I hadn't found a DIY for wrapping your downpipes, so I figured I'd make one. If people want to use it, cool. And if not, it's not rocket science.
So I started out with some 034 Motorsports 3" DP's, which are absolutely GORGEOUS, top notch build quality. I can't say enough about them, and it's really kind of a shame that they are going to be covered up.
I ended up going with DEI Titanium 2" Exhaust Wrap, DEI Silicone coating, Rustoleum High Temp Paint and DEI Exhaust Wrap Ties
I started off by blocking the ends of the DP's with newspaper, you could also use making or painter's tape to block off the o2 bungs and flanges.
As always, do this in a WELL VENTILATED AREA. I ended up having 2 supervisors, you know, to make sure I was being safe.
I used the Rustoleum first, and you'll use the same technique when you apply the silicone coating after putting the wrap on. Make sure to shake the can really well before your start applying it to the DP's. I would say that if you do this to used DP's you would want to de-grease / clean them before you performed this step.
Make passes back and forth at a distance of about 8-10 inches away from the part which you're painting, and over lap them a bit, but keep an eye out so that you don't over saturate it, and make runs.
You'll end up doing a few coats, I think I ended up doing 3 or 4 coats total. Give 15 minutes or so between coats, depending upon whatever the ambient temp is in your environment, will depict how long it takes for the paint to dry. I also decided to not go over the flex part section with the first paint.
After you're doing doing this to all sides of the DP, let it sit for about 30 - 45 min, or until everything is dry.
Once it's all dry, you can take the exhaust wrap and start that process. It really doesn't matter which end you begin wrapping at, I began at the lowest mounted point, so furthest away from the turbo flange. You'll want to wrap at least once completely around the DP. And as you go further up the DP, you would want to overlap as you go. I ended up overlapping half the width on each wrap. Keep as much pressure on the wrap as you can. You'll also want to wrap it at least once completely at the other end of the DP. Once you've wrapped it up completely, you can cut the exhaust wrap with a pair of scissors.
Do this to each DP.
Next thing you want to do, is get a bucket, pan, whatever, and put water in it. I used hot water, but I doubt it'd really make much of a difference with whatever temperature you decided to use. You'll unwrap the DP, into the bucket. I used a couple of towels, and you will get wet doing the next step.
After soaking the wrap for a few minutes, begin to re-wrap the DP. When you do the first wrap, make it as tight as you possibly can. You can do this on your own, but it might not hurt to have another set of hands.
Wrap the DP all the way, keeping as much tension on the wrap as you go. When the wrap dries, it will shrink and get a bit tighter. Once you've finished the wrap, you can put the ties on, I did the bottom one ( where I began the wrap ) first. And I made little adjustments from there. Cinch the ties down as much as you can. Some people use generic hose clamps instead of the ties. To each their own.
Repeat for the other DP.
These will have to dry for ~24 hours.
Now, on to the silicone coating for the exhaust wrap. ***This is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL*** The purpose of the silicone coating is to help prevent moisture from getting into the exhaust wrap, where it would end up in contact with the DP, creating rust. I figured since I just dropped 1k on this setup, I'd take the extra time and do what I could to protect my investment.
Common sense would dictate that the exhaust wrap would be completely dry before the application of the silicone coating. The wrap was dry to the touch when I got home, but I decided to take it a little further and preheated my oven to 350 degrees. I put each DP in the oven for 25 minutes. Let them cool, and then got to coating them.
Using the DEI Hi Temp Silicone Coating, and applying it in coats, just like the High Temp paint I put on the bare DP's.
I used pretty much the entire can of silicone coating, probably 4 - 5 liberal coats. I used a bit more on the parts of the DP that would be directly "facing" the road surface. Just like before, give it some time to dry between coats, but the first couple of coats were soaked up by the exhaust wrap pretty quickly.
And here is the finished product.
If you noticed, I did run the exhaust wrap OVER the o2 bungs, on purpose. I'll use a razor knife to cut open just enough to get the spacers and o2 sensors in the bungs.
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Originally Posted by jeffrey146
I was kind of like WTF, and never really paid attention to it.
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