Headers, coat/no coat
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: Valley City ohio
Headers, coat/no coat
The forum helped me alot in making the decsion to put headers on and which make to install.Now the question is to get coating or not on kooks LT headers.Thanks for any input
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
Stainless headers will change with repeated heat cycles to a mottled dark gray patina. Is that of concern?
The ceramic metallic coating appearance will stay that way forever unless the header temperatures for some reason exceed the maximum heat limits of the product.
The ceramic metallic coating will reduce engine bay temperatures considerably. That's especially important in the confines of a C5/Z06 car. That helps prevents degradation of the close proximity hoses and wiring.
The ceramic metallic coating appearance will stay that way forever unless the header temperatures for some reason exceed the maximum heat limits of the product.
The ceramic metallic coating will reduce engine bay temperatures considerably. That's especially important in the confines of a C5/Z06 car. That helps prevents degradation of the close proximity hoses and wiring.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 375
Likes: 18
From: Farmington Hills MI
I had the AR headers ceramic coated on my mustang (primarily a track car) and they look as good as the day I put them on. I got the same ceramic coating for the AR headers that are going on my '04 Z06 this spring. Definitely worth it even if not offered by the manufacturer. Keeps the under hood temps down and the headers looking new.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,272
Likes: 225
From: Farmington CT
Cruise-In VII Veteran
I have never made a connection from the weekend show cars to the track cars on coatings??? (I don't see them on the track)
If it was so effective wouldn't every car coming out of the "big C5/6 LS" shops have the coating?
If there is a tuner/shop that has done research on the coating, please chime in.
Thanks very much.
If it was so effective wouldn't every car coming out of the "big C5/6 LS" shops have the coating?
If there is a tuner/shop that has done research on the coating, please chime in.
Thanks very much.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,262
Likes: 122
From: Vetteville Tennessee
I didn't coat my LG's (not that I was deciding one way or the other) but I will tell you if you "don't" coat them make sure after you install them (AND BEFORE THE FIRST CRANK) make sure you wipe them down (as best you can) with a rag (I used a slightly soaked alcohol rag and of course let the alcohol evaporate not that it was that soaked). This will get all the "stuff" off of them (i.e. finger prints and any other "stuff" that touched them from being fabricated and handling) before you hung them on the car. If not the first time you crank the car and anytime after you will see all those finger prints and other "stuff" burnt onto the header. Once that happens it's there forever (unless you coat them after the fact I guess).
Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 654
Likes: 1
From: chandler az
I had a small block in a 240z. You could feel the difference when you opened the engine compartment after running for about thirty minutes. On long runs it didn't really matter since the whole car soaked up the engine heat anyway.
On my second gen camaro you could touch the headers after shutting the car down in about 20-30 minutes, for uncoated headers it took about an hour.
On my second gen camaro you could touch the headers after shutting the car down in about 20-30 minutes, for uncoated headers it took about an hour.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,237
Likes: 11
From: Lacombe Louisiana
Stainless headers will change with repeated heat cycles to a mottled dark gray patina. Is that of concern?
The ceramic metallic coating appearance will stay that way forever unless the header temperatures for some reason exceed the maximum heat limits of the product.
The ceramic metallic coating will reduce engine bay temperatures considerably. That's especially important in the confines of a C5/Z06 car. That helps prevents degradation of the close proximity hoses and wiring.
The ceramic metallic coating appearance will stay that way forever unless the header temperatures for some reason exceed the maximum heat limits of the product.
The ceramic metallic coating will reduce engine bay temperatures considerably. That's especially important in the confines of a C5/Z06 car. That helps prevents degradation of the close proximity hoses and wiring.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 23,682
Likes: 9
From: Flagstaff Az.
I would definitely use coated headers. Our cars have enough trouble with engine compartment heat. Have them coated inside and out. By coating them you can also go to steel instead of SS. Mine have been on for 7 years and still look new. Have a friend who has had coated steel headers on his Chevelle for 14 years now and they still look new. Jet Hot who does coatings also sells headers. When I bought mine they were $650 shipped, coated inside and out. 
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
I've used JET HOT several times on project cars because they have a plant in metro Phoenix. In fact, JET HOT has three plants across the USA (AZ, OK, NC). Their turn around time is 3-5 days not including shipping to/from. Their pricing depends on size, product options, finished inside/outside or outside only, etc.
Here's their warranty...
http://www.jet-hot.com/
HPC and CERMACHROME also used to be very popular ceramic metallic vendors, but I haven't heard much about them in the last few years.
Here's their warranty...
http://www.jet-hot.com/
AN UNMATCHED WARRANTY
The Jet-Hot exhaust coating warranty is the best in the industry. Lifetime – no questions asked. If you think your Jet-Hot exhaust coating isn’t living up to its billing, we’ll coat your part again on our dime. If it fails in the first year, we’ll re-coat your part and cover the shipping both ways. If the coating fails after a year, ship us the part, and we’ll coat it and ship it back on our dime. Yep, we stand behind our work.
The Jet-Hot exhaust coating warranty is the best in the industry. Lifetime – no questions asked. If you think your Jet-Hot exhaust coating isn’t living up to its billing, we’ll coat your part again on our dime. If it fails in the first year, we’ll re-coat your part and cover the shipping both ways. If the coating fails after a year, ship us the part, and we’ll coat it and ship it back on our dime. Yep, we stand behind our work.
Last edited by hotwheels57; Jan 20, 2012 at 02:17 PM.
