I'm cleaning up the engine bay and got the headers out while I rebuild the heads. I want to make the headers look good again. I need some tips and ideas to make them look good and have a durable paint. Should I wrap them? The paint high temp paint I used before didn't hold up well. Is it all about the prep work? Thanks

 

Send them off to jethot coatings... No product you can buy will hold up very long really.

Dupli color 1500* high temp paint last about 6-8 mo. on mine.

Some have coated headers with anti seize compound and got good results.. I tried it once but it didn't turn out so well for me.

No do not wrap headers.. That will hold in moisture and cause the headers to rust through pretty fast

 

I've tried many paints over the years that didn't last no time either, I'm gonna try the anti-seize on my GTA per these instructions; http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187500

If these guys are get'n couple years out of it, I should get a few more since my car won't be a daily driver.....

 

Yep nastyz28.com is where I 1st heard about the anti seize. It was Chuck (Muscl car) that told me about it.

 

There's more to header coating than just what it looks like, or even, how long it lasts...

Headers work by promoting and retaining the gas velocity as it rushes out of the chamber early during the exh stroke, so that the inertia of the moving gas helps suck the chamber down. The whole velocity thing is why too-large headers make less power than ones properly matched to the engine's flow characteristics.

The hotter they keep the gases, the more effective they are.

The better insulated the headers are, the more heat they keep in the gas.

Ceramic coating is a SURISINGLY EFFECTIVE insulator. Much better than any kind of paint or the like that you can use. Worth every penny, considering that you get THE WHOLE PACKAGE; looks, longevity, AND most efficient engine operation possible for the particular headers.

 

I have JetHot (had them for a while) and being it keeps the engine compartment cooler too, everything that lives there will be happier... check local craigslist, there are other companies that have ceramic coatings available, may be able to get it done locally for a good price...

 

I got mine Jet hot coated 8 years ago and I've had zero issues. They look today like they did then. +1 for everyone who suggests it. Get it done. Suck up the cost. You'll never regret it.

 

I used the spray on ceramic coating from Eastwood, still looks good.