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Ceramic coating the factory headers

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captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
I've been toying with the thought of getting my headers coated while I wait for the motor to be built. I was wondering if anyone had feedback on doing this, I always hear rediculous claims of radiant heat drop of 100* or 8-10hp or some other wild claim. I'm not terribly interested in doing longtube headers on my car, I know its a popular modification but I don't have the extra scratch, am going to make plenty of power as is, and really want to focus on handling and reliability/survivability out here in the desert.

Since I'm going nuts with cooling elsewhere on the car, I thought this might be a good mod as well. The one caveat that's been presented to me is that the exhaust temp at the catalytic converters might be much hotter (to the tune of 70* or more). Is this something to stress over?

Wanted to get everyone's thoughts. Looks like I can get this done for around $150, and I have the time.
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
I don't think it's going to affect the cats--the exhaust is still the same temperature, it's just that the coating reduces that heat transmission through the headers themselves into the engine bay.

And Jet-Hot is right here in Tempe! (Elliott & I-10)

1840 W Drake Dr # 102
Tempe, AZ 85283
(480) 897-9115

And you are going to run cats now? ???
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
I still am getting delete pipes. Just scared I'm going to make the car sound like shiznit.

Your and mine are the best sounding coyote based cars I've heard in person, outside a 302S/R at full song on a dyno (heard one at daytona on a dyno, needed a change of pants). I just hope it doesn't screw with that too much.
 
I have done both coating and wrap. I have found that the wrap keeps the heat in better than the coating on my sports racer. The wrap helped one hell of a lot to keep my left foot cool on my wc car. If you want to do one I would wrap. The key is good stainless wire ties. Wrap and put water on the wrap to shrink while the engine is running. Just my point of view. I could never get the alum. tape to stay on so I would stay away from it.
 
Have always had good luck with wrap. I have seen a aluminum coating but still do not believe anything could work as good as the wrap. Do you have any harley owners local with chopped up bikes they always use wrap and it works.
 
I've been extremely impressed with Swain Tech's White Lightning ceramic coating on other vehicles:

http://swaintech.com/race-coatings/race-coating-descriptions/white-lightning-exhaust-coatings/

It's far superior to any other coating that I've seen.

George
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
So I never got around to getting the coatings done, I was busy between work nightmares, engine readiness nightmares (just a lot more to manage than thought), and started a second job working for a PWC GTS class racing team.

So with the time running out, my only option now is to wrap them.

Would it be worth bothering to wrap the factory coyote manifolds (after spraying and curing with a high-temp paint) and the offroad jegs cat deletes (they kinda look like crap new out of the box, alumnized steel).

Thoughts? There's a lot of that DEI titanium (pulverized lava rock) wrap around locally. Project cost of roughly $55-60.

If its not worth it, I won't bother.
 
Stainless and ceramic coat are not compatable. Thermal expansion way way to different. Any one that tells you otherwise is, well uninformed or selling something. Sorry had to temper my opinion and use nice words.
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
Bought some of the wrap, and coated the headers with some of VHT's high temp spray ( which I hear sucks, but I'm just using it as a base to lay the wrap on). I let it cure with a bit of baking, and off to wrapping:

a2ezyded.jpg

need to cut the wire ties, but all done:
yde7y4at.jpg

All in all it was a $60 project, so I guess if it does next to nothing I won't feel overly burned. I may go ahead and get another 15' of the wrap to do the jegs cat-deletes.
 
captdistraction said:
Bought some of the wrap, and coated the headers with some of VHT's high temp spray ( which I hear sucks, but I'm just using it as a base to lay the wrap on). I let it cure with a bit of baking, and off to wrapping:

a2ezyded.jpg

need to cut the wire ties, but all done:
yde7y4at.jpg

All in all it was a $60 project, so I guess if it does next to nothing I won't feel overly burned. I may go ahead and get another 15' of the wrap to do the jegs cat-deletes.

You did a great job! Do you think they can be wrapped that nice with out removing the headeres? As for the cat deletes, will the motor run properly with out a custom tune? Do you know if trak key can be modified to turn off the cat sensor? Please let us know it the car is too loud after you get it on the road. It's going to have to run nearly as good as long tubes.
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
The cat deletes are ~$145 shipped for the alumnized steel ones (which look pretty crappy, I'd probably opt for the stainless ones unless you either live in a dry climate, don't care that they tarnish or are willing to coat/wrap them up). The ball/socket fittings definitely look better than the BBK ones (which are oversized) so these should have no problem sealing up and have fresh gaskets and bolts as well.

I am running a custom tune, but my car is a GT, despite the new motor's boss roots.

This thing should be painfully, unbelievably loud. I wouldn't be surprised to see my prized magnaflow catback on sale before too long (which is a shame since it was fitted at magnaflow's facility, custom adjusted for my car and suspension, and I've LOVED how its sounded so far).
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
yeah I think I would opt for the stainless ones as well. I have the magnaflow comp cat back. is that what you are running? I am curious also to know how loud it becomes. I am already preparted to add in a set of loud mouth II slp mufflers as resonators to quite it down. easy 200 mod to the magna flow system.
 
Which ones are you talking about? I'm about 75% sure on the Loudmouths but would like to hear other options. I'm also considering the RTR spoiler, as I don't really like pedestal spoilers on street cars.
 

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