After reading the rundown of header wrap vs ceramic coating, you could grasp their upsides and downsides in no time and how they perform on the road.
Indeed, header wrap is a traditional method that has been used for decades, while ceramic coating is a newer, more advanced technology.
Then, you can pick the better deal for your exhaust system and car’s engine. Now, dig deeper into this read and discover what makes each option unique!
Header Wrap Vs Ceramic Coating: What Are The Differences?
The heat wrap and ceramic coating for exhaust headers differ in how they function.
The coating can keep the system clean from UV rays, dirt, or scratches, prevent rust, and increase HP. The wrap can withstand high heat and support greater air/emission flow (performance-wise).
Definition
Header wrap
It is a texturized fiberglass product with a vermiculite coating that can withstand temperatures. This works wonders for automotive exhausts and headers.
The wrap’s ability to retain heat inside the header produces better exhaust performance or exhaust flow. In addition to boosting airflow to the engine, this enables simple spent gas removal.
Ceramic Coating
The ceramic coating on headers is a semi-permanent coating applied to multiple types of surfaces to prevent deterioration and keep them clean.
Several industries, including marine, construction, automobile, textile, heavy equipment, and others, often use ceramic coatings.
For the ceramic-coated exhaust manifold and the ceramic-coated exhaust system, this coating works as a sacrificial layer to shield these parts from UV rays, dirt, environmental contaminants, and tiny scratches and swirls.
How Do They Work In The Exhaust System
Header Wrap
Header wrap keeps the temperature warm within the header pipe and headers on cars. It thus allows the exhaust emissions to flow smoothly and boosts engine performance.
Also, it improves horsepower and fuel economy and can cut under-hood temperatures by up to 70%.
The exhaust-gas density drops due to a rise in temperature caused by the headers’ hot ambiance. Gasses with lower densities exit the exhaust system more quickly than those with higher levels.
Its steady flow helps the cylinder quickly empty and allows the intake mixture to enter your chamber rapidly while limiting this mixture from combining with burned gasses.
As such, the burning procedure functions more seamlessly.
After all, it contributes significantly to the engine’s efficient operation and gains extra power benefits.
By blocking exhaust gas heat from escaping through the cabin’s firewall section and keeping it inside the pipes, exhaust wrapping also serves as a heat-reduction tool.
They maintain the engine bay cold if the headers are close to the firewall.
Quality exhaust wrap cushions the headers on cars. Source: koolwrap
Ceramic Coating
The ceramic coating heat resistant product can create a 2-3mm-thick layer of insulation over the exhaust headers.
Also, it lowers surface and total engine bay temps by keeping the heat contained within the pipes.
On coated surfaces, you can reach the ceramic coating exhaust temperature reduction of up to 30% – 65%.
Any exhaust component, including the hot-side turbocharger housing, the downpipe, the catalytic converter, the X-pipes, turbo headers, and the muffler, can be ceramic coated.
Ceramic coating for exhaust manifolds is also a good idea.
Furthermore, both internal coating and external coating may work well with the block, heads, valve covers, and even brackets (if needed).
Notably, it can cushion the heat shields from excessive heat, minimizing the possibility of a rattling exhaust shield.
Of note, this layer can ward surfaces and mechanical components off oxidation, corrosion, and rusting effectively.
Parts of the exhaust system, such as the coated header, are prone to road debris, road salt, road grim, and other chemicals from outside environments.
Types Of Header Wraps And Ceramic Coatings
Header Wrap
There are 3 basic material types: EXO, glass fiber, and Titanium.
Glass fiber can withstand 1,200 degrees, while Titanium wrap can tolerate 1,800 degrees. The EXO with the glass fiber foundation, built for off-road use, is enclosed in a stainless-steel mesh sleeve.
Ceramic Coating
The ceramic coating for headers comes in multiple varieties nowadays. These include PTFE-Based ceramic sprays, Nanocoatings, Graphene-Based ceramic coatings, SiO Boost sprays, and others.
The hardness of these distinct items also varies.
- The Nano ceramic coating temperature resistance seems professional with incorporated SiO and TiO. These can be mixed and concentrated with other solvents.
- The Graphene-based ceramic coatings are probably the newest and the best coating for headers on the market, thanks to many top-notch features.
- The SiO Boost Sprays have silica or silicon dioxide in them.
- The PTFE-based or Teflon-based sprays appear with the lowest strength.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Header Wrap & Ceramic Coating?
Header Wrap
Pros
- Adds a few extra horsepowers when used on stock or performance pipes.
- Easy to install and more affordable than buying ceramic-coated parts.
- Custom wrap anything you want.
Cons
- Only insulate the exhaust parts outside.
- Header wraps may absorb moisture from the road and cause rusting if your tubes or exhaust parts aren’t made from stainless steel.
Ceramic Coating
Pros
- Compared to other exhaust insulation techniques, the ceramic coating offers the greatest increases in horsepower.
- Lower engine compartment temperatures more effectively than other methods.
- It can be evenly applied to the exhaust individual tubes’ inside and outside, so you can avoid “hot spots” that could lead to metal fatigue.
- Enhance the exhaust gas’ laminar flow efficiently.
- The materials have the ability of rust and corrosion resistance.
- This one is good-looking.
- Ceramic coatings are incredibly resilient and can persist for years to come, with an average lifespan of up to 5 years.
Cons
- High-end exhaust components with ceramic coatings may be pricey.
- It’s tricky to get the item fixed in a random store. Indeed, the coating is applied by manufacturers using a unique technique. Although the coating is resilient, once you break it, you’ll have no way but to send the item back to the manufacturers for repair only, which takes time.
- Over time, coatings can become dull.
In A Nutshell
As car enthusiasts, we all want to keep our vehicles in top-notch condition in the long run. One of the ways to achieve this is by protect the engine from extra heat.
Regarding exhaust systems, there are two prevailing options for exhaust heat protection: header wrap vs ceramic coating.
After reading the quick comparison, you can know what can give you the most bang for your buck.
So buckle up and get the best one to experience the new vibe! Share the post with other guys as well!