;

[Invasion1]

'

[4PASNU]

The exhaust side of the turbo doesn't "need" to be insulated but it helps out in a few different ways. The main reason is to minimize heat transfer between the two sides of the turbo. As you might know cooler air is denser air and has the potential to make more power. By insulating the exhaust side you keep the intake side cool. The second reason is heat stress on other under hood components. Exhaust gas is very hot. That heat radiates off of the turbo and slowly cooks wires and electronics located nearby. The heat shield prolongs the life of these components. Another reason I've heard but don't fully understand and don't really know if it's true is that by wrapping exhaust components and maintaining that heat somehow allows the gases to flow better.

[Guest Anonymous]

Hot exhaust gas travels faster than cool exhaust gas.

[TGPilot]

Does the Turbo Need to have the stock heat sheild or some kind of other insulating material to optimize performance???

 

Could someone explain the theory behind insulating the Turbo Exaust side??

 

The stock insulation on the TGP is in place for nothing more than reducing underhood temperatures. The stock cross-over has a heat-shield and under that is some poorly placed insulation also. In order for you to get any real "performance" gain from wrapping the exhaust would be if you started from the exhaust manifold and carried it with no breaks or un-even overlap all the way to the turbo housing and down the downpipe. The downpipe on the TGP has insulation under the stainless mess and that is more to reduce the heat transfer to the passenger compartment through the fire wall. But as many have noticed that if you get that insulation (On cross-over, turbo blanket, or downpipe) wet it crumbles. Having uneven insulation on the turbo housing, cross-over, or downpipe will cause more damage to warping than having no insulation at all.

 

What other components "should" be protected from extreme heat inder the Hood Of the TGP??

 

Dave

 

EVERYTHING!!

 

The theory behind wrapping the exhaust is that heat is energy and getting as much of the BTU's away from the motor the better. Redturbo90 is exactly right when he says that hot exhaust gases travel faster than cold. If you keep the gasses hot from the exhaust port all the way to the turbo fan and just past you will have a performance gain. How much? Nothing extreme on the TGP because the turbo is fairly close to the exhaust manifold and the gasses will not cool much to that point. When you have a lot of exhaust plumbing before it gets to the turbo you would benefit greatly from wrapping the exhaust to keep the fast moving gasses...moving out fast.

 

Also understand this. Wrapping an exhaust is a piss poor old technology way of keeping the heat in the exhaust. Wrapping an exhaust will cause (as Jeff M has said) "crystallization" of the metal under the wrap. Include moisture trapped under the wrap, and your exhaust manifold and piping will crumble in real quick fashion. Ceramic coating or Jet-Hot coating of both the inside and outside of the exhaust piping will transfer the heat more effeciently and last a hole lot longer than anything that is just wrapped... 8)

[TGPilot]

No problem Dave...There is a lot more of a scientific explaination (way over my head ) and theory of BTU and heat exchange in an exhaust system.

 

Now I have wandered into backpressure ratios and combustion chamber densities and exhaust diameter compared to exhaust length to the muffler blah blah blah that I have been studying lately. Reason being, I am getting ready to purchase another TGP and do a workup of tube headers and larger turbo with better flowing custom made heads for my own one off bad assed TGP. I would have never guessed that there was so much shit involved in making a high flow, low compression, high boost motor actually work! 8)