what are the benefits of the different types (me having my supercharger right beside my header.. makes think I should grab some of this stuff.) I am assuming fiberglass is the low end, but can come in pretty colors, titanium is the middle-ground, and ceramic is the best in heat insulation.
I also hear that it is actually bad and will destroy your header.
So, what are the different benefits to different materials... and is it actually something I should NOT do anyway?... and if not... what are better options for me?
The "destroy your header" thing comes from its ability to hold moisture, which can accelerate rust if the car sits too long. Paint the header beforehand and don't worry about it. I know a lot of people who have wrapped rusty, unpainted headers and they have held up for years.
You're right about the materials, also somewhere.in the midrange is the volcanic rock stuff.
What is the recommended procedure for stainless headers that have a little corrosion on them?
remove, sandblast, paint with.. what?
header paint (it's a thing) or BBQ paint.
I would put a heat shield between the supercharger and headers instead of wrap. Wrapping headers isn't alot of fun, can be a pain depending on the header design. Plus, stainless steel tends to hold heat in better than mild steel, so less heat radiation. If you do wrap them, they should hold up longer than steel headers would.
ok, then.. the best thing I can do then is:
remove header/
sandblast (is this needed?)/
paint with header paint (duh.. why didn't I think of that)/
wrap with ceramic goodness/
reinstall/
enjoy better supercharging.
Good thread on this very topic, with video:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=464976
Yeah you got the procedure right. I gotta say, I think in terms of reducing supercharger temps the header wrap would help more than a heat shield, but both at the same time would be be ideal.
Edit: One more anecdote - I have a friend who's been running wrapped rusty headers for about 6 years now, very humid and rainy environment, no problems. The car is daily-driven though.
I plan on doing some heat shielding too... Especially since the air filter is like 6" away for the header... So I might as well do a full compartmentalization.
If it matters, this is on a 1990 miata 1.6 with a Jackson racing supercharger, and a racing beat header.
The ceramic coatings work best when applied only on the inside. Much easier to maintain also.
My experience with header wrap through lots of commuting in Chicago winters and road salt:
Lasted about a year before it broke like that. New stainless header, too—though not a name brand. When that happened, it was very, very loud.
Good lord what kind of "stainless steel" did they pawn off on you?
Makes me glad to drive southern cars.
Ojala wrote:
Good lord what kind of "stainless steel" did they pawn off on you?
Makes me glad to drive southern cars.
ebay definition of "stainless steel":
steel, with no stains on it. shiny metal.
kb58
HalfDork
3/26/13 2:41 p.m.
Some cheaper "stainless steels" do rust. Plus, even some that normally won't will rust along a weld seam due to the metal separating out and losing its corrosion resistance.
In reply to kb58:
I have also some (if not all) stainless steel exhausts eventually lose their "stainless-ness" due to the exhaust gasses/heat as well... so especially headers (which explains the slight look of rust on my Racingbeat header).
The racingbeat header on my RX7 is certainly stainless, but after being cooked by 1800 degree temps it's certainly rusty.
Don49
Reader
3/26/13 2:52 p.m.
I do ceramic header coating. As was pointed out, properly done it's the best solution. I race a Mazda RX7 and coat my entire exhaust. I just cleaned and re-coated my header after 5 seasons. There was no degradation at all.
In reply to DaveEstey:
as soon as mine gets to one pipe, it still has paint on it.
In reply to Don49:
you do? and you are in PA.... perhaps we need to talk. 
Just wanted to toss in that I used some off the shelf rattle can high temp paint and a good portion of it flaked off on the first run.
In reply to N Sperlo:
How high are we talking? the 500 degree stuff, or the 2000 degree stuff?
SCARRMRCC wrote:
In reply to DaveEstey:
as soon as mine gets to one pipe, it still has paint on it.
Hmmm. Mine never goes to one pipe. I've also never painted it.
In reply to DaveEstey:
perhaps I mistyped..
once it collects into a single pipe, it is still painted...
Most "stainless" worth a damn for anything other than looking pretty will rust. I've had several cars with rusty factory installed stainless exhausts, stainless guns will rust if not oiled, good stainless knives too.
