Anyone heat coating their headers?

[BenArmstrong]

Just wondering if anyone had the headers coated with the black ceramic paint that a few places do.
I have the hks header and was considering getting it done before I fit it. Keep engine bay cooler etc.

Much merit in getting it done?

All input appreciated!

[JDKane527]

Ppe engineering offers JET black high temp coating for their EL headers. There's some places that will coat it for you. I've noticed after a few months that it is starting to chip in some spots so recoating it may be necessary some time down the line. The coating helps it last longer and keep exhaust gases at high velocity.

It's not generally recommended to coat and wrap headers, do one or the other. Some people with experience can chime in with regards to this.

[Calum]

Originally Posted by BenArmstrong

Just wondering if anyone had the headers coated with the black ceramic paint that a few places do.
I have the hks header and was considering getting it done before I fit it. Keep engine bay cooler etc.

Much merit in getting it done?

All input appreciated!

The coating should help the header last longer and greatly reduce heat transfer. Less heat under the hood is always a good thing, especially with how close most headers come to the oil pan. All this talk about oil temperatures, I've always wondered how much of a difference a coated header would reduce the need for an oil cooler. Also, hotter gasses will flow faster, which should increase scavenging. Though, that will also effect the resonant frequency of the tuned lengths of the runners, so it's hard to predict the actual effect.

[BenArmstrong]

Originally Posted by Calum

The coating should help the header last longer and greatly reduce heat transfer. Less heat under the hood is always a good thing, especially with how close most headers come to the oil pan. All this talk about oil temperatures, I've always wondered how much of a difference a coated header would reduce the need for an oil cooler. Also, hotter gasses will flow faster, which should increase scavenging. Though, that will also effect the resonant frequency of the tuned lengths of the runners, so it's hard to predict the actual effect.

Ah thank you! That's the kind of response I was looking for!
And backs up my thoughts as well.
Coating the header definitely won't do any harm I figure so might as well give it a try. I was thinking of doing my Perrin overpipe as well when I get it but that might be going a bit to far.

[mike the snake]

I'm getting mine ceramic coated, and then I'm going to heat-wrap them as well.

[BenArmstrong]

Originally Posted by mike the snake

I'm getting mine ceramic coated, and then I'm going to heat-wrap them as well.

I've heard heat-wrapping headers on cars is a bad idea... Apparently shortens the life of the pipes.

[Nightbringer]

Originally Posted by BenArmstrong

I've heard heat-wrapping headers on cars is a bad idea... Apparently shortens the life of the pipes.

Wraps can potentially hold moisture in, though I know a lot of people who have luck doing it on headers made out of 304. I concur with the above, thermal coating has a multitude of benefits. I've gone with JET hot on all previous vehicles, but they're a bit over priced. Many equivalent alternatives that are more cost effective.

[mrk1]

swain tech white lightning is a great and very durable coating.

[nabe]

+1 for coating, stock header / overpipe comes with heat shield for a good reason.

[mobybrz]

Originally Posted by mrk1

swain tech white lightning is a great and very durable coating.

Swain is the only company I would use to coat anything (actually there is one other but they are European). Swain was local and helped our FSAE team out when I was in college and are great. Great customer service, great GREAT products. We did a test at one point, where we coated the primaries in swain, the collector and secondaries in Jet-Hot and then the muffler was left alone. The swain primaries were only 75C above the muffler after a bunch of autocross testing. The Swain section was 150C cooler than the Jet-Hot despite being upstream (external surface temperatures). I have no data to support it, but I would suspect the coatings are more effective, how much I don't know.

I've heard heat-wrapping headers on cars is a bad idea... Apparently shortens the life of the pipes.

From a theoretical standpoint, both wrapping and external coating will increase the temperature of the metal in the headers which will potentially decrease the lifespan. Both of those methods are employed to keep heat in the header and out of the engine bay.

The heat still exists though and either goes out of the tail pipe or stays in the metal. Effectively, you change the equilibrium temperature distribution which leads to hotter metal and less escaping heat. The reality is though that I don't think any NA header outside of F1 or LMP is operating anywhere near the point where the stress on a properly designed header (room for thermal growth, properly supported, square and flat) where the temperature difference matters.


The heat-wrap has a possibility of being worse if it does retain moisture. Even stainless isn't impermeable to corrosion, especially from Chlorine/Salts. Further, the increased temperature of the metal under the heat wrap would increase the rate of corrosion. The reason it came into use in racing before coatings was a combination of availability of the coatings and the ability of the wrap to be removed for maintenance and inspection. On a race car; the service intervals, stresses, and inspection routines are such that that matters.

There is also no reason you couldn't do both, it would probably just have minimal added efficacy.

[nix]

There is no 'if it retains moisture'. It does. Doesn't matter if it's cheapo wrap or the best DEI offers, it will trap water and accelerate corrosion over time.

The 'paints' are OK - not as effective overall as a quality wrap but a good compromise on price for a daily driver car. The ceramic coatings are better, the best available and really the only long term choice is from Zircotec in the UK which is a permanent coating that will last the life of the pipe and is used by F1/WRC/Indy/LMP1 teams.

[FR-S Matt]

My JDL UEL is getting chrome thermal coating. It will look bad ass, be much cooler, and make it last.

[nix]

Originally Posted by Calum

All this talk about oil temperatures, I've always wondered how much of a difference a coated header would reduce the need for an oil cooler.

I tested the AVO header raw vs heat paint vs wrapped & painted. It didn't really effect oil temps but there was around a 5 celsius change in heat soak / intake temps when all engine covers are on and the car is stationary.

[campy]

So wraps will cause rust and coatings will peel off?