Design Engineering 010127 Titanium 2" x 50' Exhaust Heat Wrap with LR Technology

I purchased this by mistake, as I didn't realize the headers I had purchased already came with a roll of this exact product.I will say that it absolutely works, and does not discolor like fiberglass wraps. While I haven't put an infrared thermometer on it, to at least the hand it seems to insulate heat. I haven't noticed any higher oil temps, and my headers run around my oil pan (Subaru engine, original headers had fiberglass insulation packed around). It was pretty easy to cut and install, but a bit time consuming (as any wrap will be).WEAR GLOVES. Some will say you don't need them, those people are crazy. Even wearing nitrile gloves for most of the install, I was picking fiberglass out of my hands for at least a week. Avoid running this over your hands if at all possible. You will be very tempted, as it feels just like a fabric, until you do that. Then, it will just shower your hands with fiberglass splinters. Even a mask might not be a bad idea, as I was blowing some of this out of my nose.I would also suggest using stainless steel zip-ties, and considering their tool to get them tight. I used a pair of needlenose and a flathead screwdriver, and it was pretty annoying. I'm sure their tool works a bit better and makes for a tidier product.

I ride a Honda ST-1300, which doubles as a high-powered heat gun at stop lights and intersections. It has a radiator in the front where fans draw warm are in across the very hot exhaust pipes before highly engineered and strategically located vents spill the energy-rich air mass onto boddy parts most of us would like to keep cool.This looked like a low cost, low effort, mod whilst I had the skins off.This tape soft and flexible, even though it comes from the same lava rocks we get obsidian. The black glass that is so tempered Native Americans would easily flake thin shards off the stone and use it to easily slice the hide off a deer, rabbit or bear. I've carried obsidian when some of the edges found their ways into/through my skin. I didn't know i was bleeding until i could feel the it running down and dripping off my fingers. Cuts so clean they didn't hurt and healed quickly.But this stuff "Titanium Exhaust/ Header Wrap" is its sick-wicked sister's "good" twin. Refined, supple and strong. I wound from the tail up to the engine. Taking time to start twisting from the end and work to the engine to remove slack.I began to use the stainless steal zip-strips, but found hose clamps give a number of advantages.The pipes are finished off with a couple layers of "DEI 010301 Black High-Temperature Silicone". The color isn't "the thing" for me, it's all covered under a plastic shell. But the paint should help weatherize the tape from water, mud, bugs, maybe more, even a little snow, maybe.

Wrapped the exhaust on my Side X Side with this. Checked on several chat sites, this wrap seemed to be the best choice. Lots of people talked about cheaper products getting fibber glass all over, and having to wet the wrap to avoid some of this. Also coming apart after a few years. Only wanted to do this once, so spent the extra money. First time I ever did this, went very well. Kind of a pain to get the exhaust of, but the wrapping was pretty easy. Did it by my self, so it can be done by one person. Was in know hurry, so I took my time. Had to redo first pipe, didn't like how it ended on pipe, but figured out best way after that. Used metal ties to secure wrap, kind of a pain getting them tight but figured that out to. Made a big difference on the heat issues.

First, I purchased waaay too much of this stuff. I bought 100' and 35' would have been fine to wrap my set of shorty headers - so keep that in mind. I can't imagine trying to wrap anything like headers after they're installed unless you have some kind of street-rod with a ton of room. Turbo down pipes and other single pipes would probably be easier to do in place. After installation, I let the engine idle for about 20 minutes with the hood open and the *vehicle outside* - occasionally revving the engine to let the wrap do it's "smoking thing". After about 30-40 minutes of idling and light driving, all of the smoking and smell had gone away - and the next day there was no smell - which is nice. One tip: While letting the wrap "smoke off" remember to shut off your ventilation system in your car so that you don't pull the smoke into your interior - it's stinky stuff. Wrapping is pretty easy once you get the hang of it but expect to ruin a few feet while figuring it all out. I'd be a good idea to cut a few feet and practice. To keep the ends from fraying while working with the wrap, take some thin CA glue (super glue - but use the GOOD stuff you buy at a hobby shop or online, not the crap you get from a hardware store) and swipe a line across the point where you want to cut the wrap. The glue (if it's thin-consistency glue) will spread into the fibers and cure leaving a line about 3/8" wide. Cut through the tape in the middle of the glue stripe and you can wrap without it fraying (I found that surgical or EMT scissors worked the best for cutting). The CA glue will burn off later and not leave any residue or discoloration. In regards to getting the metal ties tight; you can either buy a tool that does this, or, use a needle-nose pliers and a flat-bladed screwdriver. To use the latter technique, feed the "tail" of the tie through the locking mechanism and pull it snug. Cut the tail off leaving about a one inch length sticking out. Take the pliers, grip the very end of the tail and twist, rolling the strip around the tip of the pliers. Now, take your flat-bladed screwdriver and place the blade *parallel* to the tie strip, one edge of the blade in the "notch" at the back of the locking mechanism and the other edge braced against the strip rolled around the end of the pliers. At this point, you can either add additional twist to the pliers or pry against the plier's tips to simultaneously pull that *last* little bit of tie through the locking mechanism while holding the locking mechanism in place to achieve a very tight closure. BTW, the metal zip ties you can pick up and Lowe's work perfectly and are MUCH cheaper than the "header wrap ties" that are marketed.At this point I'm pleased and I hope it lasts a long time. It's good looking stuff. As far as heat, I haven't noticed any more heat that I did from the stock heat-shielded manifolds - which is a good thing ;)