I gotta shot at the bead blaster tomorrow and the headers I scored from 40Studedude need some beadblasting in the worse way. I'd like to get some kinda heatproof paint on them right away, before they begin to rust again. I'll have access to my favorite NAPA store and an O'Reilley's parts huose too. I've never heard much good stuff about the spray-can header paints but I don't have time to go for the cerama-chrome deal plus, I don't know at this point if these headers will fit my application. What spray-can header paint works for you? I wanna shoot 'em black or some dark, gray or sumthun close....
Last summer we did a set of fenderwell headers for a big block Dart. The prep was perfect, fully blasted and degreased. Applied the paint perfectly, baked it according to instructions... It peeled in the first week. And that was with the expensive paint! (Don't remember brand... Eastwood maybe?) I've never had any luck with that stuff.
I used the brush on header paint, I think from por-15. it lasted a long time and after 3 years is just starting to look a little crappy.
I did a set for my coupe YEARS ago - perfect prep - HEATED the headers with a propane torch until you could see the humidity vaporize off the surface - shot with rattle can VHT. They STILL look good (not perfect) a dozen years later. They looked near perfect for the first 6 or 8 years. Later I did a second set the EXACT same way BUT!!! I used some "off brand" High Temp paint - peeled in less than a year. Lesson learned - VHT for me and I'm gonna buy it at a store that sells ALOT - that way I won't get soemthing that's 5 years old before I start!!! YMMV
I like VHT header paint. The way I do it is after the headers are blasted clean I heat them in a oven for a half hour or so @ 300 degrees. Then after removing them while their still hot I spray them down with the paint and let them cool at least 24 hours before I install them. Ive gotten good results from this process.
I wish I kept notes sometimes. I've had real hit or miss luck with paints on headers. I know I've had good luck with some of the cheap black stove paints. The headers on my roadster have held up really well with some white paint (I think it may have been VHT). I painted them once with an aluminum colored header paint (I believe it was also VHT), first time they hit water It was like new years eve...I swear every bit of the paint just blew off 'em in giant sparkling cloud.
I've used DeRusto? brand brush on high temp BBQ paint with good results. Easy to find at your local hardware store. I like brush on 'cause it goes on thicker and I can do touch up on the car without masking. Josh
VHT header paint works for me. I used the black on my headers 3 years ago and they are just now looking a little bad. Follow the instructions on the can and it works well for the price.
I use VHT 1500degree Nucast on my headers, and they lasted years. good prep and a good bake is all they need.
Good prep is the key and I've used a good engine enamel (spray can) with good results. Just don't try to load up the paint thickness.
I've never had any luck with spray can header paint. The next time I paint a set, I'll use real, urethane automotive paint. With the hardener and catylist, it is a higher quality than anything in a spray can. I'm not a paint expert, but I suspect the temp resistance is comparable to that which is marketed as "high temp". I now you'll have better, more even coverage with a real paint gun.
hey man, I used 1200* high heat black on the header on my bike and that was years ago. I prepped it good though. I used the same crap on my truck and they're peeling, but didn't prep as well. So, as far as I'm concerned it's all in the prep. I bought mine at a NAPA, it's a duplicolor, high heat. All the ones I have seen are flats, in silver, black red, there were also a couple of other colors, but it's high heat 1200* not the engine paint, which works very well also, but not for headers.
Everything you did, but when you first start the motor, just let it warm for a minute then shut it off, then a while later run it a bit longer, then shut it off. Let the paint bake on gradually. Guaranteed way to burn it off is to fire up the motor and take it to red hot in the first few minutes.
Go find an old Hardware store and get some "Stove Black" last a long time! Use to use it on wood buring stoves and stuff.
i used eastwood powdercoat high temp coating on some exhaust pipe and one set of headers and they came out real nice and so far no problems. Sandblast headers and baked at 450 degrees then let cool down and applied powder coating and cured at 450 degrees. Key is to get all oils and solvents vaporized prior to coating.
VHT worked fine for me. Painted in the spring and ran a dozen or so times this summer. Looks as good now as when I painted them.
rocky did some headers 4 years ago still look great,bead blasted em and used ace hardware brand high heat bbq grill paint black real good stuff.
Rocky. Belive it or not, I have had the best luck with white VHT. I built the headers using regular old header tubing (new) and with no surface prep what soever, they came out fine. And stayed that way. A little more than one year later. Even through breaking in 2 camshafts. (yes, I fucked up a cam. There..I said it....) The only bad spots are where I rubbed my greasy assed hands on em. -Abone.
I did the Y block rams horns in my F350 with VHT almost 5 years ago. Holding up fine. VHT is the only brand Ive used for about the past 20 years.
Rocky, I'll add another recommendation for VHT. It's not perfect and wont last forever, but it works the best of anything I've tried. On the other, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND EASTWOOD'S GARBAGE, I mean header paint. I sandblasted a set of new headers, pre-heated them with an oxy torch, and then layed the paint on with a quality detail gun. The paint started peeling off within minutes of running them on the car. Very very disappointing. In review -- Cheap VHT = Good; Expensive Eastwood = Bad. Hope this helps, Ed PS- I like a lot of Eastwood's other products (Chassis Black and Cast Gray especially, so don't take this as a bash on thier stuff in general.
Rocky, heres what happened to me, went to Oriellys, found some "extreme heat-2000 degrees-(dont get the 1200 degree stuff) light silver-header paint, figured its shit, but what the hell, had to make the drags, costs about $7.00 bucks for a can, the only prep I did was to reach for a Bud, right before I shot the headers.Started the car and ran for short periods of time, purely by accident( working like a mad rat!),anyhoo, its held up great and has been wet, looks good.Even I couldnt ruin it.
The barbeque paint works good if you want black headers, which look good with some applications. I recently had a set of ceramic coated headers which had a problem with the welds. Repaired the welds (Thanks Metalshapes) but lost the coating so I sprayed them with silver VHT and love the look. Better than the coating but it won't protect as well. Apply it the way it's supposed to be and you'll get the results your suppose to get. By the way you should be here at CHRR. Having a blast...
Exactly what I thought. My friend painted his motorcycle header and I painted my old dune buggy headers with brush on 2000 degree BBQ paint years ago. Both exhaust systems looked good for years. Now if only they made white BBQ's
I recently had the exhaust on the modified sand blsted and sprayed them with white VHT. I was not happy with it as it stained easy. Maybe it was my choice of colour. Anyway, we redid them in ceramic coating.
Guys here's what I did with VHT on my Flathead headers. As mentioned you gotta burn off the contaminants on the raw metal BEFORE you lay any paint on. So this is what I did and it still looks primo. 1. Blast the headers 2. Hang em up being careful NOT to touch them with your bare hands. 3. Heat 'em up with the gas torch...get them hot enough to barely touch. 4. Lay on the paint in thin coats, if the paint bubbles, the headers are too hot. Let it cool a bit then hit it again. 5.Once finished painting, let it sit for a bit then hit the header with the torch again, making sure to distribute the heat evenly all over the part. 6.When done the header paint surface should have a slightly rough texture Hope this helps....
I did my own ceramic coating and had them baked in a ceramic kiln at one of those hippie shops where people do that crap. They look almost exactly like the polished aluminum stuff on the car. They were awesome.
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