering.

[drew12000]

If you want major hp some how run the intake in your car and have in in a ac duct so when ur ac is on you will have ice cold air going into the motor. It will be alot better then 100*+ air from outside

this has been discussed before. having your a/c on, and using that cold from it wouldn't show any improvement. because with the a/c on, it robs power. maybe if the compressor was running off an electric motor.

my ram air is covered in plastidip. only reason i did this was to give it a different look. if i get a chance, i'll pill it off and check temps. then reapply, check temps.

[benjerman112]

A F20B with coating

I know i'll hear a ear full, but i'll ask any way what would that coating do for my stock header?
I know its probably expensive, but how much is it.