Heat blanket?

[Berserk_FC3]

Hey y’all! I recently installed a MAPerformance downpipe without the heat shield, and I noticed my IAT1 temps jumping in traffic. Should I wrap the downpipe in lava wrap or get a blanket? Or instead should I heat tape/blanket my inlet pipe?

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[Jason Baker]

All of the above!

 

[Ronny2019]

I had bought a turbo blanket and a intake blanket and before using them my ait2 would shoot to about 10-18 degrees over the ait now they stay even to 4 degrees higher when sitting in traffic. If you stop the heat from radiating from the turbo you will be better off.

 

[Doc_Mello]

I was considering a turbo blanket, and wrapping the DP/FP, though a lot of sources changed my mind, at least for the moment. 27won themselves told me that a turbo blanket and DP wrap causes more heat to pass through the cat, which accelerates degradation. If you have a catted DP, then that’s something to consider. Otherwise, wrap can help reduce engine bay temps, though moisture can get trapped between the wrap and piping, causing corrosion. There is a specific way to wrap, and seal, the pipes, to prevent this (YT vids show this process).

In the end, for me, it came down to trying to understand my end goal: reduce IAT temps, which seems similar to your goals. Engineering Explained has a good video on why heat wrapping may be unnecessary because, at anything other than idle (stoplights), the air passing through the whole intake system is in there for 1-2 seconds, if that (even less with more throttle), which is not enough time to really start to absorb heat. At rest, with no air movement in the engine bay, sure, things heat up (as we know), but once we start moving, IATs drop pretty quickly.

Given all of this, weighing the cost/benefit analysis for all of the work & expense involved, I actually went a different route: it was recommended that I get a vented hood (which I had already, and works wonderfully), and reduce the incoming air temps as much as possible (AKA: cold air intake, hence the PRL Cobra). I went one step further, also for a bit of bling, and gold-wrapped my cold-side intercooler pipe (the reviews on gold-wrapping are also mixed).

 

[Ronny2019]

I was considering a turbo blanket, and wrapping the DP/FP, though a lot of sources changed my mind, at least for the moment. 27won themselves told me that a turbo blanket and DP wrap causes more heat to pass through the cat, which accelerates degradation. If you have a catted DP, then that’s something to consider. Otherwise, wrap can help reduce engine bay temps, though moisture can get trapped between the wrap and piping, causing corrosion. There is a specific way to wrap, and seal, the pipes, to prevent this (YT vids show this process).

In the end, for me, it came down to trying to understand my end goal: reduce IAT temps, which seems similar to your goals. Engineering Explained has a good video on why heat wrapping may be unnecessary because, at anything other than idle (stoplights), the air passing through the whole intake system is in there for 1-2 seconds, if that (even less with more throttle), which is not enough time to really start to absorb heat. At rest, with no air movement in the engine bay, sure, things heat up (as we know), but once we start moving, IATs drop pretty quickly.

Given all of this, weighing the cost/benefit analysis for all of the work & expense involved, I actually went a different route: it was recommended that I get a vented hood (which I had already, and works wonderfully), and reduce the incoming air temps as much as possible (AKA: cold air intake, hence the PRL Cobra). I went one step further, also for a bit of bling, and gold-wrapped my cold-side intercooler pipe (the reviews on gold-wrapping are also mixed).

So I totally get that for the dp but the turbo emits a lot of heat and for the turbo to be efficient you want to keep the heat in the exhaust side of the tc. There have been scientific reports that show a tc with a blanket spool up quicker rids the heat better and dramatically reduces under hood temps.
this is one i will try to find the others but this is pretty interesting. Also the turbo is built to handle much more heat then is generated by our cars so that is not a issue and it cools down slower and more uniform less chance for cracking

 

[Ronny2019]

Just by putting on the turbo blanket and intake blanket my ait2 has been only 3-4 degrees above my ait1 if any also stays very close tro the outside temp. Like 3-7 degrees

 

[Doc_Mello]

So I totally get that for the dp but the turbo emits a lot of heat and for the turbo to be efficient you want to keep the heat in the exhaust side of the tc. There have been scientific reports that show a tc with a blanket spool up quicker rids the heat better and dramatically reduces under hood temps.
this is one i will try to find the others but this is pretty interesting. Also the turbo is built to handle much more heat then is generated by our cars so that is not a issue and it cools down slower and more uniform less chance for cracking

I think I did see that one, yeah. It's super-interesting! If I had a FLIR camera, I'd be pointing it at everything.

Right, so, the issue was more about excessive heat degrading the cat. For folks who don't run a cat, then it's no issue, but because I do, then it's something I need to consider. Now, what I cannot find are data on to what extent lava blankets &/or wrapping impact the efficiency/life of the cat. Not sure there's ever been any kind of comprehensive study, and given the factors I mentioned before, I just stuck with the OEM heat shields. I love the look of the lava blankets and wrap, though!

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