I painted my SLP headers with 1500* header paint (DEI brand or something like that--I got it from Jeg's). About half a minute after I started my car, smoke started coming up from the engine compartment (hood was open). The smoke is coming straight up from headers, all along the length of the headers. After I turned the car off and the smoke cleared, the paint had lost all of it's glossiness so it was definitely the paint. I wonder how long it will take the paint to burn off completely. I'll probably have the joy of cleaning everything under the hood. Oh wait, I had just thoroughly cleaned everything under the hood.

 

I was going to try that stuff. I've tried 1200* and it lasted about a month. That 1500* shouldn't have burned off so quick since it takes a minute or so for the headers to heat up.

 

Well, I didn't time it or anything and maybe I'm not remembering quite right. However long it was, the paint started burning off quickly. I just hope that it all burns off in a short time so I don't have smoke. Anyway, that DEI stuff is crap.

Mark, I could almost copy your sig in a couple of weeks. I found my brother a sweet red hardtop 84 Z-28, L69, 5-speed. The only mod is a Dana rear with 4.10's and posi. I'd just need to take a picture of it with my 91 Formula and my dad's Z06. The weird thing is that while I would obviously love to have the power and driveline, I really don't wish I had my dad's car over mine. There are very few cars that I think look better than thirdgens, I can work on my car fairly easily, and just like the way it drives. I'll probably just go with a 350 with an ATI blower and keep the TPI someday when my 305 fails.

 

I bought the VHT brand 1500' stuff and it did the same thing. I sanded down my headers, cleaned them off and sprayed away but as soon as the engine started, the smoke started too.

The directions on the can say to actually cook the painted part in an over to cure the paint. I didn't do that cause I sure wouldn't want that toxic stuff where I put all those EZ-bake pizzas. Maybe that's part of the problem.

 

all that hi-tempt paint is cheap. Why even bother painting SLP headers when they are stainless steel to begin with?

 

Check out the "Painted my headers" thread I started last week for my pictues/updates

 

how think did you paint it on? how clean was the surface? did you cure it? all of these things matter

 

Painted mine with the flat gray vht. 2 weeks now and its holding up real well. Only smoke I saw was from my hand prints. Theres no sign of any discoloration or flaking anywhere. I didnt cure the headers either. However, I did bead blast them. And before I painted them I wiped them down with Oxsolve rust remover. Then sprayed them down in brakeclean. First time I ran the motor for only a few minutes then let the engine cool. Next time I ran into town and back (1/2 hour). After that i've driven it quite a bit.

 

I did that to my LeMan's manifolds and they looked good until a year ago. Same goes with the paint job.