moneyman380

Has anyone used the rattle can spray on ceramic coating on there headers? I just wanted to know if its worth doing, considering the price of buying new headers already coated vs sandblasting and spraying my own headers.

firebirdjosh

iTrader: (1)

There's really no comparison, the spray ceramic is a gimmick. It won't protect from heat and it'll probably flake off even with excellent preparation of the surface.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Any link to the rattle can you're talking about?

I've used high temp paint, lasts much better than most paint but still will rust through eventually (although I didn't have an oven to cure them in).

There's no replacement for inside/outside ceramic coating. The rust resistance is only the beginning of the story. The heat insulation is a bigger part of the benefit and to have full effect it has to be inside and outside.

moneyman380

It was at PEPBOYS or Autozone, i cannot remeber the brand, but i will look for it next time i go.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Probably doesn't matter much. It's basically a high-temp paint, might have some constituent that lets them get away with calling it "ceramic". Mine had aluminum oxide in it, IIRC. If you look carefully, you can see it in the avitar.

84z28350

^^

Yes, probably just a gimmick like most.

Crappytire sells that high temp paint and it says its got ceramic in it too...

quisterio

Yeah, I painted my headers silver with that "Ceramic High Temp. Paint" about 7 months ago, well, needless to say, the old rusty brown color of the headers is now starting to show through....

Screamin86

iTrader: (1)

i did the same to my headers wen i first got them and as soon as i started it and ran it for about 20miles it started flaking bad. since the motor is out i decided to somewhat try it again but do a better prep and just go with flat black. i sanded the headers completely down and did two coats of 1500deg paint (ceramic) from autozone and took a torch to them between each coat and i still plan on doing maybey two more coats just so i konw i got good coverage and ill take a torch to them again. hopefully mine will last a lil longer than 20miles this time but hey atleast i didnt do them the aluminum again that looked bad some of the headers were silver some was black/brown now if it flakes off it will just be black/brown under it so it will all match

Black Beauty

the high temp paint I used flaked off immediately. I was so happy to hear my new headers, so sad to watch their 'coating' flake away. Check my recent post history for a picture of my rusty RUSTY headers.

spend the extra buck and get em coated right.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Okay, I will say the DEI high temp paint I used is a lot better than nothing. Prepaint prep is the real key. You need to get it down to bare metal and absolutely clean.

4 years ago I sandblased mine (as best I could with a home nozzle), wiped down with thinner (degreasing), and sprayed 3 light coats on. I then "cured" it with a couple of propane torches before installing. I just took them off again this week, they looked halfway decent up top, a little loss in corners and other hard to clean/spray places. Down by the collectors not quite as good, brown speckled. But, much better than no paint at all. These were used headers, by the way.

I also looked at the can last night. It's actually aluminum flakes and silicone oxide (the "ceramic").