Ive searched on this subject and found nothing. I'm in the middle of swapping heads and my headers are rusting over. Pacesetter l t's, ceramic coated, set outside for 2 years on car but now found a new home in our basement when we bought our house. Called jet hot and binge time they got them and shipped them back, I'd be cheaper getting new ones.

Ive known of people wrapping old school cars, looks good IMO and I know it helps keep bay heat down but there has to be a reason nobody else is running them. Pros, cons, do and don't please.

 

why not paint them? wraping is okay. ive never done it honestly. but ive heard that it gets real rusty with them specially in humid places...id finish them and paint them.

 

Definitely an option, just figured they would rust again soon

 

Give them a good coat of paint then wrap theming sure they won't give u problems

 

I searched this topic on this very forum about a year ago and decided to pass on wrapping in favor of larger stainless headers. The primary reasons were fear of an engine bay fire due to oil. Basically, it seems people thought oil and fuel would eventually make its way to the wrap if you work in the engine bay. Then, they get hot and boom, engine bay fire.

I liked the idea of wrapping headers for cooler engine bay temps and to get rid of unsightly rust in the engine bay. And ya know, turbo guys do it, right? I would have done it if that fear hadn't been put in me...

 

ive had stainless KOOKS on my car for about 7 yrs. and theyre fine. ill say theyve paid for themselves. id look into them or ARH and not have to worry about them anymore.

 

Hit them with a steel wool brush. It shouldn't have rusted completely thru. Then paint them.

 

Probably pull them off and use the air grinder with SOS pad.. few coats of primer, paint and clear; maybe they'll keep me satisfied until I get some 7/8 in a year or so

 

Yea I would pull them off and paint them with VHT paint. I have used it a few times and it's awesome, drys super quick And looks great.
Reason I say paint is your headers aren't stainless and wrap can deteriorate them a lot quicker due to the higher temps they will see with the heat being kept in.

 

Do they make a heat resistant clear? Id imagine the clear would just brown first time you would fire it up.

 

I guess I'll just have to look. Didn't think of that

 

Wrapping headers makes the headers hotter which allows the exhaust gasses to flow through them easier/quicker. It also keeps the underhood temperatures lower.

Yes, it increases the chance of engine fire if you had a oil or fuel leak onto them.

There's a spray-on sealer made just for the wrap that reduces how much a fluid would soak into them.

VHT has high temperature header paints. Primer, color and clear. After each coat, you run the engine to cure it. Let it cool, do the next coat, bake it in again.

 

wrap them it works great and spray them with the silicone coating for it. i did it 2 years ago and they look good still yes they rot out underneath but it take quiet a while for that to happen

 

Not buying it, a little oil is just going to burn off. If you have fuel getting on the headers you've got a real problem and wrap is not going to make any difference.

 

I know that I wont be able to paint and then allow it to bake after each coating. They wont be on the car

 

A good heat gun will help if you have the time.

 

I've done wrap twice, and didn't care for it. If you have a nice, clean engine bay, imo wrap looks unsightly, no matter how neat you are. It collects dirt and grit.
Clean the headers by sanding/pressure wash/rinse, then sun dry.
Paint with any high-heat spray, then cure with engine heat.

 

POR makes a farily decent high temp paint, I used the
"cast iron gray" on stock iron manifolds and it held up
for a couple of years.

 

Get'em re ceramic coated. Last year I got old SB headers for $40 they had tons of surface rust , I blasted them in my garage then got 'em re ceramic coated, they looked as they were brand new after.

 

so if they dont heat bake the paint, then what will happen? it will just peel off with the heat when engine is on?

mine where already original paint black i guess then i added an alluminum high heat paint specially for headers, plus another orange coat on top also high heat for engine blocks . the mechanic started the motor on the 9/7/2012 and the paint just fumed off. could it be that my car is over heating? according to mechanic he said everything was ok with gauges and temps so...? is it normal?

one headers is still painted, because according to mechanic he says one coil pack is not working, he will still come and check it when he comes back to town during the day.

unless its a spark plug or the spark plug cable wire because i see its slightly melted from touching the header, but not the actual wire, the black plastic rubber cylinder neck at the end where it connects, just like barely melt a bit, but doesnt look like it made any damage, now that is my concern now with those headers they looked like very red, as if it was a charcoal rock from inside bbq pit... and i now want to take that **** off SMH seems pretty dangerous to me.

if anyone has pics or video of heddmen headers while engine running please let me know to see if they look alike. thanks in advance helpful members