Hey guys...

Just wondering, since i will be getting some headers for my car soon that have been used for about 2 months, they do need a new paintjob because the thin black coat that the facory (Hedman) put on them is all but non-existant because it has been burned off. I would like to have the headers coated, but that is not gonna happen enytime in the near future because i haven't got the money to even consider this. So what brand(s) of header paint do you guys recommend? Also, is header wrap worth trying? I've heard that it is good for keeping engine compartment temps down, but i have also heard of this stuff undergoing spontaneous combustion, which isn't good to say the least.

So...
A) what brand(s) of header paint do you guys recommend?
B) is header wrap worth the effort/risk?

Thanks

 

I'm not aware of any "Header Paint", but I've bought in the past a ceramic spray from autozone good up to 1200*, it held up pretty well for it's $5 cost.

As far as the wrap, there areseveral on these boards that say it's a great cost effective way, but I myself after reading horror stories, one which you touched on, I'll never use it.

 

I am planning on using VHT, but if there is something better out there for about the same price, I would be interested.

 

I ordered two cans of the DEI high temp paint Summit has when I ordered the headers. I used less than one can to do both headers and the y-pipe. I baked the headers, but the y-pipe was too big to put in the oven, so I tried running it for a short time, letting it cool, running it again, etc.

14 months and 10,200 miles later, the headers look fine, but the y-pipe had rust showing though the paint almost immediately. Hasn't really gotten much worse, but with the oven curing the headers have lasted much better.

 

Go to your local hardware store and get some Barbecue grill paint easily applied and it will last. As far as wrapping headers it will make them rust out 3 times as fast as they do now.

 

some of those paints are only rated to 1000*
i used VHT paint rated to 1500* my headers and ypipe are fine. sprayed the headers in late may when i put em on...

 

Most aerosol can paints are only rated at a 'flash' temp, not a constant. If you want something that will have some true heat/element duration you will probably want something made by www.techlinecoatings.com .

 

Ok, i think i was right about the header wrap and i'll keep away from that. So how did you bake your headers after you painted them? what kind of oven did you use?

 

yes, what kind of oven? Did you use your house oven???

Mine are pretty ugly, and I just want to keep the underhood temperatures down. I guess if wrap would rust the headers, it is not worth it.

What if I painted the headers to protect them, then wrapped them with the DEI kit. The kit also water proofs the header wrap and makes it have an aluminum color to it.

 

Whatever route you go on the paint, make sure you put plenty of effort into the prep work. Put some time into them working with a scotch brite pad or some sandpaper or something before cleaning them with laquer thinner or alcohol or something. Make sure you don't even have oil from you hands on the headers when you spray the paint.

 

I cleaned up a set of headers for my truck put them a glass bead both cleaned both real good cleaned the surface with some metal preper then used some Plasticote HI TEMP black paint good to up to 1500 degrees it worked well and still don't look bad a year later.