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Well after waiting nearly 3 weeks for the JBA headers I ordered to arrive, I finally got them today. To my surprise though, each one has a different finish. The driver's side is a dull steel finish while the passenger side is a shiny, polished finished. Below is a link to a picture I took of the headers.
According to the JBA Header website, the headers they offer come either in a 1) nickel-plated chrome or 2) ceramic coating finish. I am correct to assume that the passenger side is nickel-plated and the driver's side is ceramic coated? Because the ceramic-coated header dissipates heat more effectively than the other side, will this HARM my Bronco in any way if I was to install the two headers?
you are correct in you're assumption, nickel plating is shiny. if you ordered them with ceramic coating i would return the nickel one. ceramic actually acts as an insulator [just like your coffee mug] by keeping the heat in the pipe it is supposed to help exhaust scavenging, it should also help reduce under hood temp and help keep your plug wires from baking. i would'nt think it would hurt to install one of each unless you're into aesthetics. you can also get wraps for your headers. i've never heard of that brand , let us all know how they work out. when i put mine on i had a little trouble getting a socket on some of the 3/8 12 point bolts they provided, i've seen ads for 5/16 replacements that should solve that. only 5 of 8 of my bolts are actually torqued dead on. after installation make sure you run it at operating temp for a while then retighten all your bolts in sequence if you don't you can blow out the gasket and warp your headers. also route your plug wires and any other wires as far away as possible from them as possible. hope that helps a little oh yeah, it helps to spray the old bolts with a good penetrant i used this stuff called "the blaster", worked great
E-mail JBA's service department that picture. You blew some cold hard cash on a their product, let them tell you what you have and what they're going to do to make it right. A pair of headers that don't match cosmetically, plus you don't know what it is they sent you?
1. I have a pair of "Jet-Hot" coated headers on my rig, and their sheen is only slightly less bright than your right-hand piece.
2. The left hand header does not look coated at all to me. Have their service department make that determination, but ceramic coatings aren't necessarily dull like that one. Something slipped past JBA's QA dept.
3. "JBA" stands for "J. Bittle American"; they started off about 10 years or so ago doing shorties for 5.0 'Stangs.
Ed