DIY Header Coating
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln Nebraska
DIY Header Coating
Anyone ever used a product like this with good results?
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Hot-St...sing,2158.html
I'll buy headman Elites before I go uncoated. But, being a broke college student, it would be nice to find an alternative to buying ceramic coated headers that will keep underhood temps cool and pennies in my pocket.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Hot-St...sing,2158.html
I'll buy headman Elites before I go uncoated. But, being a broke college student, it would be nice to find an alternative to buying ceramic coated headers that will keep underhood temps cool and pennies in my pocket.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
Likes: 8
From: Tampa Florida
I tried this stuff and it works pretty well once you put on multiple coats of it: http://www.jegs.com/p/VHT/VHT-Flame-...49303/10002/-1
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 308
Likes: 2
From: Kansas City MO
Most of the cheap coatings work best on cast iron manifolds because they're porus, have a rougher texture, and hold "in" the heat better than tube headers.... That said I've had OK luck with POR-20 heat resistant paint on headers - they seem to work best on a used set that has been baked clean and then sand (yes sand - rough) blasted and coated and cured either in the oven or a couple of lower temp heat cycles. Only had 1 pair that didn't hold the coating and it was probably because I didn't clean them well enough
Pro
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 678
Likes: 0
From: Oslo, Norway
Hi.
This coat is more for the esthetics and manage high temps.
The whole idea with the coating is to have a temperature decrease so that the engine compartment and adjacent cables and aggregates does not take harm.
The coating is ceramic and it is put on inside ad outside of the headers.
I ave TPIS coated headers and it is estonishing how low temp they have.
look at this page: http://www.jet-hot.com/
If its only esthetics you think of then its ok with manifold dressing, but all decrease of high temps in the engine compartment is very good. With coating you also get a much more efficient exhaust system because you keep the hot exhaust gasses inside the tubes and the speed of them are higher
This coat is more for the esthetics and manage high temps.
The whole idea with the coating is to have a temperature decrease so that the engine compartment and adjacent cables and aggregates does not take harm.
The coating is ceramic and it is put on inside ad outside of the headers.
I ave TPIS coated headers and it is estonishing how low temp they have.
look at this page: http://www.jet-hot.com/
If its only esthetics you think of then its ok with manifold dressing, but all decrease of high temps in the engine compartment is very good. With coating you also get a much more efficient exhaust system because you keep the hot exhaust gasses inside the tubes and the speed of them are higher
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln Nebraska
I could care less about aesthetics, my car is a daily driver and I don't keep it perfectly polished under the hood. But, I do need to get my 383 breathin better than stock manifolds, and I don't want to risk burning any wires.
The product I mentioned has ceramic and steel components so I'd guess that it would be a better thermal barrier than paint if I put it on thick.
Basically I'm wondering if anyone has figured out a good way to thermal coat headers for cheap. If not then the hedman elites seem like a pretty solid deal.
The product I mentioned has ceramic and steel components so I'd guess that it would be a better thermal barrier than paint if I put it on thick.
Basically I'm wondering if anyone has figured out a good way to thermal coat headers for cheap. If not then the hedman elites seem like a pretty solid deal.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
I currently have my Hooker headers fully media blasted clean and ready for re-coating. I've been looking some type of DIY coating. I've been eyeing Dupli-Color's High-Heat Paint with Ceramic.
The instructions call for baking the part in an oven for 2 hours at 300 degrees after coating. But since I don't have any way to "bake" a full lengh header if wonder if you could'nt just let the engine "bake" them for you once installed in the car?
I've seen a set of headers in person painted with this paint in aluminum color. It looked outstanding (like when my ceramic headers where new) and you could not even tell it was done with a rattle can.
The instructions call for baking the part in an oven for 2 hours at 300 degrees after coating. But since I don't have any way to "bake" a full lengh header if wonder if you could'nt just let the engine "bake" them for you once installed in the car?
I've seen a set of headers in person painted with this paint in aluminum color. It looked outstanding (like when my ceramic headers where new) and you could not even tell it was done with a rattle can.
Last edited by 86PACER; Nov 20, 2010 at 01:41 AM.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh Penna.
The coating from Speedway doesn't seem to be something that would be used on steel headers. The description addressed cast iron only. Eastwood has ceramic coatings you can put on steel headers that bake on from the heat of the engine.
Last edited by klkordzi; Nov 21, 2010 at 11:23 AM.
