Stainless Headers Turned Brown!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 119
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From: Warner Robins GA
Stainless Headers Turned Brown!
I have a set of OBX 304 stainless headers that are turning brown on the tubes. I know...these are cheap headers, what did I expect!
Anyway, is there a way to polish them up? And would it be worth the trouble since they'll probably turn brown again??? Just wondering...
Anyway, is there a way to polish them up? And would it be worth the trouble since they'll probably turn brown again??? Just wondering...
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 6
From: Melbourne FL
Don't think it'd be worth the trouble. They need to have them coated by JetHot of something similar when new to help prevent the color change even on an expensive set of headers. My original LGM's turned color over time.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
That's what uncoated stainless steel typically does. It's called patina. It's from repeated heat cycling. Some don't seem to mind it, others find it unattractive.
Stainless headers can be polished easily, but it's labor intensive. The patina will return in short time.
It's best for that reason to have them ceramic metallic coated, like JET HOT or HPC. They'll look bright and shiny forever, the metal will be cooler and the engine compartment stay cooler.
Stainless headers can be polished easily, but it's labor intensive. The patina will return in short time.
It's best for that reason to have them ceramic metallic coated, like JET HOT or HPC. They'll look bright and shiny forever, the metal will be cooler and the engine compartment stay cooler.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Its NOT because you have less expensive OBX headers. I have more expensive Stainless Works headers (there very high quality) and they tarnish exactly as most any other stainless header. Tarnish isn't RUST and will not cause deterioration.
I had the Stainless Works headers JET HOT Coated and there shiny new looking again.
BC
I had the Stainless Works headers JET HOT Coated and there shiny new looking again.
BC
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
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From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
I've got a fully polished engine going together right now that includes polished headers. I'm sure they will turn, but Ill deal with that later, right now I just want to get driving after 1.5 years of work.
Firearms can be blued in a similar manner. Nitre blueing gives a beautiful translucent blue tone when potassium nitrates are heated to 620 degrees and the prepared metal is submersed. The color changes from straw color like on the levers of old German Lugers then if kept longer it turns purplish then into various tones of blue.
Case hardening is another heat process where parts are put in with scraps of leather and bone in a screen box and heated in a furnace. Very nice patina on the finished parts.
I love seeing the blue tint on Ti and chrome when extreme heat/time goes by.
If your car's air/fuel ratio was running more lean so the headers were hotter you'd get a more blue appearance compared to brown.
Firearms can be blued in a similar manner. Nitre blueing gives a beautiful translucent blue tone when potassium nitrates are heated to 620 degrees and the prepared metal is submersed. The color changes from straw color like on the levers of old German Lugers then if kept longer it turns purplish then into various tones of blue.
Case hardening is another heat process where parts are put in with scraps of leather and bone in a screen box and heated in a furnace. Very nice patina on the finished parts.
I love seeing the blue tint on Ti and chrome when extreme heat/time goes by.
If your car's air/fuel ratio was running more lean so the headers were hotter you'd get a more blue appearance compared to brown.
