I have decided to buy the Hedman 68481 headers for my car. I know most of you will say to have them coated, but that is an added expense I don't want to absorb into the car. So, question is:

1) the factory coating-- is it just for rust protection and will burn off or is it good enough?

2) can I use high temp primer and paint to finish the headers over the factory coating or does the factory coating need to come off first? Can I just sand the tubes and prep the pipes?

I have had the Edelbrock TES before on another Camaro and they started to rust after about a year with just the factory finish.

Thanks.

The factory coating will start to burn off the first time the car is run with the headers on. It is for appearance reaosn only and to keep surface rust off of them for the astetic reasons. You can coat them yourself with high temp paint but it requires you to strip the headers and repaint them. High tmep paint is only a patch and does not work as well as other ceramic type coatings.

You don't want to leave the factory paint on there. It won't last 10 minutes on a running engine.

Do what I did with mine. Have them sandblasted to take off all of the factory paint, then go find some good VHT paint (there is stuff specifically for headers) and spray that on, then bake it as it says to on the back of the can on some paints. I baked mine at home in my oven (only needs like 450* or something) and it came out great. Just make sure to leave a window open.

Thanks guys!

You don't need a primer, but you do need to strip off that "shipping paint" that they come with.

I used the DEI 1500 degree paint from Summit. I did the Camaro in Nov '01, they've gone through 3 winters now. The headers look fine, but the y-pipe showed rust through the paint right away (it wouldn't fit in the kitchen oven). It hasn't gotten a lot worse, but is certainly a lot worse than the headers.

I did the '57 hedders last spring. They still look fine. Not perfect, but fine.

(Oh, if you bake them in the home oven, I'd open up several windows. Personally, we got the pets out of the house, opened up all the windows, and I took the family out to dinner.)

Yup, it REALLY stinks, and can give you a really bad headache. I waited untill everyone else left for vacation, opened up a bunch of windows, and then hung out outside for awhile.

Interesting idea...What about long tubes though? I don't think they'll fit in the oven.

Nope, they probably wouldn't... my shorties barely fit into mine.

Maybe take them to Little Caesars or Dominoes "after hours", they have big ovens

I am sure that headers in the oven would be cool with everyone.......seeing how they have to serve food to the public and pass health inspections with that oven.

Any non-oven ideas?

Not to metion they use a conveyor style oven.

Black Satin (BHK)
Air drying, requires no baking
http://www.techlinecoatings.com/Exhaust.htm#blacksatin

LOL... I wasn't serious about the pizza ovens

Checked out that site, pretty neat stuff. Have you used this? How is it applied-- brush on, spray??

I have yet to use the no bake black but, I have coated a few pair of headers using thier Cermakrome which, is excellent stuff.
I'm not sure about the brush on application. I would imagine spraying the coating on would produce the best results though.
If you don't have access to a gun/compressor, you could get and re-useable spray bottle to apply it.

That was a pretty neat gadget.

I have a gun and compressor, I just didn't know what was the best way to apply it.

Thanks!

heat lamp.


or run the car really rich, and change the timing..................


(im kidding btw, but yea, that would cook the headers..)

I e-mailed Tech Line Coatings and they don't have any dealers in my neck of the woods. What are comparable off the shelf products?

I can't speak for these products but, Eastwood sells these products which may be easier for you to aquire Trevor. I can only say they are probably pretty good since eastwood isn't known for carrying 'snake oil' type products (just my opinion though).
From personal experience, (cheap) flat products work much better against burn-off than glossy products (ie: flat black high temp is less likely to burn off than aluminium spray bomb paint).
Also, for temporary (in use) protection, primer works suprisingly well due to it's higher talc and less pigment content. Get it wet though and you're screwed.
*edit*.. when I say primer.. I mean a zinc rich primer and a pretty light coat (like just enough to color the bare tubing).

Propane torches. That's what I did for the '57. Took a long time, but seemed to have done it.

I'll add to that.. I used the 'high temp' spray bomb on my i-pipe and used my Reddy Heat to 'cure' the paint. Didn't do to bad really but, the paint is now flaking off (may be due to using Oxisolve on the bare pipe 1st though.. at least the pipe isnt rusting )

BBQ?

VHT header coating works great also. Jegs sells it. My headmans have been coated for about 3.5 years now and still look good. I baked em in the oven also.

Don't even waste your time with the autoparts store High Temp Paint. It lasts about 5 minutes and flakes off.

I'll check it out and pick up some when I order the hedmans.

Thanks guys

Roofer's torch might work