Heat shield wrap installed on car engine.

How to Install An Exhaust or Heat Wrap

We get a lot of questions here at Heatshield Products about exhaust and heat wrap installation: “What is the best way to wrap my exhaust or header pipes?” or “Do I need to soak my exhaust wrap before installing?” or “How do I install exhaust wrap?”

We’ll also cover how to apply header wrap, and how to wrap a motorcycle exhaust

Installing exhaust wrap isn’t hard, it just requires planning and patience along with using a quality exhaust/header wrap.

 

The Answer to How to Install a Heat Shield Wrap?

When learning how to install an exhaust wrap, there is no one technique that is correct. Because of the different styles and sizes of exhaust headers and exhaust system shapes, there is no one wrapping technique that fits all. The most important thing when installing exhaust wrap is to take your time, make sure the heat shield wrap is on the pipe tight, and you have the proper amount of overlap on each loop of wrap on the pipe.

With typical exhaust wraps, soaking the wrap will reduce the number of loose fibers present, helping to reduce skin irritation and airborne fibers that you could breathe in. Here at Heatshield Products, we don't believe in pre-soaking exhaust wrap before installation. Soaking your heat shield wrap will wash off coatings that need to be heat cycled to cure the wrap for proper function and lifespan.  Soaking can cause up to a 25% loss of essential coatings, ultimately affecting the performance, lifespan and color of the wrap.

Rather than soaking your exhaust wrap or motorcycle wrap, we recommend using a spray bottle filled with water to intermittently spray the wrap during installation. Using this technique incorporated with how you personally install your exhaust wrap will allow you to get the benefits of fewer fibers, some of the helpful stickiness of a normal pre-soak, and minimal loss of essential exhaust wrap coatings.

The best “pro tip” we can give on how to install exhaust wrap is this: After wrapping 12-18 inches of your exhaust or header pipe, go back and grab the wrap and twist it tightly onto the pipe. If you soaked your wrap, you will actually see water drip (like wringing a sponge) when you twist and tighten. There is no right or wrong way to actually wrap the pipe, just be patient and get that heat shield wrap on tight and with the correct amount of overlap. 

Another important factor to a proper and effective installation of exhaust wrap is the overlap of each coil of wrap on the pipe. Exhaust wrap should be installed with ¼-inch of overlap on each loop around the header or exhaust pipe. If you have more than 1/4-inch overlap, it can cause the pipe to be over insulated. This will keep too much heat in the pipe and lead to exceeding the alloy’s maximum constant temperature. This will cause the pipe to degrade, rust, and eventually come apart. When wrapping around bends on a pipe, the amount of overlap will vary depending on the amount of bend the pipe has. 

Looking for other heat shield solutions for your vehicle? Explore our entire collection of automotive heat tape, high heat exhaust tape, automotive heat shields, wraps and insulation at www.heatshieldproducts.com to stay cooler and go faster.