Cut the crap, is Header coating really worth it?

I know it reduces heat within the engine bay and prevent s heat from "seeping" threw the headers but in the long run.......when it all boils down to it............ is it really worth it?

I would say it comes down to how long you plan on keeping your car. In the long run the coated headers will always look better and last longer. Cost wise uncoated will last a good while and are considerably cheaper.

Yes it's worth it!!! It will save you much grief, not melting your wires that run close to the headers. I would never buy a set of headers that weren't coated, unless I was going to coat them later, or there weren't any wires anywhere near the headers. Also, coating will prevent rust in the long run.

On F-bods, the spark plug wires are VERY close to the headers, maybe 1" away. If you run aftermarket plug wires, which don't have a protective sheild, and aftermarket uncoated headers, you may have problems. What you can do is but uncoated headers, and then invest in some heat boots for any wires that are within 6" of the headers.

IMO, just get coated headers and you won't have any problems.

nope, not worth it. Painting them is just as easy as paying an extra 100-200 bucks.

Can you really paint them? With some 1200 degree ceramic paint or what? Very interested :think:

well in my opinion, I will say it is worth it to get Coated Headers !! Trust me I have a set of Non-Coated Headers on my 68 C10 and before I even installed them, I used Hi Temp paint... The Paint will burn off after a few days of driving... I am going to be replacing my headers on my 68 C10 w/ some Coated Headers, when I go to pull my engine!! When I decide to put headers on my car I will definitely pay more for the coated, since I have seen 4 year old Coated headers and they still looked new on a friend of mine's Nova!!

Charlie

I have coated LTs , I can come home after driving and the hood of my car is very cool compare to what it was before I even put headers on. I could even wash it and I have a BLK one my .2cents

the ceramic coating is not so much to keep heat out of the engine bay but to aid in keeping the exhaust gasses flowing rapidly towards the exhaust exit. The coating keeps the exteroir of the headers cool thereby maintaining a higher pressure within the headers forcing the exhaust gasses out under a higher velocity than if the headers are uncoated and heat leeches into the surrounding air. of course this does have a benefit of keeping the engine bay cooler.
think about why full blown drag cars have ceramic coated headers
they in many cases have no engine "bay" so to speak or plug wires close to the headers. again the coating is there to help keep the gasses flowing at a high rate of velocity.

now as far as a daily driven car they serve the same purpose but the coating aslo helps to protect the headers from rust and give them a longer life and a nicer look. after having a set of non-ceramic coated headers and now a set of ceramic coated ones, I'll always use ceramic coated from now on.

Well you guys sold me, Coated it is!

My short answer... No

A little explaination for those interested...
The paint burnt off some folks headers instantly for 1 of 2 reasons:
1) They left the factory paint on the headers. A high figure in a large header company told me himself... "always strip the factory junk off the header, all of us producers use the cheapest paint possible on new headers".

2) They didn't apply the new high temp paint correctly. If applied over the stock paint, or exposed to any oils before the paint heat cycles, the new paint will cook right off the headers. Paint must be applied to bare headers after a thorough prep with a strong oil remover like acetone. After the oil has been removed, all the way through heat cycling, you cannot even touch the headers or paint again. The oils off your fingers will fry the paint. Once the paint has been to operating temp, then back to room temp one time... it is heat cycled and you can rub them with bare skin all that turns you on. :)

Next, IMO coating is more looks than anything. Keeping the headers hot and not allowing the heat to escape has bad effects as well a good. One of the benefits of headers is that they cause the engine to run cooler by dissapating heat. With coating, you reverse this condition. This removes on good quality that headers have traditionally provided... resistance to detonation.

As for burning wires as posted in this thread...
Use common sense. Don't put your wires against headers!

Underhood heat: If the heat is under your hood, that means it is not in your engine! If the extra heat bothers you that much, get a hood with heat extractors, or make your own. The computer is in a place that is very shielded, but I have seen folks make custom shields for it.

One last thing... My old man and I did a 'father/son' project in 1978, we put headers on his SBC car. Stripped, painted, and cured the headers... (thin wall Hooker Super Comps at that!) and they are still on that car today.
They went through him daily driving, then me thoroughly torturing the car through H.S., and then him driving again...
Now the car is through it's 2 engine, installed in 89, and the header paint was redone at that time. The car is ready now for engine 3 and header paint 3. Not new headers though.
Coating is purely a sales gimmick IMO.
Sorry so long
Dave