Review on Design Engineering 010133 Titanium Technology by Kyle Awasthi

An exhaust film or "manifold film" has been around since the 1980s. The product is designed to be wrapped around exhaust pipes and then secured with a stainless steel fastener. The goal is to reduce heat dissipation and improve engine performance. The most desirable property of an on-highway vehicle exhaust system wrap is that it reduces heat dissipation from parts of the exhaust system. The encapsulation of the exhaust manifolds and tailpipes reduces the temperatures under the hood and under the vehicle. Some exhaust wrap manufacturers claim up to 50% lower underhood temperatures, but I think that's under "ideal conditions". In real applications, the temperature reduction will not be a constant 50%, but it will still be significant. I have wrapped portions of the under car exhaust system in exhaust wrap on two Corvettes and installed it on a third for this review. In all three cases, shrouding the exhaust systems reduced the amount of heat radiated from the exhaust gases through the floor into the cabin. On one of those cars, my '71 big-block hot rod that doesn't have air conditioning, a wrapped tailpipe makes the difference between an uncomfortable cabin and a passable interior on a hot day. Another benefit of the exhaust wrap, cited by most product manufacturers, is an increase in engine performance. They claim that by encasing the exhaust gases, more heat is retained in the exhaust stream, allowing the exhaust gases to remain less dense. For this reason, the exhaust flow should be higher. Exhaust wrap manufacturers claim that increased exhaust flow increases torque output. I suspect this is true under certain conditions, but maybe not under all conditions. It is safe to say that in engines with some degree of camshaft profile overlap, a higher level of exhaust scavenging can occur when the exhaust flow is higher due to the pipe wrap. This generally increases the performance of an open exhaust racing engine. While all exhaust wrap manufacturers claim this potential for increased performance, in the real world you need to do some rigorous testing with a dynamometer to back up these claims. Such tests were not within the budget of this review. When I fit an exhaust cowl, my main concern is comfort, ie reducing the heat radiated into the cabin. If there's also a performance advantage in a high-end street application, I'll take that as well. Conventional exhaust wrap products are made from woven fiberglass. To install a fiberglass exhaust pipe, dampen the material so that it is soaked with water but not dripping, then coil the exhaust pipe in question with a 1/4-1/2 inch overlap. Most exhaust sleeve manufacturers sell special stainless steel tie-down straps that secure the sleeve to the pipe. Once dry, some exhaust wrap manufacturers offer a spray-on silicone coating that seals the wrap and extends its life. The exhaust wrap can be used for header kits with short or long uncoated pipes, as well as for under-vehicle exhaust system parts. . Do not use exhaust wrap on sintered mild steel headers or exhaust pipes. The combination of cermet coating on the exhaust body insulates so well that the mild steel overheats and cracks. When it comes to mild steel exhaust parts, you have to make a decision: coating or foiling. I usually cover the headers and exhaust manifolds and wrap the exhaust and tailpipes. It is not recommended to wrap catalytic converters as they must radiate heat to avoid damaging the catalytic converter. The latest muffler wrap product to hit the market comes from insulation specialists Design Engineering, Inc. It's called "Titanium" muffler wrap. The product does not contain any significant amounts of titanium metal. The Titanium brand was chosen because of the product's high strength and light weight, according to DEI spokesman Dan Stark. What makes DEI titanium exhaust sleeve unique is that it is not made of fiberglass. It is made of fibrous lava rock that is both lighter and more heat resistant than glass. I was a little skeptical about lava rock fibers at first, but after speaking to Dan Stark I was convinced. In short, at DEI lava rock is mined in large batches, crushed and melted at very high temperatures. Then it is twisted and wrapped. The fibers are then added to other fibers to make threads, and finally they are woven into a special DEI fabric, which is then made into strips of exhaust film. TI wasn't able to test the additional 600°F temperature tolerance, but I'll take DEI's word that their temperature limit for direct heating is 1800°F, compared to the 1200°F maximum for fiberglass. Titanium foil weighs less than other exhaust system covering products. Best Features of DEI Exhaust Titanium Film: 1) You don't need to wet it before installation. This makes the installation process a lot less messy and 2) you don't have to seal it with high temperature silicone spray to get the best results. In fact, DEI says not to use sealant on titanium foil. All you have to do is wrap the pipe, secure it with DEI stainless steel cable ties and then get behind the wheel. As with all exhaust wraps, the material will smoke a little during the first one or two heating cycles, but after that you won't notice it until you look under the car. I used two 25 foot rolls of 2 inch film. Titanium Exhaust Wrap (Part #100131) for the exhaust system of a 2012 Z06. The main reason for this is my current project to reduce heat radiation into the interior of the car. Especially since my '12 C5 Z06 has a problem with heat dissipation from the chassis parts of the exhaust system to the cabin. Wrapping the pipes behind the rollers and wrapping the center section up to the muffler connection resulted in a noticeable reduction in the temperature of the center console in the car. I am very pleased with the results of my Titanium Exhaust Wrap project and am planning to replace the existing wrap on the exhausts of my other two vehicles with this DEI product. I gave five stars because it works well and is easy to install.