I made my exhaust using aluminized steel mandrel bent pipe bends from summit racing and MIG welded everything together. I'm looking for something that is reasonably durable (heat resistant mostly) to paint over the welds - I've done this before and the pipes always rust around the welds. Anybody have any suggestions based on experience? Thanks!
rustoleum barbecue works as well or better than any header paint i have used silver or black outlasts most any of them
I’ve always painted the whole exhaust system with John Deere muffler black. Whole system usually takes two cans. Can costs about 18-19 bucks so around $40 .
Any, $4 dollars a can, name brand hi temperature engine pain will do. The Eastwood Iron manifold paint is one of the best. The surface needs to be sand blasted first and make sure you don't touch them any were you want the paint to stick to...
Years ago I put a new exhaust system on a Dodge pickup and for the hell of it, painted it with some aluminum stove pipe paint I had laying around. Gave it 2 coats. Ten years later the exhaust did not have a speck of rust on it anywhere. The first 2 or 3 feet next to the engine were darkened and discolored but the paint was still on there. Black barbecue paint is tough as nails and stands up to heat pretty good, you can get it at any hardware store. You can use what you like, any high temp paint will do. Give the whole system 2 or 3 coats and it will last a long time, if you do not do a lot of stop and go driving. As long as the system gets hot enough to drive out any moisture, it will not rust from the inside and if it is protected it won't rust from the outside.
Used BBQ Black on my sons GMC from the cast headers back also on my 39 Indian Sport Scout. Pretty bulletproof. Before and after. The muffler shop coated their welds.
I know it's more costly but my local powder painter has a satin black he uses on exhaust that holds up real well. I've done a 1/2 dozen cars with it.
I wipe down the pipes with cleaner and spray with black 99 cent paint from Home Depot. Lasts indefinitely so far, longest one is a build done in 2011.
Porter Paint , high temp aluminum . Boiler stack paint , best I have ever used . Stinks like hot piss on a tin roof the first heat up .
I've always used high temp header paint over exhaust welds. At the lower exhaust temps it holds up forever.