Header COATING Questions/Recomendations
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,362
Likes: 22
From: Florence, SC
Header COATING Questions/Recomendations
1985 F150 with carbed 4-barrel 302 and Duraspark II conversion. My next step is headers and exhaust system...
I have a selection of painted, stainless, thermal, and ceramic headers. Which ones would you recommend, and why?
And, if I were to go with *ceramic* headers, would my air cleaner "hot air stove" still be effective?
I have a selection of painted, stainless, thermal, and ceramic headers. Which ones would you recommend, and why?
And, if I were to go with *ceramic* headers, would my air cleaner "hot air stove" still be effective?
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 57,004
Likes: 2,748
From: Virginia
I have never had any of the fancy coatings. I have always bought the painted, and it lasts about 30 minutes after you get the engine running. Then it's rust from then on out. The last set I bought, I took paint remover and removed the factory paint, and then painted them with the duplicolor high heat paint, and it was still on there about 4 months later when I sold the truck, except the places I missed which start to rust.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Fort Lewis, Wa
Ditto..... If you have the extra money to spend try to get the ceramic, they will blue a little, but not bad. I did the same as franklin, i just stripped them with a grinder brush and used some VHT crinkle finish paint, and they are still good, and I live in washington state, and it always rains here, and still no rust, and for the love of creatures big and small, dont use the shorty headers, use long tube, more HP and better flow..... shortys dont give you as much noticeable change
Senior User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
I've just had the complete system in my '82 F100 ceramic coated. (351C, extractors into a single 3") I plan on doing a lot of towing so I wanted to keep engine bay temps as low as possible. I haven't had it running yet so I can't give any definitive results. Being coated inside and out, it will supposedly add 5+ years to the life of the system and I'm hoping that the lower engine bay temps add extra life to all the components in there, especially the starter motor.
Not cheap though....
Not cheap though....
