Insulation Worth It?

[PCGUY112887]

I don't like the idea of a warm air intake, and I don't want to move my battery and cut into my fender for a cold air intake. I thought about putting the filter low, but I fear water in bad storms and my car is already lowered.

I really think I just want to stick with my stock airbox! It already lets in plenty of cool air from around the headlights and tries to isolate it from the rest of the hot air. I was going to replace the hose with a smooth metal pipe but the hose is so short and is already fairly smooth, I don't think there would be any advantage.

Question is, would it be worth the effort to wrap up the air box and the intake hose and MAF/IAT all the way to the throttle body with some kind of insulation/reflective heat tape?

[1988GTU]

Cost will out weigh the benefit (IF there are any) .

[neo71665]

You're prolly better off insulating the exhaust pipes to keep that heat out of your engine bay than trying to insulate the air intake.

[IsaacHayes]

Rubber doesn't conduct heat very well so I wouldn't mess with the stock box.

But here are some findings from my modified air box. I don't know how restrictive yours is, but mine was breathing through less than a 2" opening (barely over and inch more like it) stock.

Since I did 2.5" exhaust, I threw on a WAI just to see what it sounds like. Well power is up until you get the engine bay heat soaked in town. Then I was like WTF feels like a stock 3100. But if you go on the highway and drive for a while and let it cool back down, then get to a stop light and floor it, boom power again. Also the engine gets realy hot a LOT sooner. The temp gauge never went below 1/4 and was always hanging around 1/2 with the fan coming on a lot (1/2 =220, 1/4=200). Normally it's always right at or under 1/4. So hotter air=hotter engine.

So that tells me two things.

1) My modified air box with K&N drop in is not enough now.
2) A WAI is really not worth it like I say all along if the car is a street driven. If you are racing or going down the highway all the time, then sure whatever. But let it get heat soaked and bleh... Colder air creates a ton more power even N/A.


So that reminds me, I need to order my couplers...

[PCGUY112887]

You're prolly better off insulating the exhaust pipes to keep that heat out of your engine bay than trying to insulate the air intake.

I'd like to, since the crosspipe for my headers is right under/next to the air box and intake hose and IAT. But I read that header wrap reduces the life of headers, and I need my headers to last since I don't know the future! Currently I've been unemployed for a few months now

I thought my airbox was restricting me, since the cutout in the front of my airbox is similar to what yours sounds like. So I tried making a bunch of holes in the bottom/side of my airbox, and it does not feel any different and I can not get any higher of a MAF reading at WOT with all of those holes so I feel that if I do have a restriction, it isn't with just the cutout for the box.

[neo71665]

I'm anti header wrap anyways, I've seen too many rotted out headers because of that cheap crap. Personally I would have them ceramic coated by a pro inside and out. You would be surprised how well that alone works.

[robertisaar]

ceramic coat FTW: VHT Ceramic-Silica costs about 10 a can and it lasts quite a while...

[AaronGTR]

I had my TOG's coated with Jethot's extreme silver ceramic and that did make a BIG difference in under hood temps! Problem is it still gets really hot in there and my CAI/blower/outlet all sit directly over the front header and cross over pipe, so they still get kinda heat soaked. I've toyed with the idea of wrapping just part of those, but I don't know how wrapping would affect the headers with coating on them. I've also though about trying to fab up some king of heat shield for that area, but not sure what material would work best of how effective it would be.

I will say if you are looking just to wrap some intake pipe or something, you can get a roll of that thermo-tec aluminized heat tape for $15 which really isn't bad. The newest and supposedly best thing I've seen for radiant heat is a type of gold foil I've seen on a couple cars. Here's some of it. http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pro...p?Product=1838

[robertisaar]

"metalized polyamide polymer laminated glass cloth"

so its metallicized fiberglass?

[AaronGTR]

No idea. I don't think that's what fiberglass is called. Probably more similar to nomex maybe? I haven't really researched the stuff in depth or tried it myself. I've just seen it on a couple turbo import cars and heard about it is all.

[IsaacHayes]

Wrap your cone filter in it! LOL