Wanting to pull the trigger, but can't make up my mind.

I know SS headers last longer, but lose heat. Ceramic headers keep the heat, maybe slight increase in hp. God knows my '77 could use it.
I guess the same holds true for sidepipes.

Question: Would Ceramic headers/collector look sh#^#y with SS sidepipes? I read about this on another website.

Thanks c3 owners for your opinioons.
Todd

 

base your decision purely on appearance, SS is shiny, Ceramic looks more like aluminum, not as shiny. I can't see the appeal of a mix of the two.

 

You should check out Jet Hot coatings. Many options.

 

Jet Hot is mostly for appearance; Look at things like Swain and Tech-line. If you want the ceramic coated pipes to last longer; you have to coat the INSIDE of the pipes as well as the outside. Exhaust pipes rust from the INSIDE out. The corrosive salts and moisture that are byproducts of the combustion process, especially before the engine is up to operating temp are what is most damaging. Coat the inside of the tube and you have a SMOOTH protective layer, which also keeps heat IN which keeps the gasses hotter, which moves them faster down the tube.

Stainless will discolor and need to be polished. Ceramic sheds less heat into the passenger compartment, improves performance and doesn't look as pretty; but requires less maintenance.

 

[QUOTE=Auto Gear;1590013833]Jet Hot is mostly for appearance

Really, what facts are you basing that upon? Curious to know because that's not what I've experienced.

 

[QUOTE=Ranger24;1590016870]"If a company is talking about temperature ratings and coatings for engines you can be pretty sure they are talking to you about a paint based material that breaks down when it sees elevated temperatures. What we apply are true ceramic materials and they typically have a melting point in the 3,000 to 3,500 degrees F range. We do not talk about those temperatures because they mean nothing in practical terms. If you are near the limits of the coatings, you are already burned up! Speaking in general terms, one of the primary purposes of our coatings would be to improve part life. This would be true of any of our coatings. Pistons run cooler and stronger with our coatings, bearings have better lubrication and longer life, valve springs have less friction and heat, exhaust parts have fewer hot spots for extended life. I do know any of the components that are coated would enjoy longer service life.


Dan
Swain Tech Coatings"

From 2000, when I was still racing 2-stroke snowmobiles. 310 stainless exhaust with Swain's coating on it put a lot more heat out of the pipe, performance was more consistent throughout the day. I will say the specific coating I used from Swain has a slightly textured appearance and is bright white. It did turn kind of a titanium grey after awhile, but never flaked. You CAN paint over it with a high temp paint.

If your goal is performance or heat management; Swain is a good place to start the conversation.

FYI I had a bad experience with the product I sent to Jet Hot. The coating was very uneven and there were places you could tell that they didn't prep the surface as well as they should have. I wanted to get the header recoated and the price was much higher the 2nd time. I spoke to local shops about a Jet-Hot style coating (most were a lot cheaper than JH at the time; never mind shipping a stainless elephant trunk). I opted to go with a different coating because I really needed to manage the heat better than a traditional coating would allow.

Turbo guys will say much the same thing considering they can see temps in excess of 1700* in some applications

 

An acquaintance has Jet Hot coating on his 67 BB sidepipe headers. Looks nice after many years.

I have Jet Hot coating on my 68 SB headers. Looks like crap. The Jet Hot coating has pealed off in places leaving ugly rust.

SS may turn blue near the cylinder head flanges. I can live with some blue discoloration as compared to rust.