So I just got a pair and catted Y, for my 04 Avalanche, used on ebay. I paid $800 for the set so I saved a little.
I was quoted $275 to ceramic coat them. The finish is discolored but I'm more interested in coating to control the under hood temps.
Let the opinions fly on whether or not to do it.

 

For controlling underhood temps, my experience is that good wrap is the best route. It is not the best for the headers though. Many manufacturers will not honor warranty if headers are wrapped because so much heat is held in the pipe the metal disintegrates. Of course pipe, flange, and weld material all factor in there. Also moisture can collect in wrap and exacerbate this problem. I suggest you check with the mfg of the headers on wrap.

Ceramic coating looks great and performs well if cared for and applied well. IMO and from my research, you get a little more heat(maybe 20%??) out of the headers than wrapped headers but for the looks and longevity I went with ceramic coated. Make sure they are coating them inside and out for best results.

It was interesting that my latest pair(from Sanderson) came with instructions to clean the surface with carb or brake cleaner and regularly wax them for longevity and appearance. Yes you read that right..wax the headers. Kinda makes sense but sounded silly reading it for the first time.

FWIW, exhaust is the most abused part of a vehicle aside from oil, tires and brakes..and those get changed a lot. None of it lasts forever unfortunately, even ceramic, but it does last a good while compared to the other "coatings" out there which are usually ugly after a year and gone not long after that.

 

I have stepped Kooks that I had coated when had a refresh on an older motor. I found that even on a H/C motor I was getting a lot of heat and the coating really helped. That said the first set of headers I bought were coated and it was crap. The coating lasted about a year and then started to flake off.
I tried to wrap the headers once while they were on the car. It didn't work out very well and from all that I have read wrapping isn't that practical on a car driven in wet conditions.

 

Wrapping is by far better from what I have seen. On my bike it lowered the temp on the primaries drastically. Really important when they are about an inch and a half away from the radiator.

If you do it there are a couple of steps to make sure it works well. First off don't do it on the car. You will hate your life and it will come out poorly. Soak it in H20 before you put it on to help it wrap tightly. Let them dry in the sun until there is no water left in it. Completely saturate the wrap a ceramic header spray paint, VHT flame proof or similar, and let it dry completely. This will seal the wrap so it won't retain water if you drive it in the rain. Put them on and cook them until they stop smoking then you are good to go.

 

If you wrap your headers don't buy the old school tan fiberglass stuff, it absorbs moisture. The newer stuff like DEI makes doesn't.
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