It is often thought that thermal insulation tapes are only used to reduce the ambient temperature, for example in the engine compartment. However, insulation tapes on exhausts have started to be used primarily in motorsport a couple of decades ago, in order to get the most out of the exhaust system in terms of engine performance.
Thus, their main role is to keep the exhaust system at a constant high temperature, which prevents the exhaust gases from rapidly cooling down and therefore slowing down. Said quite frankly, hot gases have a higher flow velocity, therefore, it is important to increase the efficiency of the combustion process in order for the exhaust gases to leave the combustion chamber as quickly and efficiently as possible.
A secondary and also significant benefit of these insulations is the actual reduction of radiant heat propagation in the engine compartment. This not only has a positive effect on the intake air temperature, but the lower temperature "under the bonnet" also has a positive effect on the lifespan of many other components that could be damaged as a result of overheating.
Last but not least, this tape is also of aesthetic importance to many. After all, beautifully large, interlaced exhaust manifold wrapped in thermal tape often dominate a modified engine compartment.
We offer tapes of different materials, widths and lengths. All depending on the application, for simple use the RACES tapes up to high-quality thermal insulation solutions from prestigious brands such as DEI or Thermo-tec.
The installation of the tape is very simple, but still has its pitfalls. We always recommend soaking the tape in water before installation. Once wet, the tape is more pliable, sticks better to the exhaust during installation, and most importantly does not sting (due to the fact that most of these tapes contain fiberglass or other materials that irritate the skin). The beginning of the wrap needs to be secured with stainless steel tie strap to ensure that the tape does not pull away from that part of the exhaust. These tie straps should also be placed in other places where the tape could be displaced or unwound, and also at the end to prevent the tape from unwinding arbitrarily.
After successful wrapping, the tape should be allowed to dry off naturally. We then highly recommend that you impregnate the installed tape with an impregnating spray to prevent any leakage of liquids from the engine to stick within the tape, which could result in smoking or even fire. This impregnation will also provide increased durability of the tape, thus extending its lifespan by many times.
The applied impregnating spray should be allowed to dry naturally.
When first starting after installing the thermal insulation tape on the ducts or exhaust, it is necessary to let the tape "burn off". Due to the increasing temperature of the exhaust system, the tape and impregnating spray will burn off, resulting in mild smoking. There is no need to be alarmed as this is just evaporation of the residual impregnation particles, which will subside after a few minutes and the vehicle can be used normally. This process must be carried out in a well-ventilated environment.
If you are not sure what size and length of tape to choose, you can use our calculator.
We also offer thermal insulation cable sleeves, self-adhesive insulation and last but not least turbo thermal insulation.
