Damian

iTrader: (89)

I am trying to decide wether or not I should blow another 125+ bucks on coating my Grotts. I am not worried about longevity, so don't throw that one out there. Some high temp engine enamel can take care of that...

Any hard core evidence that coating reduces temps enough to warrant paying the extra $?

I ran uncoated Macs for over 2 yrs without a single problem...

LS69TA

iTrader: (30)

Coatings will make it a few degrees cooler, but header wrap will make a HUGE difference in underhood temp. It'll feel just like it does outside the car under the hood. just dont get any fluids on it-trans. fluid, oil,etc. because it WILL DEFFINATELY catch on fire!!!!

<small>[ February 11, 2003, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: C-Note ]</small>

promod1955

iTrader: (44)

They claim 200 degrees. It is worth it. between the rust prevention and lower temps i wouldnt hesitate to spend that.

5LiterBeater

Hey promod I am in Norfolk, VA. Are you part of the T/A club here?? And also I didn't think that the ceramic coating lowered temps that much. 200 seems to be a bit high.

68LSS1

I think there could also be a performance/hp issue here also. As the exhaust gasses cool down they slow down. With a wrapped/coated exhaust the velocity should stay higher meaning better scavenging.

Biochem

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by C-Note:
<strong> Coatings will make it a few degrees cooler, but header wrap will make a HUGE difference in underhood temp. It'll feel just like it does outside the car under the hood. just dont get any fluids on it-trans. fluid, oil,etc. because it WILL DEFFINATELY catch on fire!!!! </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">So you're telling me that if I spring a small oil leak or accidently spill some misc. engine fluid on my header wraps, that they may/will burst into flames? Bummer! Aren't they supposed to be made of non-flamible materials?

m1key99WS6

iTrader: (1)

It won't catch on fire. I had a 66 GMC truck with long tubes and header wrap with leaky as all hell chrome valve covers and it just smoked and smoked and smoked, it never cought on fire. I drove it for a year like that, it just plain stinks and smokes. I'm sure if you spill gas on it or something it would, but hell, spill gas on any hot header and see what happens. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

98sspullin'em

iTrader: (-1)

im in the same boat as you coated or non coated headers, or just wrap the non coated one's? is it really worth it?

LS69TA

iTrader: (30)

My 70 Chevy stepside DID catch of fire everytime the headers got hot. I had a tranny cooler line come loose one time and the bottom half of the header got soaked. It would smoke for a while, then it would start flaming up badly. So, yes, it will burn. But in our new cars, all you really have to do is be careful when changing oil or pulling valve covers.. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

LS69TA

iTrader: (30)

I took the wraps off and used the header jackets, which is what i'm going to use on my Camaro when I get my headers. Those seemed to work pretty well for me before, and are easier to put on and remove if needed. They allow some heat to escape but it's not too much. Gave my little 4cyl Ranger a little more get-up-n-go <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

Fly By

Header wrap will make the tubes brittle, and crack with time. I wouldnt use it. If you dont care about looks, just keep em like that. Temp is virtually unaffected, cept for some minor reduction.

Fenris Ulf

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Damian:
<strong> I am trying to decide wether or not I should blow another 125+ bucks on coating my Grotts. I am not worried about longevity, so don't throw that one out there. Some high temp engine enamel can take care of that...

Any hard core evidence that coating reduces temps enough to warrant paying the extra $?

I ran uncoated Macs for over 2 yrs without a single problem... </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">For the price coating is definately worth it unless you have T304 or 321 stainless steel which has roughly a 1/3 of the heat conductivity of mild steel. Grots are mild steel I believe.

BurnOut

iTrader: (1)

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Fly By:
<strong> Header wrap will make the tubes brittle, and crack with time. I wouldnt use it. If you dont care about looks, just keep em like that. Temp is virtually unaffected, cept for some minor reduction. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Exactly. Header wrap works TOO well; it holds in too much heat for the steel of the header to deal with. The result after a year or two is a thin, brittle header that leaks like a sieve and is damn difficult to repair. I'd stay the hell away from header wrap unless you like buying/installing new headers every couple of years. As for the high temp enamel, I haven't found one yet that will stay on a set of headers.

gillbot

iTrader: (27)

Wha about POR15, they claim it will.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by BurnOut:
<strong> </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Fly By:
<strong> Header wrap will make the tubes brittle, and crack with time. I wouldnt use it. If you dont care about looks, just keep em like that. Temp is virtually unaffected, cept for some minor reduction. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Exactly. Header wrap works TOO well; it holds in too much heat for the steel of the header to deal with. The result after a year or two is a thin, brittle header that leaks like a sieve and is damn difficult to repair. I'd stay the hell away from header wrap unless you like buying/installing new headers every couple of years. As for the high temp enamel, I haven't found one yet that will stay on a set of headers. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

Biochem

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by BurnOut:
<strong> [QUOTE]Originally posted by Fly By:
[qb] Header wrap will make the tubes brittle, and crack with time. I wouldnt use it.... I'd stay the hell away from header wrap unless you like buying/installing new headers every couple of years. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">What about stock manifolds?

promod1955

iTrader: (44)

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 5LiterBeater:
<strong> Hey promod I am in Norfolk, VA. Are you part of the T/A club here?? And also I didn't think that the ceramic coating lowered temps that much. 200 seems to be a bit high. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hey 5literbeater, im from Chesapeake. if you look on the inside cover of either the ihra or nhra rule book they show a thing that it was a 200 degree difference.....dont always believe everything you see in the rulebook though.... jest:

5LiterBeater

If you look into the QTP headers (same design as Grots) they are now stainless steel. A much better quality than the older ones and don't need to be coated, nor do they rust. Just my two cents on that one. Give Barry a call and talk to him about it. He is always more than happy to.

66ImpalaLT1

Whether or not coating works with the engine running is debatable, but 10 minutes after shutting off the engine the difference is night and day.

Coating is worth not having burnt hands every time I need to check/change plugs on a hot engine.

Eric

BurnOut

iTrader: (1)

Gillbot- I have never heard of POR15, so I can not say whether it will stick or not. I may have to revise my position ("paint won't stick to a header") soon... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Biochem- Wrapping stock manifolds will of course help reduce underhood temps, but IMO it is only a matter of time before you end up with a metal that has consistently exceeded its designed maximum temperature and becomes brittle as a result.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that header wrap is useless, only that I think that it is a bad idea on a daily driver. Just my $.02...

gwj

I would think the wrap in our crowded engine bays COULD be a good thing, as far as wiring, etc getting overheated. As far as problems with metal fatigue occurring w/headers, IMO that would not be a problem w/SS (radiates quickly), and with mild steel I would think the wrap, if anything, would allow a longer cool down time, thus would make it less of a problem due to less rapid cycling of temp. I'm no expert on metal properties, although I do have some experience making alloys.
How the coatings work, I have no clue.