DIY Header Coating

[AtlantaSteve]

OK, let me start by saying...I know the best way to go is ceramic coating. However, what are the other options?

Currently I have some long-tubes that were painted(kinda) and of course that's finally given way to rust. Plus I'm lowering the car some, so the long tubes HAVE to go...

Budget is always a top priority. So I started looking and found a couple of "Shorty to MidLength" header options. The ceramic coated option doubles(or more) the price of the headers.

I have to wonder if any of the super-high-temp rattle-can paints (Like 2000 degree Rustoleum Andre mentioned recently) can stand up worth a darn on the headers. And what about something like this:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Black-Satin-Coating,25581.html

a paint that cures itself using engine heat.

I know that none of these are the ideal, best solution, and that ceramic coating also brings down underhood temps. I'm not saying that I've completely written off the idea of ceramic-coating, I just want to know the realities of the other options.

I'm also going to have to have a basically all new exhaust built, since the current exhaust is setup for long-tubes, so I'm definitely trying to save where I can...but I don't want to save money by stabbing myself in the back, doing something I'll have to redo in 3 years.

I'm all ears

 

[gotstang]

I had a gigantic reply written out and then I clicked on your link and realized that that was the techline stuff I was going to reccomend. :lol

Their other products are really slick too...I've kicked around having everything in the engine coated when I'm rich enough to afford a real engine. You can coat the heads and pistons and it will NEVER ping. The pros seem to think highly of it too, not that I've ever used it.

Plus, it's supposedly a ceramic barrier coating, like the $200 jethot stuff, unlike header paint. :$$$

 

[buening]

When I was running the stock manifolds on my mach, I had them sandblasted and I coated them with the POR15 Header paint. I believe I did 2 or 3 coats of the stuff since it was pretty thin and runny. I have about 10k miles on the car and the paint held up extremely well. It probably didn't see the heat that headers would, but I recommend the stuff if you are wanting to go the DIY route. Its gotta be better than the rattle can crap that flakes off when you first drive the car.

This is the stuff I used: http://www.por15.com/FACTORY-MANIFOLD-GRAY/productinfo/FMGG/

They also have http://www.por15.com/POR-20-ALUMINUM/productinfo/P2G/ and http://www.por15.com/BLACK-VELVET/productinfo/BVG/ but the second one isn't as high of a heat rating. Depends on the color you are going for.

 

[sigtauenus]

I used the Eastwood stuff on my F-150 stock manifolds quite a long time ago. Probably 20,000 miles or so, 8 or 10 years. Sandblasted and followed the directions.

The manifolds still look decent, a few rust pecks poking out in general, except for where the manifold bolts to the head. That area on the 351M must get really hot because the blue engine paint burned off the head and the manifold paint burned off as well, roughly 1-1.5" either direction back from the gasket.

 

[Jonk67]

Uh-oh, looks like I created a monster, you've been reading the Speedway catalogs again Steve....

I have no idea how well it's going to work yet but since I picked up my MAC headers used for ~$50 and got them blasted for $33 I figured I'd follow suit and spray them myself with VHT exh. paint. To avoid engine break in burn off I took them to my powder coater and had him bake them in 3 heat steps as instructed on the can, last cook @600* for 30min. I won't know how it'll hold up until I finally install the motor and start it ....I know, I know. I figure I've got ~$100 into them so if I don't like them a year from now I'll sell them for what I can get and get a new factory ceramic coated set from MAC, at least it'll delay the ~$350 cost a year.

Here's a pic of them after the oven, hopefully they'll look as nice after break in:

Jon

 

[Rob Z]

Just a thought on using those old headers

Tractor Hole Shot

 

[SAC69]

I stripped the black paint off my Hooker's with laquer thinner and spray painted them with silver barbeque paint bought from Home depot, looks like ceramic. They still look great after 5 years and I did not cure them in my oven (they would not fit anyway). I painted them in the sun so the bare metal was warm, no primer was used.

 

[AtlantaSteve]

Sounds cool! Any pictures?

 

[SAC69]

Sorry, just checking back now. I'll attach some pics in the next day or so.

 

[SAC69]

Here are some pics of the headers. It's been approx 5 years and a few thousand miles since they've been painted. I've also attached a pic of the BBQ paint I used.

 

[SELLERSRODSHOP]

i just sprayed some of the techline BHK satin black coating on my new headers today. i "may" have messed up on one of them as there are two sets of directions for the two different satin black coatings. missed a few spots that i recoated on one hopefully before it dried. one kind can be recoated, the other says dont recoat after it has dried. will know in a few days how it works out & post up my findings.