Pipe Wrapping 101

[Thullan]

So will the fiber wrapping also work as a heat shield so you woun't burn your legs? I have been thinking of wrapping my VN800 pipes purely for aesthetic reasons, but they have heat shields. I either wrap the headers with the shields still on, or I remove them and only wrap the headers without the shields. What is the common way of wrapping headers with heat shields?

[ccrane2299]

This is the picture I mentioned yesterday.

[A2rider]

Originally Posted by ccrane2299

Hi all this is my first post here. I don't want to be negative, but when you wrap a pipe, it holds the heat in and makes the steel VERY brittle. I have seen lots of wrapped car headers just disintegrate. I have some pics at work of a generator I worked on with less than 100 hours on it and 4" of the exhaust pipe is gone. I do not know how it will work on a pipe like yours since it is in the airflow. I hope it works for you, 'cause it looks great.
Chris

Thanks for the info, may check them in a few months to see how they are holding up.

[ccrane2299]

I think if your bike is not too lean (hot) and the fact that your pipes are right out in front...in the airflow...you may be OK. Good luck, they look great.

Chris

[bindelsf2]

heres some good reading! i too have seen headers destroyed in under 6 months from being wrapped. but it does look good!
http://www.centuryperformance.com/heatwraps.asp

[SpectreMan1]

Been tossing this Idea around also for the mods to my 1100 Spectre, but also was thinking of anodizing the pipes so still not sure which way I will go. Would like to know how it turns out!

[likearock4x4]

Originally Posted by SpectreMan1

Been tossing this Idea around also for the mods to my 1100 Spectre, but also was thinking of anodizing the pipes so still not sure which way I will go. Would like to know how it turns out!

Well, if you didn't notice, this thread is really old, and she has posted pics on another thread. However, the bike has been wrecked, and will soon be getting a facelift.

[gameovergt]

sweet

[A2rider]

Update: The pipes are still sound after 3000 miles, but they have been resting for 5 weeks now because of the wreck. Hope to get it all together this weekend. I'm about to lose my mind driving 50 miles round trip everyday in the cage!

[A2rider]

Originally Posted by bindelsf2

heres some good reading! I too have seen headers destroyed in under 6 months from being wrapped. but it does look good!
All About Header Wraps

I don't think my bike gets to those temps.! Interesting reading, even if it is 4 months later! I left several inches bare at the top, for clearance and the ability to monitor bluing on the pipes. #4 cylinder shows some bluing, but it is due to the fact that my carbs were not synched, and #4 was running lean. The others are fine.

[RichLockyer]

Other than the heat retention, the only other thing to be concerned about is rust. If you are riding every day, it's probably not going to be a problem unless it gets VERY humid.

As things heat up, they shed moisture. As they cool, they will draw it in from the air. Of course, the fabric will hold it against the pipes.


I wrapped the pipe on my dirtbike because the bottom of the desert tank and the fuel line from the right side were VERY close to the tank and actually boiling the fuel.

Side benefit is, yes... no leg burns. I can stop the bike and touch the wrap. It's hot, but not enough to blister... probably would if I held my hand on it for a while, but won't burn on a "touch and run"

[A2rider]

Interesting point about the moisture. Hope to save the pennies this winter and get a new set of pipes, but they are over $250.00 even at my discount!

[RichLockyer]

Ouch!
You could always shoot them with some black VHT. The dents will still be there, but not as visible as on the chrome.

Have you tried heating with a torch and pushing the dents out?

2-stroke motocrossers will push dents out of their pipes by filling them with water and freezing, but I think that only works because the pipe is pretty thin, and the openings are very small compared to the body of the pipe, which would tend to "plug" the pipe and allow the expanding water inside to push out the dent.... but if the dents aren't close enough to the ends to reach, you might be able to use some plumbing test plugs in the ends and use compressed air and heat.

[A2rider]

Originally Posted by RichLockyer

Ouch!
You could always shoot them with some black VHT. The dents will still be there, but not as visible as on the chrome.

Have you tried heating with a torch and pushing the dents out?

2-stroke motocrossers will push dents out of their pipes by filling them with water and freezing, but I think that only works because the pipe is pretty thin, and the openings are very small compared to the body of the pipe, which would tend to "plug" the pipe and allow the expanding water inside to push out the dent.... but if the dents aren't close enough to the ends to reach, you might be able to use some plumbing test plugs in the ends and use compressed air and heat.

No, it's too much work, and I had too many things to do when I got the bike to worry about what the pipes looked like! The crash scraped up the megaphone, so they look like they have been thru he!!. Winter's coming, I'll be feeling better, and I have an enclosed garage to play in!

Wonder if Rhino lining would stand up to the heat? J/K!

[RichLockyer]

Originally Posted by A2rider

Wonder if Rhino lining would stand up to the heat? J/K!

LOL!

You read my mind.

[RevrdMark]

I used the exact same wrap on an 82' GS650G that is sold a few months ago. Mostly I wrapped them for the look. I made the mistake of assuming the insulation factor would keep the pipes cold enough to touch after riding a while. ... It didn't Secondly that wrap smoked like crazy the first two or three days after installing it. Did yours do the same? Just wondering.

Here is what the wrap looked like on my old Suzuki.

[A2rider]

The wrap makes the pipe hotter! And mine smoked, too.

[tely]

Originally Posted by A2rider

The exhaust pipes on my KZ650 were dented and a little rusted, so I decided wrap them. I bought black, but it is more gray than black. It was a messy, itchy process, and I have some more to do, but here is what I have so far.

Original pipes.






Beginning the wrap






The finished product










We used metal zip ties. Discovered the exhaust wrap frays and slips a lot, so we used two ties on each end. Also had to twist it as we went to snug it up.
Wil finish by wrapping all four of the pipes past the collector.

wow!..you got more then lines Tina!....youre awsome........your a women to admire.......this forum is great, I have met so many women in here that really wear their pants and know who they are and what makes them happy and go for it.

Those pipes look sweet..............I would like to see the end result, when you finish your bike

[A2rider]

Thank you, Tely. I couldn't have done it without Darrell, though. You are right, there are a lot of knowledgeable women here. E. Diane is one I think I admire most.