For the first time I'm thinking about regular steel painted headers instead of ceramic coated or stainless; mostly because the ceramic options start at about $650 for my 02 F150 vs $169 for painted steel. As would be obvious, they are shipped painted with the caveat that you are supposed to strip the paint and apply a high-heat coating.
Anyone have any experience with VHT or other DIY header coatings that actually work?
I've never found a header coating that works. High-dollar Swain, generic ceramic, Duplicolor high temp exhaust heat - they all fail in my applications. So I'd just go to the inexpensive Duplicolor from now on.
I guess I should say I don't care what it looks like as long as it doesn't just evaporate and let things rust away.
My experience with the VHT has been: when starting with pefectly cleaned and de-greased headers, and oven cured according to the multi-step directions, the High-temp part of the coating does last good while (5 to 7 years in NE Oklahoma, anyway). However, the color will eventually disappear. leaving you with plain white colored headers.
I've had good luck with Finish Line Coatings here in Oregon:
http://finishlinecoatings.com
Their black coating on my mild steel header has survived running quite lean.
I've used their coatings on a couple of turbos without issue as well.
I have been an applicator of ceramic coatings since the early 1990's. Both the baked on and the air dried hold up well if the prep is done properly. The satin black air dried on my 13B race engine headers and exhaust held up for more than 3 years of 1600 degree temps before I chose to freshen it just because I had things apart. I use the Car Chemistry products and am very happy with the long term durability. Curtis, it is possible to DIY the air dried with a detail gun and proper prep (blasted and solvent cleaned). Alternatively, if you bring me a set of clean, blasted headers, I can coat them with the satin black for $150.00. I'm about 30 miles away from you.
jet hot
Had good luck with a set of headers coated with anti-seize.
If it's just for looks and keeping the rust at bay, +1 for anti-seize. It's cheap, it lasts, and it's easy to touch-up.
I've had the header on my RX-7 since 1999, and it was Jet-Hott coated with the high heat ceramic coating when new. It has some minor rust dots, but nothing major. It was first on my 83 RX-7, which lived outside, and now my 79 RX-7 that lives in the garage, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Jet-hott coating to anyone. I forget what it cost, but I don't think it was $650.
I haven't used it myself yet, but I saved a similar thread from a couple years ago, someone mentioned having luck with Tech Line Coatings.
http://www.techlinecoatings.com/hi-performance/bs-exhaust-system-coatings.html
Speedway used to sell the black satin, but it's discontinued now, I can't find where to buy it currently, guess you have to call Tech Line, they don't have much of a web store.
Keith Tanner wrote: I've never found a header coating that works. High-dollar Swain, generic ceramic, Duplicolor high temp exhaust heat - they all fail in my applications. So I'd just go to the inexpensive Duplicolor from now on.
I used the thick Swain coating on my turbocharger turbine housing. Though it was only on there for several years, I was impressed how well it retained its original appearance.
Keep in mind that - depending upon the coating - if the header ever cracks, welding the crack may not be possible.
Well, thick Swain - applied by Swain at some considerable expense - is now coming off my V8 header in chunks. If I do it again, I'll do Jet Hot. But I have become weary of throwing money at coatings just to have them fail.
Keith,
Thick isn't necessarily better. The Car Chemistry/Techline coatings I use go on only a few mils thick and hold up well and eliminate most of the heat transfer off the surface.
On a related note, if I wanted to coat the aluminum tube intake on the Manic Miata - which passes more or less over the header - with some kind of heat-rejecting coating, what would be recommended?
Tell me more about the anti-seize. Just brush it on? I guess the idea is that the grease bakes off and leaves a crust of the metallic particles behind?
Duke wrote: On a related note, if I wanted to coat the aluminum tube intake on the Manic Miata - which passes more or less over the header - with some kind of heat-rejecting coating, what would be recommended?
Start by calling the guys at DTI, they're good for stuff like this.
I'm guessing that Reflectix would be a good option. Available at Home Depot Racing Supply. Install with foil tape.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflectix-16-in-x-25-ft-Double-Reflective-Insulation-with-Staple-Tab-ST16025/100012574
Don49 wrote: Keith, Thick isn't necessarily better. The Car Chemistry/Techline coatings I use go on only a few mils thick and hold up well and eliminate most of the heat transfer off the surface.
According to Swain, they're all about thick. According to Jet Hot, the Swain stuff is mostly aluminum with a layer of ceramic on top.
Duke wrote: On a related note, if I wanted to coat the aluminum tube intake on the Manic Miata - which passes more or less over the header - with some kind of heat-rejecting coating, what would be recommended?
I have had good luck with VHT on not-direct heat stuff. Like it worked well on my grill and some underhood stuff. VHT also makes a wheel paint that is designed to take 250 degrees, and its a urethane so a little better at sticking to aluminum. I painted the T56 for the LeMans with it and its very nice. Easy spray, great film strength, sticks like glue, dries super fast.
As will all aluminum, proper prep is key to get it to stick. Might want to consider getting a little bit of the phosphorus stuff to etch it first. Eastwood has it pretty cheap. I used that phosphorus stuff on an old aluminum boat before I painted it with Dupont Imron and it lasted very well.
As far as heat rejecting, maybe just a shield?
Keith Tanner wrote: Well, thick Swain - applied by Swain at some considerable expense - is now coming off my V8 header in chunks. If I do it again, I'll do Jet Hot. But I have become weary of throwing money at coatings just to have them fail.
Just out of curiosity, how long did it take to start failing?
Looks like I had it done in late 2013. Thinking back, that means a number of local track days (basically 5-minute autocross runs) and about 5 days on "big tracks". The car generates prodigious heat levels, which is why I went to the ceramic in the first place.
I'll have the car up in the air tomorrow and will get some pics of the problem and see what Swain has to say. I know my experience has been out of the ordinary, so I'll give them a chance to check it out. This car is a bit of an outlier.
How would you go about cleaning a used cast iron turbo manifold to make a coating adhere and stay?
In reply to Adrian_Thompson:
Blast it
I thought you did the inside as well like with ports, combustion. Chambers, pistons, valves etc. ? How do you do the inside blasting
They usually have a smaller stinger and/or a long wand.
Had a set of Aluma-Coat headers on a '79 Z-28, BlackJack iirc. Appeared to be a spray on aluminum coating, wasn't a smooth finish but kinda gritty like truck bed coating texture. They held up well for the mileage I put on the car, even had to ding a primary pipe near exhaust flange for bolt head clearance and never chipped. Haven't heard of 'em in years.
Only Google return was an original unused set for a BBC, they called them 'vintage'.
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