Do ceramic headers really reduce heat in the engine compartment and by how much.

 

I doubt they reduce much engine compartment heat...they are primarily for looks. They won't rust like painted steel headers and are used on many fancy hot rods to keep things looking nice.

To get heat out of the engine comparment you need to wrap the headers with heat tape.

 

wrapping the headers does nothing but encourage moisure to build, on a race car I could see it, but not on a "normal use vehicle"...


if you don't have stainless steel headers, then yes you want 'em ceramic coated inside and out to resist rust

 

Yes, it does tend to shorten the life due to moisture buildup.

But wrapping the headers keeps the heat in the exhaust to improve the flow as compared to non wrapped headers.

 

I remember when we were searching for ceramic engine blocks and ceramic headers etc, because it didn't matter how hot they got, they would never warp! But I am thinking you are speaking of ceramic coating like what powder coating is. Where fine particles are sprayed onto a metalic object and held on with a magnetic bond until put in Kiln and melting the ceramic right into bonding with the metal. Making a bulletproof surface that always looks bright, shiny and new????