KATOOM

Better late than never.....

Agreed everything is breakable and quality is generally the main variable why things do. But over the many years I've always understood exhaust manifold cracking was nothing to do with shut down temperatures but rather because of high EGT's while pulling up hills and then going downhill off the throttle which rapidly cools the exhaust temperatures. So that said, Its been suggested that people with exhaust brakes experience less manifold cracking problems simply because the exhaust brake keeps the EGT's hotter on the downhill ride. Less extreme hot to extreme cool temperature fluctuations means less cracking.

I dont want to be the weight police.....but you seem to be a few refugees overloaded.

If mine ever cracks I'll likely replace it with a 3 piece simply to avoid it ever cracking again and because the come pre-drilled. Thats me saying that now though...

I have a heat blanket on my exhaust pipe from about 1 foot from the turbo down to the end of the transfer case. I ran into heat issues towing as the constant 900* exhaust pipe only a few inches from the transmission was causing a heat issue when climbing long hills. The blanket helped immensely. I chose not to wrap the exhaust either because wrapping is very difficult to get perfect, causes corrosion build up and rust, and eventually fatigues the metal from excessive heat under the wrap. I can show you a picture if you care.

Curiosity now has the best of me...

I actually did just that. Bought a cheap little truck I can beat around in and save the Dodge for times when I need it or just feel like cruising around in it. That sounds like I was spending unnecessary money just to keep my truck from being used.....but I look at it as I'm helping myself from spending another $70k for a new truck.

I guess the glass half full approach would be, if it wasn't for all the people who spend copious amounts of money on their trucks...where would most of the R&D come from?

Its all perspective... I.e, its surprising to me what level of time and money some people on these forums will spend on their trucks. So really its "too each is own." If you have a lot of time and money then more power to ya (no pun intended). I'm kinda lacking both these days.....

I'd say it depends on how much money you have and how long it takes to get bored.

Thank you for sharing tonyjsan..... I have to say that it sounds like you were the subject of shop who 1) didn't know what clutch you should have installed. I always suggest that people call the clutch manufacture and have them tell you what they believe is the best for your application, not a third party shop who may be completely clueless. And 2), you may have been dealing a mechanic lacking the necessary skills and knowledge for the job. Or the new shop kid who's learning how to work on stuff was your actual mechanic. That unfortunately happens often as people are shafted by the "professionals" who claim to be doing a service. Nonetheless, I'm not hear to defend SB or their products, especially since you took the time to let others know of your experience. I too work on all my vehicles because I have little to no faith in automotive shops. I used to work as a mechanic when I was a kid and learned that those places dont care about much. Often times the excuse for failed workmanship is to blame it on another part which they didnt touch.....

I like SB products.....but you should always let people know just for sake of knowing. Ya never know what people already know or would like to know before they spend lots of money. Like maybe ownership changed hands and quality fell off, or any other random possibility. As long as its shared in a civil respectable manner that is since you dont want to step on vendor toes.

Has this been discussed in any threads? I'd like to know more but dont want you to have to retype everything if you've already done so before.

You had issues with SB?

Point taken..... I guess I'll wait until that one company finishes theirs and then see how it looks. If its loose and goofy looking then I'll give the sock a try. That said, whenever you do have the time and want to upload a few pic's, I'd love to see what yours looks like so I have something to base a comparison from. Thanks.

Good point.....but I'm not wearing it. All joking aside, and I'm not doubting your opinion in any way, but is there actually a negative to how the form fit version fits compared to a sock type which wraps tightly? Point I think I'm trying to make is, does it matter that there's a gap between the material and the housing or are you speaking from personal choice? Or is there something gained by having it wrapped tightly? I guess I'm looking at the blanket as more a heat shield just as I shielded my transmission from the exhaust with a blanket instead of wrap. Wrap can hold in so much heat that the metal will fatigue, which is why I opted not to go that route.

Yes, I need to see what the sock fits like compared to form fit. Because the formed ones seems to fit the best from what I've seen...

I think so mostly because I'd like it as form fitting as possible. And that same company makes a pretty nice looking manifold blanket too if I decide to go that route as well.....

Thank you. Thats why I didnt see it... I was looking for a form fit blanket not a sock. The only company I know who's making a fit blanket is https://thermalzero.com/ Its not shown on their website yet because they're still in the process of making it. Should be available in a couple weeks...

Maybe I'm overlooking it.....but I dont see it.

It seems no one makes a blanket for the factory wastegate HX35.....

Tractorman, thank you for your in depth reply. Thats the answer I was looking for. Just to clarify for others..... What I'm looking to gain is simply the reduction of heat for everything surrounding the turbine housing. If that happens to offer some lower EGT's on hard pulls then bonus. I just cant see how having a 1100* - 1200* object under there could be beneficial to any bystanding objects. One of the reasons I'm interested too is because of what I witnessed directly after installing an exhaust blanket (not wrap) on the section of exhaust running along side my transmission Fastcooler. If the 900*+ exhaust will heat up the transmission fluid sitting in a wide open area under the truck then a 1100*+ turbo has to cause some serious underhood temperatures in those confines. Heck, I may even look into a manifold blanket and another exhaust blanket for the turbo outlet. Well see how expensive this gets.....

I've been considering buying a turbo blanket given the research I've done so far. Seems the claims are real where lower under hood temps and better turbine efficiency are the results. Maybe worth it for when I tow heavy in triple digit summer heat..... But I thought I'd comb the forums seeing if anyone has some experience first.

The stock SO clutch will hold up to around 75 HP over factory. The stock HO clutch will hold slightly less at around 60 HP over factory. That said, not everyone experiences the same results as some can hold a bit more or a bit less. Driving conditions and what you're doing with the truck will play a role too. The 13" clutch wasnt introduced until late 2000 early 2001, and only for the 5600 transmission.

Thanks guys.