Every Evo DP I've seen is now made from 304 stainless steel. This stuff can easily withstand any corrosive environment brought about by heat wrap. Its worlds more corrosion resistant than mild steel.

 

What do u think about this? Did anyone do this to the hotside?

http://www.designengineering.com/pro...sp?m=sp&pid=31

 

i would just get a good ceramic coating, especially if you live in a 4 season state. Another thing you can do if you want to reflect heat from your oil pan is getting some adhesive heat reflecting tape stuff. Made by dei I think? That shiny orange stuff, you know what i'm talking about.

 

You drive all those cars and you think getting a little downpipe coated is a pricey option?

 

Stainless is more resistant than carbon steel, but 304 is a mild grade, and given enough time, will eventually degrade.

It's all just a matter of time and heat.

 

In general, you're better off shielding the heat-sensitive components than the heat source itself.

So in this case, it'd be smarter to apply heatshield mat to the oilpan rather than wrap the downpipe. Especially considering that the performance advantages of wrapping the dp are essentially unmeasureable.

By applying a thermal mat onto the oilpan, you will achieve the same end result this way (i.e. preventing heat from reaching the oil) without inducing unnecessarily high thermal stresses in the downpipe.

 

A wrapped 304 SS DP would hold up perfectly well to temperature in a clean environment. It could even be argued that the use of a wrap on the DP would reduce temperature gradients across the DP wall and thus reduce thermal stresses. :-)

Corrosion could be the bigger issue. Salt embedded between the wrap and the DP could accelerate corrosion if moisture can make it to the surface of the DP. With high temperatures though, it seems like its unlikely any significant amount of moisture would be present.

 

That's true, the gradient is less severe, but the bulk average temperature skyrockets when you wrap the dp.

Same situation occurs with thermal blankets on turbine housings--they get cooked to death, warping and cracking in all kinds of unnatural ways.