Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:10:08 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Wrap exhaust pipes with fiberglass?
In-Reply-To: <20fbe3b00808220533y3774e4b6sdc511094b7444247@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Bad Idea! Wrapping exhaust.
The aft end of the Vanagon was designed and engineered to deal with the
heat of combustion and to get rid of it. The exhaust pipes hanging in
the breeze act as radiate heaters and transfer the heat to the passing
air when moving. At idle, there is not that much heat produced. We - men
- and Vanagons are much alike. Things hang out for cooling purposes.
It's a good system and it works. Tape it all up tight and you will get
heat damage of a different sort. Instead of excess heat radiating, the
contained heat will cook things from the inside out. Believe me, your
don't want your tubes cooked - on your Vanagon or otherwise.Rot sets in,
and repair is difficult at best and in some cases the only thing that
can be done is to remove them.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Chelsea, AL
Mark Hersh wrote:
> I was in Harbor Freight buying X-treme Tape (on sale for 3.99 USD till
> 8/25, BTW, save $1) and I mentioned to a guy in that aisle that it got
> high marks from folks on the Vanagon list serv.
>
> He said he used to own a Vanagon and said I can reduce heat in the
> engine compartment by 70% if I:
>
> Wrap the exhaust pipes (engine block to the cat) with fiberglass
> (using some kind of high-temp fiberglass stuff), securing with
> stainless steel wire, which in time will bond the whole shebang
> together. That helps to send the heat out the exhaust and, as the
> exhaust pipes will no longer act as radiators into the engine
> compartment, reduce engine overheating, heat stress on electrical
> components.
>
> I guess I can see the reduction of waste heat part in a general sense,
> but I am puzzled about the engine overheating part. I'd think that a
> properly running Vanagon's cooling system will keep the block and
> heads cool enough that the hot exhaust pipes won't add that much to
> their heat load...
>
> He made a particular point about engine overheating, saying, after a
> long trip, you slow down, engine overheats, you lose compression,
> etc... and that this will fix all that.
>
> My guess is that if that fixed or improved something for him, then he
> had something else wrong with his van. But I smiled and thanked him,
> as I wanted to beat the traffic home.
>
> Thoughts from the collective brain power of the list?
>
> Mark, "one week till road trip!"
>
> --
> 86 Campmobile Six-Seater "Monty"
>
> Black dogs are euthanized at a greater rate than other-colored dogs,
> regardless of temperament. Learn about Black Dog Syndrome at
> http://www.blackpearldogs.com/
>
>
>
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