Rusty headers
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 161
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From: Northern Virginia
Rusty headers
I test drove a new C7 a few days ago. When I popped the hood, the headers underneath the heat-shield looked like they'd been at the bottom of the sea for 6 months, .
Is that how they all look from the factory?
Is that how they all look from the factory?
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 76
From: Bedford Va.
road hard and put away wet!
Likely the owner or dealer cleaned the motor and just left it without running the car to dry, could only be surface rust.
If the motor is dirty and the exhaust manifolds are very rusty car might be a flood car.
Does the seller have any history with or on the car?
Likely the owner or dealer cleaned the motor and just left it without running the car to dry, could only be surface rust.
If the motor is dirty and the exhaust manifolds are very rusty car might be a flood car.
Does the seller have any history with or on the car?
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: Oct 2016
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From: Manassas VA
Was it actually LT Headers or the Factory manifold and down pipes?
Regards
Chip
Regards
Chip
Last edited by Custom Corvette Accessories; Apr 9, 2019 at 12:53 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2019
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From: Northern Virginia
The car is (AFAIK) brand-new. It had 20 miles in it when I took it for a test-drive for 6 miles, it's a 2019.
I'd be shocked if a dealer was messing with the title or something.
Damn, I meant to take pictures.....
I'd be shocked if a dealer was messing with the title or something.
Damn, I meant to take pictures.....
Last edited by GLOCK22357; Apr 9, 2019 at 12:12 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2014
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The exhaust manifolds on the the LT1 engine are cast iron so they will have a rusty appearance to them, but that won't hurt anything. LT4 and LT5 are manufactured from stainless steel.
Last edited by lakemg; Apr 9, 2019 at 12:26 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
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From: Northern Virginia
Someone please tell me there's a cost-effective set of OEM sized Stainless Steel headers I can put on there!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 20,003
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From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Welcome to cast iron. If it bothers you there are products that will take care of it. I used to use one called "Calyx" on several of my vintage cars that had very visible iron manifolds. Just wiped it on and buffed a little bit with a pair of old rags. It lasted surprisingly long before redos. I don't know if the stuff even exists anymore, but if so...
All the best.
All the best.
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Pro
Joined: Feb 2019
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From: Florida
I don't know how well it would work on the LT`1 manifolds but I use flat black exhaust manifold paint on my air cooled whole house generator and that puppy gets hotter than a b___h. It lasts for years.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2019
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From: Northern Virginia
I don't know how well it would work on the LT`1 manifolds but I use flat black exhaust manifold paint on my air cooled whole house generator and that puppy gets hotter than a b___h. It lasts for years.
https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-24...s%2C169&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-24...s%2C169&sr=8-1
At that point I'd just do some basic, OEM-style SS headers.
Last edited by GLOCK22357; Apr 9, 2019 at 02:42 PM.
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There are quality stainless long tube headers for your car...Cost effective? Not so much ( 1k + ) You can also purchase a set of "shorty" headers for less money, but you get less performance, no escaping the Corvette tax
Last edited by 449er; Apr 9, 2019 at 04:22 PM.
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: NE South Carolina
If you haven't bent down and looked carefully - the 409 stainless aluminized mufflers rust around the welds, where weld spatter stuck and where the heat from joining the exhaust pipes burned off the aluminum coating! If that "rust" on the exhaust manifold bothers you, you'll really be unhappy about the mufflers! This is a PDF of what I used to turn the rust a black/blue. Not a perfect solution but costs under $10, does not require removing anything and can be done in 15 minutes!
http://netwelding.com/Muffler_Rust.pdf
First saw the muffler "rust" on IVERS at Laguna Seca in August 2013! It had been reported on this forum even before the first production. Rust Reformer solves it on the muffler, but not very effective on the cast iron headers. Helps some. PDF has pics on the exhaust manifold application.
Before and after pics of applying “RUST REFORMER.” It’s NOT A PAINT. Looks like “milk” and only converts brown fist to blue/black. DON’T PUT ON HEAVY, a few light coats about 10 minutes apart is all that is needed. NOTHING TO PEEL.
The reason for the mufflerrust is outlined in the PDF.
Last edited by JerryU; Apr 9, 2019 at 04:27 PM.
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Melting Slicks
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E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: NE South Carolina
O
Hmm, yep that investment and effort will solve the little manifold rust you can see that is not already covered by the OEM stainless heat shield. Guess the OP when he looks at his mufflers can spend another $1500 and get Borla 304 stainless mufflers that won’t “rust.” Have those and 304 stainless pipes on my Street Rod. (My long tube Sanderson headers on the 502 cid in the Street Rod are ceramic coated- also look great after 19 years.
Then there is the <$10 solution of buying Rust Reformer I outline in post 13. Depends how much you and to spend!
Then there is the <$10 solution of buying Rust Reformer I outline in post 13. Depends how much you and to spend!
Last edited by JerryU; Apr 9, 2019 at 05:37 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,746
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O
Hmm, yep that investment and effort will solve the little manifold rust you can see that is not already covered by the OEM stainless heat shield. Guess the OP when he looks at his mufflers can spend another $1500 and get Borla 304 stainless mufflers that won’t “rust.” Have those and 304 stainless pipes on my Street Rod. (My long tube Sanderson headers on the 502 cid in the Street Rod are ceramic coated- also look great after 19 years.
Then there is the <$10 solution of buying Rust Reformer I outline in post 13. Depends how much you and to spend!
Hmm, yep that investment and effort will solve the little manifold rust you can see that is not already covered by the OEM stainless heat shield. Guess the OP when he looks at his mufflers can spend another $1500 and get Borla 304 stainless mufflers that won’t “rust.” Have those and 304 stainless pipes on my Street Rod. (My long tube Sanderson headers on the 502 cid in the Street Rod are ceramic coated- also look great after 19 years.
Then there is the <$10 solution of buying Rust Reformer I outline in post 13. Depends how much you and to spend!
Melting Slicks
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If it really matters that much, the rust reformer or a manifold dressing product would do the trick.