i was running out of money when i did my engine swap, so i bought some cheap hedman headers. well i want them to last some time, so i was told that i should paint them. well i heard from some place i could get powder coating. i think it could be down in an oven at home. well i cant find it anyplace, so if anyone can give the infomation on it, like prices and where to get it, that would be great. or if you have any other ideas how to make these headers last longer.

 

if ur gunna get them coated... its gunna cost more to have the headers cleaned.... and then the cost to coat them... coating is a good idea.. im waiting to get some cash together so i can get my headers coated.... i dont know exact prices... but if u do a search for jet hot... im sure u will find tons of stuff... aight man... good luck

 

Just to be sure we're all on the same sheet of music, let's define some terms.

Powder coating is fine for rims, bumpers, some engine parts, but not headers. Powder coating can't handle the heat.

The things you can do to headers are chrome plating, high temp paint, and ceramic coating.

Ceramic coating is the best overall, as it provides corrosion protection, some thermal insulation, and is relatively tough. It keeps its looks better than any other treatment currently available. Jet Hot is probably the #1 supplier of such coating, and they offer a life-time warranty on the job - if done on new headers. Used headers only get a 1 year warranty.

Chrome is best done when new, too, but with proper prep (by the plating house), it will work on used headers, too. It provides good corrosion protection, but doesn't provide any heat insulation, tends to blue after it's gotten hot, and can flake off in big chunks if not prepped properly or scratched. It's typically a little less expensive than ceramic coating.

High temp paint is certainly the cheapest and the one the do-it-yourselfer can handle. The headers should be removed, thoroughly cleaned and sandblasted, degreased, and painted. After painting, it should be baked on in an oven (which will smell up the whole house if you use the kitchen oven). Mine has been done for a year now, still looks decent - although the y-pipe, which I couldn't get into the oven, doesn't look so hot.

So, those are your options.

 

huh, i was under the impression there was a kit out there i could buy to coat my headers than bake them in the oven. or maybe the guy i was talking to didnt know crap.

 

The coating you do in the oven is *powder* coating. It wouldn't withstand the heat of the headers. To get my SLP shorties coated at Jet-Hot in Tempe cost me 211$ out the door. I've hit the coating with an air ratchet (on accident) and it didn't even penetrate the coating.

 

cool, i guess the guy didnt know what he was talking about when he said it would work on headers. i think i am just going to paint them with some good high temp paint. and then when they rust through, get a good coated set.

 

Coated headers are usually way more expensive to. Your looking at 625$ for a set of hooker 2055s that come coated. Its expensive but supposedly worth it.

I painted my hedman longtubes and didnt bake them in the oven....looks fine...