what is the best coating for headers for looks and durabilty ceramic or jet hot? thanks al sisson mosheim,tn.
Jet Hot is a brand name for their ceramic coating. The big thing for ceramic coating for it to be really worth it is to have the headers done inside and out.
I like the chrome look and was thinking of having my lakester headers done. I dont mind the bluing but I have seen some turn goldish brown and I didnt care for that. What is the difference. Does the coatings companies or powder coaters have a finish that is close to chrome? What about a nickel coating has any one ever done that, I imagine it would leave a nice steel finish woulodn't it?
Nickel plating is usually used as part of the chrome plating process. Good looking, but not as corrosion resistant as chrome. The Jet-Hot or similar processes don't have quite the same look, but are a ton more durable, and have the added benefit of heat insulation (keeping the exhaust heat inside the pipe). FWIW, I had Jet-Hot do the headers on my coupe about 10 years ago, and they still seem to be OK. I would say well worth the bucks.
on bike pipes i have them chromed first then have the insides hpc coated and seems to keep the blueing down.
HPC HPC HPC HPC!!!! I LOVE their stuff!!!! I got it on Headers, exhaust/intake manifolds, PSD down pipe, coil springs, control arms, oilpans, paper wieghts, etc. I have used them for years, not only does it help cool, it is durable as hell. I had a coil fall out on my rockcrawler, roll down 200' of rock and off a 100' cliff. Went down and got it, not a scratch!! Did a cummins manifold and a PSD down pipe and it lowered EGT's 150-200 degrees. You can feel how much cooler engine compartments are with the headers/manifolds coated.... You can polish it to a high shine, or if you leave it it will get a sort of cool faint orange/silver petina like look to it, but will polish right back.... This is all in reference to there aluma-ceramic coating....the colors are basically powder over this coating. I don't care for the colors, I don't like the lack or durability in powder.... www.HPCoatings.com Call the SLC facility tell Cory Marc Milner sent you. It is a straight up company. Built from the ground up by guys that LOVE motorsports!! No, I am not paid or sponsored by them. They have treated me well for many years, have a great product and have become friends. I support them with my loyalty. JMHO of coarse.
we had two sets of headers go bad on us. the first claimed to be jet hot coated, but im not positive if they were done in and out like mentioned above. they went about 2 years before getting pretty ugly. the second was a pair of "show specials". they didnt last the winter.prolly 4 months old and look 3 times worse then the jet hot ones. imo i think they were both cheap jobs so im not to byast against ceramic coating. i think it looks cool and when done right its durable as hell so just check your sources and make sure its quality.
Jet Hot did mine and I'm very happy with the product and the service. They sent me a "Pass Along" coupon that gets you $25 off an order of $200 or more. You are welcome to it if you want it.
my tip is blast em then put em out in the rain and get fresh rust ,then put some of that rust converter on that makes them go black ............it works it's cheap real cheap.Second thoughts just let em rust....................Marq
I used HPC on my flathead six tube headers. I had them done inside and out to keep them rotting from the inside. They have about 1000 miles on them so far, and still look spankin new. Next time I have it apart I'm going to have the intake done too so they match, instead of polishing the aluminum. Pete
Had the ones on the roadster done. Some fellows out of Charlotte NC..........they did work for Jet-Hot.....went out on their own....... Came down to Charlotte to get in on the NASCAR business. Did the inside and outside.........and still looks good after a year or so...... .
I sent mine to Jet-Hot in Mississsippi. They looked bitchn for a few thousand miles then turned a dull grey color. They were supposed to be coated inside and out, but the inside looked REAL crappy. They are also starting to rust on the underside of the tubes. BUT. In thier defense, I live in the humid south and my headers are outside the car and are exposed to the elements... 300 bucks spent.....Well spent? I dunno.. -Abone.
If you've got bluing you're lean or over advanced. You can polish it out with Chrome and hot environment polish. Local guys also use it for polishing out the ceramic coated pipes to make them brighter. I just like the fact ceramics keep the air lighter and easier to move.
you can polish out bluing with Chrome and hot environment polish. Same with the gold, which comes from the nickel under the chrome. If you just nickel exhausts they get very dark, very fast. for performance ceramics are the better option and can be polished out to look damn near as good as chrome. When you chrome headers you will always have weak and thin chrome where the pipes meet. That's where they rust out first. With ceramics, It's not such a problem.
I also would join the Jet-Hot crowd. I sent my headers to Mississsippi as well and I think they turned out very nicely. I don't know how well they'll hold up long term-don't have many miles on them yet, but I am please with the results. Cost me about $200 from PA.
pete,,, what did they soak you for your six popper headers? i got a set of clifford headers for my 223 that need coating and yours make my tongue hard
FiddyFour- If I remember right, I think it was around $180 coated inside and out, including shipping. I'd have to dig through my pile of receipts to confirm. I think they quoted $160 over the phone, but wound up an extra 20 for some reason... Pete
Thanks man that isnt a bad price for the kind of coating they put on. i love the way yours are holding up. Traves
Not a coating as such but more of a protectant....wasn't it linseed oil applied to freshly blasted headers that would let them look natural without rusting? I didn't have my T running when I saw the suggestion, it is now, and I want to double check if it's linseed oil or ??? Someone I knew that built motorcycle expansion chambers used something that gave the metal a brownish/rainbow-spectrum coloration. Looked neat...any ideas on what it might have been?