Getting ready to order exhaust system and my ? is. Is ceramic coating needed on stainless headers? I do not seem to see it offered on stainless headers ?

THANKS RAYZZZ MY CORVETTE LIKES MY MONEY

 

It's not needed with stainless steel. Stainless can be polished if desired, and jet coating shouldn't.Only a very slight advantage to hot coating would be heat retention in the headers for slightly more scavenging effect, otherwise, why spend the cash?.

 

If you plan to add any "bling" under the hood, I would spend the money for the look !!!

 

You may regret asking this question. Lots of opinions.

 

Should also help keep tunnel heat a bit lower, too.

 

it is not "needed" but it is worth the money! IMHO

 

I try to be very conscious about engine temperatures and the heat that is transferred to the console in ANY corvette (Other than one with side pipes), so when I bought my exhaust, there was a big surge of folks who wanted the coating. Since then (3 years ago), I have heard much follow-up on the coating process and some problems that have emerged by SOME of the folks who'd had their headers coated. From the metalurgist's point of view, the problem with the coating for some of the less fortunate folks whose headers had been coated were experiencing cracking at various points, it has been postulated that the coating dissipates heat at a different rate than the (stainless) metal beneath, and this difference in cooling rates has been problematic. Apparently, this phenomenon is limited to a small percentage of those with coated systems.

 

It's not needed but it might help in lowering underhood temps a little bit.
As for actual performance gains, that has yet to be proven...I have non coated stainless headers and my car runs pretty well (maybe it'd be even faster with coated ones? ).

 

No might about it! Well worth the money!

 

Plus, it looks purdy.

 

Don't know what brand of headers you are looking at, but if you purchase Kooks headers AND X-pipe from Maryland Speed, you can get FREE coating. Call them directly (don't order over the internet) and they may give you an even better price since you are a forum member.

The Kooks headers are on sale right now.

http://marylandspeed.com/kooks-1-34-...-ex-p-498.html

 

ARH does not recommend it. I was pushing hard for it, but they talked me out of it and saved me some $$$$$$.

 

What was their rationale?

 

Maryland Speed

 

I just bought LG super pro's for my z and I getting jet hot done next week. for me the heat reduction is a plus......everyone has their opinions about how it effects performance...but I know people have seen definite temp drops in the engine as well heat coming through the tunnel and into the cabin.

 

It is absolutely not needed. If you live in a decent climate you dont even need stainless.

 

It is not needed in the same way that headers are not needed; your car runs fine the way it came from the factory, doesn't it?

For me, personally, I would never get a set of headers that wasn't coated; the ceramic coating cuts down a LOT of the heat that radiates away from the headers, and it is that heat that causes most of the long term issues people have with aftermarket headers; wires, spark plug wires, spark plug boots melt, harden, embrittle, the clutch fluid runs hotter and can boil, more heat in the transmission tunnel, etc... Usually you don't have any problems at all, then a few years later all the wiring around the headers begins to deteriorate because it has been baked by heat that they were simply not designed to deal with. Take a look at the factory manifolds: Thick cast iron walls that conduct a LOT less heat than a thinwall stainless steel pipe. Also, you see that shiny piece over the headers? That is a heat shield.

That heat shield is there for a reason. Try taking it off, then installing a set of headers that runs MUCH hotter, and see what happens to everything around them in the long term.

Plus the coating makes the headers look a lot better and remain that way for longer. Finally, by keeping heat inside the headers, the coating keeps the exhaust gas velocity high, improving scavenging.

 

Coating is not NEEDED...but it is good to do.

First off, coating is not about bling, or rust preventing..it is foremost about heat reduction. Secondly, coating is not really a "performance mod" that will make power on a dyno. I could put you in identical Corvettes..one with coated headers, and one without, and you could not tell the difference..just because the power gain in normally lower than the margin of error on most dyno's.

That being said..there are three main advantages of coated headers. First off, they keep the temp of the headers down. Your headers are near several things that could burn like wires, and trans lines. The coating keeps them cooler than if the coating were not there. Secondly, the car cools down much quicker. After being run for a decent amount of time, I can park my car for 15-20 minutes, and in that time my coated headers have cooled enough I can touch the headers (no I am not recommending trying this). The LSx motors are sensitive to heat, and heat soak, so every bit helps...especially if your hot lapping at the track.

Lastly, coated headers increase exhaust velocity. Basically because they trap heat inside the header, which pressurizes the exhaust gas and speeds it up. The quicker the exhaust gases leave the cylinder head, the faster new air/fuel can replace it, allowing your car to run more efficiantly. Occasionally you will find some tuners try and talk people out of coated headers because "They don't take as much timing as uncoated ones". This is true, and by design. I personallty don't think it is good to equate the amount of timing advance to how well a car is tuned. Most people forget, you increase timing to make up for an inefficiancy. Coated headers make your engine flow a little more efficiantly, so they can make the same power with less timing advance.

So in the end..do you absolutly have to have coating? Probaly not. Is it the right thing to do when already spending that kind of money on headers? In my opinion, yes.

If you have any questions about headers, coating, or our current specials, feel free to call us @ 443-730-9428. Thanks!

 

It's been a while, but I think they said the heat reduction was very minimal with coating. I would love to see test results showing exactly how much heat is reduced by coating. Anyone?

 

I can touch my coated headers 20 minutes after a long spirited drive. I would not try that with my exhaust manifolds..heat sheilds and all.