Maybe we could get some tuners/engine builders to help out on this one.

 

I agree

 

I don't think so, and I was concerned about that, but I was told that with the coating, I wouldn't have to worry about rusting, flaking etc.

 

Jet Hot Extreme Sterling coated Kooks ... Love them.

Look great, no discoloration - SS will discolor with heat from engine and oxygen ... coating = no oxygen.

 

This makes ZERO sense. You cast iron manifolds probaly a better job of keeping heat in them than the coated headers....and stock cars have no issues with the heads or internal tempatures. Also...coated heads are used in racing engines all the time. Not sure who told you that....but it is simply 100% wrong.

The exhaust gas will be more pressurized...so a coated header will take slightly less timing...but that is a GOOD thing. You want to make the most power with the least amount of timing. I see to many people who equate more timing to more power...and it is not about that at all.

As for tuners...we work very closely with Jeff Creech at Carolina Auto Masters...he has built our cars...and we sell parts to many of his customers. I talk to him probaly 3 times a week..almost always about a customer of his buying headers from me...and I have never heard him raise any concerns about coating. Most of the headers we sell to his customers are coated if time allows.

 

SLP headers are 409 stainless and come coated inside and out.

Kooks and all the other major brands are 304 Aircraft grade stainless. uncoated 304 stainless will turn orange over time, but not rust. 409 stainless contains more iron, and uncoated will develop surface rust over time..but will not rust through. Since SLP's come coated however...rust is not a concern.

 

pm sent

 

I would like to jump in this pm loop as well if you feel like disclosing that information to me. LMK

 

Cast iron is an order of magnitude (ten times) more conductive than steel which is 3 times more conductive than 18-8 Stainless (302/303/304). Cast iron manifolds are massively thick so with their conductiveness they spread their heat load yet still do radiate a ton of heat. Radiation of heat is why the factory uses steel heat shields around their cast iron manifolds to protect other hardware under the hood. Radiant exhaust heat is really what you want to protect your wireing harness and other soft parts from. This can be done with shielding (OEM method), coating (Jethot), or double walling like a OEM LS7 manifold or an early LS1 welded manifold. A massive amount of thermal energy can be transferred if the hot material has a high emissivity. Emisivity is increased typically with darker colored materials. The light colored Jethot type coatings are your best bet to reduce the the radiated heat of a thin walled header system whether it is 304 stainless or mild steel, the reduction of transfered heat energy is not simply a insulative thickness calculation. Watch the primaries of a 304 stainless header equipped LS engine and you will see the primaries start glowing near the end of the pull. Watch a similar pull with coated headers and you won't see any glowing. Those glowing primaries on the uncoated headers are like a large radiant toaster cooking up a batch of freshly baked wireing harness. I have felt the nearby wire harnesses from vehicles with uncoated header systems after a few years of use and I didn't like how crispy they felt.
I don't think there is any power to be gained from coating your headers, but I do feel there is some protection value for the plastic parts nearby even with stainless headers.

 

I have ceramic coated long tubes on my vette for a while now. I can tell where they end on the tunnel of the car from with in the car. in the past with some spirited driving and normal driving the whole tunnel from the foot well back was warm, now it starts further back.

IMO it was worth the extra $150-180 (done locally) to have this, plus it looks nice and keep any sort or rust/corrosion away. The o2 extender wires in heat shielding rest on the headers without issue. I wouldn't say you could touch the headers after running the car but can get your hand really close without burning, maybe 1/4"-1/2"

 

Damn, I had hair when this thread was started...