Those who have wrapped their headers?

[Mustang dog]

So now that my cams and gears are done, next up is LTH and h pipe.

I only drive this car maybe 3k a year and weekends and weeknights only. So I'm going with a painted set of PS. I am not knocking the high end headers, but this is my choice for my reasons.

Question I have is, ceramic coat headers or heat wrap them? Heat wrapping is much cheaper, and from what I have heard as good or better than ceramic coating. I don't drive the car in the rain or winters, so I'm not concerned about condensation and rust to the headers being collected in the wrapping .

Up here in Canada the ceramic coating will cost me more than the headers are to buy. So this a budget based install.

Yes I'll be doing the install of the headers and the wrap, and my choice is the titanium lavarock wrap.

Car is 07 GT manual, with bolt ons, ultimate goal is supercharger over the winter.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[travelers]

Are you headers SS or just mild steel? If SS it shouldn't be a problem, but mild steel unless you have a heated and air conditioned garage, humidity will still get in. I believe there is someone on here selling a set of ARHs which are SS.

 

[RED09GT]

I'd leave them bare.
Headers are not easy to see in our engine bays so it's not a huge visual impact and I can't say that I have seen any exhaust wrap that I would say looks good.

Functionality is debatable. I haven't seen anything that would have me believe it is even close to necessary.
I have no problem here in the Okanagan with an uncoated and unwrapped front mounted turbo.

 

[07 Boss]

So now that my cams and gears are done, next up is LTH and h pipe.

I only drive this car maybe 3k a year and weekends and weeknights only. So I'm going with a painted set of PS. I am not knocking the high end headers, but this is my choice for my reasons.

Question I have is, ceramic coat headers or heat wrap them? Heat wrapping is much cheaper, and from what I have heard as good or better than ceramic coating. I don't drive the car in the rain or winters, so I'm not concerned about condensation and rust to the headers being collected in the wrapping .

Up here in Canada the ceramic coating will cost me more than the headers are to buy. So this a budget based install.

Yes I'll be doing the install of the headers and the wrap, and my choice is the titanium lavarock wrap.

Car is 07 GT manual, with bolt ons, ultimate goal is supercharger over the winter.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

PS meaning Pacesetter headers? They offer them coated. I would not get the painted ones as the paint will start coming off after a few heat cycles. I have the coated Pacesetters but I live in the desert and corrosion is a non-issue. Either way if you are going with this brand get the coated ones. I think you can still get a coated pair with an OR H-pipe for under $600. I paid $525 for mine a few years ago.

Wrapping headers is not a must as they are designed to remove the heat from the engine bay quicker than manifolds. If you get dirt or moisture in the wrapping, corrosion issues may be worst. I've never wrapped headers in any of my cars. I did wrap some exhaust pipe that was heating my floor boards once but never the actual headers.

 

[ghunt81]

I would get ceramic coated headers, and paint them with high temp paint. Best of both worlds, also ceramic doesn't really do anything to prevent rust especially on mild steel headers.

Are the ceramic Pacesetters coated on the inside of the tubes as well?

 

[07 Boss]

I would get ceramic coated headers, and paint them with high temp paint. Best of both worlds, also ceramic doesn't really do anything to prevent rust especially on mild steel headers.

Are the ceramic Pacesetters coated on the inside of the tubes as well?

I would think the coating would help some. The only traces of rust that I have are where the ceramic has been scraped off or scratched. And I was really suggesting the coated ones in lieu of wrapping.

No, they are not coated on the inside, at least I don't remember them being that way. You shouldn't get too much condensation remaining in the actual headers though unless you do some extremely short trips.

For someone who drives it only in good weather, I'm not sure going stainless is a necessity, though preferable. I went with Pacesetter because I could, with little or no issues. Plus their primary size I believe was slightly larger than most of the other brands. Probably not needed for a mild NA build but I knew I was going with a blower eventually.

Depending on what your plans are with the car it may or may not be better to spend the money on stainless headers. But again it's more about your needs and what can cover those needs. My situation did not dictate me spending a G on headers and a mid pipe.

 

[ghunt81]

I would think the coating would help some. The only traces of rust that I have are where the ceramic has been scraped off or scratched. And I was really suggesting the coated ones in lieu of wrapping.

No, they are not coated on the inside, at least I don't remember them being that way. You shouldn't get too much condensation remaining in the actual headers though unless you do some extremely short trips.

Ceramic coating on headers is a porous coating. It helps some, but not as much as paint.

Also, I've heard (more than once) that mild steel headers usually rust out from the inside. I don't think it's an issue of condensation remaining as much as accelerated oxidation from the heat cycling, and then moisture that gets in after the car is shut off.

 

[Mustang dog]

I found this on line, and ended up ordering it. I'll paint the headers inside and out using their prep paint as well.

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-hi-temp-internal-exhaust-coating-w-nozzle.html

 

[ghunt81]

I have used that before. It works fairly well but holy shit is it messy. Prepare to have paint dripping out of your header tubes while you're using it. The "sprayer" is almost more like a 4-direction squirt nozzle because of that thick silver paint.

 

[Mustang dog]

I'm ok with messy, I am planning on spraying them inside and out,

Eastwood says this ok.