Turbo blanket

[Kegsandeggs]

Is anyone running a turbo blanket? Not even sure what turbo is in the car but I do know the thing gets hot... I'm thinking this one...

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?index=0&sbk=1&nav=SEARCH&itemId=380637915281

It seams to be an ok way to dispapate the heat... Also planing on wrapping my dp with the exhaust heat wrap...

 

[Opticon]

1) That blanket does not dissipate heat. It holds it in.
2) The turbine is part of the exhaust manifold so that blanket will probably not fit.
3) Never heat wrap anything that can rust. It will hold in moisture and promote rot.

If you are really concerned about heat control have your exhaust manifold and turbine housing ceramic coated inside and out. My suggestion?... Don't worry about the heat.

 

[rcmn0022]

The blanket is supposed to be helping the turbo from burning other components in the engine bay. But being a stock turbocharger, GM did their job of designing in enough room for the turbo to not burn through a coolant line or something like that.

 

[Patgt500]

The blanket is not just for protecting other components, it keeps the exhaust gasses hotter, allowing for quicker flow.

 

[AxelRipper]

The blanket is not just for protecting other components, it keeps the exhaust gasses hotter, allowing for quicker flow.

And is there any real, independent, certified data that this does anything but heat the turbo up, reducing the lifespan of the bearings?

 

[Patgt500]

If the turbo is properly cooled and the vehicle not shut off immediately after a hard pull, you're fine, and as far as verified test go, we don't need to verify that hotter air expands more and travels faster from a higher pressure area(turbo) to a lower pressure area(exhaust, atmosphere).

 

[sx sonic]

And is there any real, independent, certified data that this does anything but heat the turbo up, reducing the lifespan of the bearings?

It has been empirically proven that ~80% of the turbines power comes from heat and only 20% from exhaust flow. From there it is simple extrapolation that keeping the turbine hotter improves turbo efficiency.

A very high percentage of professional race cars use a turbo blanket and/or heat shielding around the turbo so I think that say's something about the merits of heat control around the hot side of a turbo.

The pro's are
-Hotter turbine
- Cooler under hood temps, -increased longevity of components because of lower underhood temps. -cooler intake air because of lower underhood temps and less heat soak.

The drawbacks are as mentioned exhaust parts wrapped in heat wrap/blanket die sooner from the increased heat and moisture retention, not a good combo.


The turbo bearings are designed to function in extreme heat and wrapping a turbo will have a negligible effect on the bearings life. If oil coking is a problem it may exacerbate the demise of the bearing but they're going to die anyway unless the oil coking is managed with better shutdown procedures.