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Getting ready to pull the trigger on Kooks headers and catted x pipe. I want to do everything right the first time. Should I get the headers coated or just purchase sparkplug / starter shields and wrap anything else affected by heat?
I like the reduced temperature that comes with coatings, but it is expensive. Or, is it really even necessary? I have read so many different opinions I'm not sure what to believe.
I've owned three C6's. Two supercharged and the current one is heads/cam. All had long tube headers. LG Superpros, Pfadt, and currently Kooks. None were coated. I didn't do any heat shielding of any sort. Stock plug wires. I've never had a heat related problem. I live in a hot climate too. Just lucky I guess.
Last time I got a quote from Jet Hot, it was nearly $900 for everything including shipping.
I ended up wrapping my headers in the lava rock based wrap. Used some black silicon spray to coat them and prevent the fibers from going everywhere. That has been about a year and they are holding up nicely.
Should I get another set of headers, I will likely just run them as bare metal.
The ceramic coating wears off. I chose to go with titanium wrap instead since I don't drive it much in the rain so not really worried about moisture rotting out the headers. If you paint them before wrapping and then seal the wrap, there shouldn't be any issues with corrosion.
Had my LG long tubes Jet Hot coated (classic finish), they were $800-900; did not coat the X pipe. I'm happy with how they keep engine compartment heat down but they are getting "fuzzy" and I am not happy with that. I did read some of the Jet Hot literature and saw something about polishing them down, or something to that effect. Um, they're in the engine compartment of a C6 Corvette, I can hardly see any of them much less access them to polish them. That would necessitate removal and that won't be happening. Hope the temp protection and coating hold up, but the appearance is degrading and for the cost, I feel it should not.
I Cerakoted my SE headers and I've done a few sets for other members here on the forums local to me, I can say for a fact it makes a huge difference in heat control. I did before and after reads on the primary's with a laser heat gun and saw almost a 30 degree drop on average. I need to find the time to pull the midpipes and do them as well. Def worth it in my opinion.
I Cerakoted my SE headers and I've done a few sets for other members here on the forums local to me, I can say for a fact it makes a huge difference in heat control. I did before and after reads on the primary's with a laser heat gun and saw almost a 30 degree drop on average. I need to find the time to pull the midpipes and do them as well. Def worth it in my opinion.
I'll have to look into that, looks like it works well.
The coating I had applied in 2007 is still holding up. A few scratches from removing the headers a few times over the years but they can't be seen when installed.
I like the reduced temperature that comes with coatings, but it is expensive. Or, is it really even necessary? I have read so many different opinions I'm not sure what to believe.