FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: MRadke on January 20, 2018, 12:17:14 PM
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I've seen a lot of talk about the benefits of ceramic coating headers. Is this something that must be sent to a commercial coater, or can it be done in a home shop or possibly a local powder coater. If it is something that must be sent out, what is the typical cost for a set of FPA headers?
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I've got a local shop that does mine. Their process goes like this. First, the headers are sandblasted, then they are sprayed with the ceramic powder from a powder coating gun. Then they are baked to adhere the powder coating onto the headers, and finally the headers are tumbled in a huge tumbler to shine them up.
No way I would try to duplicate that process at home. Check for a local coatings shop to get them done. I've also sent them to Jet-Hot with good results, although shipping gets kind of expensive.
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I had a pair of shorty headers for a 5.0 done by a powder coater in the Poconos about 5 years ago using same process as Jay described charged $180. That was about 5 years ago. The real expense for this operation was the oven. He was doing whole motorcycle frames. Expensive oven
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Make sure,.....that the company has good reviews on quality and reputation.
They need a guy that can spray any coating like a autobody painter.
My ceramic coated headers and sidepipes came with the kit from Lonestar Cobra's. The applicator and polisher sucked !
The orange peal was terrible, and everything was burnt off in 3 years. (the welding sucked too)
Pay extra for quality !
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You might want to try the Mad Scientist (http://madscientistcoating.com/), in upstate NY, not far from Syracuse. I used him to do the headers on my Comet about 5 years ago. I live like an hour away from his shop, so I took the headers down myself and dropped them off. He explained the whole process, how he'd sandblast and prep them, coat them, bake them and then polish them. Gave me a tour and showed me some of the cars he has. He told me 2-3 weeks for a turnaround time, it was just over 2 weeks. I'm very happy with the coating, it's held up very well, and looks good. It's shiny, almost like chrome. The coating really keeps the temperature down and makes a big difference in under-hood temperatures. He has a price list on his website, so you can see upfront what it'll cost. Hope this helps.
Dan
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A lil tidbit form my limited experience. Don't break the camshaft in with the headers. The excessive heat with dull the shiny finish.
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Thanks for the replies. There is a company in town that does contract work, including metal finishing, for Oshkosh Truck. I'll check with them on Monday.
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Yes, that is a known issue. One could use the OEM iron exhausts and some short pipe for a rather loud break-in, then swap in the headers.
A lil tidbit form my limited experience. Don't break the camshaft in with the headers. The excessive heat with dull the shiny finish.
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Yes, that is a known issue. One could use the OEM iron exhausts and some short pipe for a rather loud break-in, then swap in the headers.
A lil tidbit form my limited experience. Don't break the camshaft in with the headers. The excessive heat with dull the shiny finish.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, I plan on putting these on my otherwise stock 352 in place of the flat logs. If there is a really good reason not to install them, I would listen to that too.
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I know it is a known issue.... in my case it wasn't feasible to not break them in with the headers.....
I don't mind dull headers, but just wanted to make sure it was something the OP was aware of.
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A lil tidbit form my limited experience. Don't break the camshaft in with the headers. The excessive heat with dull the shiny finish.
You can limit the problem that this causes by making sure you have PLENTY of air moving through the engine compartment, but even more-so by advancing the timing a bit to keep exhaust temps down. Since the engine won't be under load, and limited to 2000-2500 rpms, it shouldn't cause any issues to advance it a few degrees. It makes a big difference.
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Thought that too Doug.
If I recall I ran the engine at 32degrees of advance and I had an old 36inch greenhouse fan blowing on the engine bay with the hood off.
It was south Georgia in July tho...... Didn't damage anything, just dulled the finish. Maybe it would have dulled anyway, I dunno.
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I got a quote for $250 for the pair. Does that sound reasonable? Also, these are going on a 70,000 mile engine, so no cam break in worries.
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What company is that ?
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Madison Powder Coating.
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That's about what I pay for a set.
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I had set done at a local Minnesota business ( New Image Coatings ) a little over a year ago, I just dug out the receipt, the price was $235, so it sounds like your quote is right in the ball park.
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I got a quote for $250 for the pair. Does that sound reasonable? Also, these are going on a 70,000 mile engine, so no cam break in worries.
$275 locally for the shiny stuff, $175 for the bronze looking coating. I picked that cheaper for the dragster headers and it looks good to me.
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I just remembered.On a Mustang i had i
had the headers, Dont Know the English
namn for it but, they sprayed them with
molten Aluminium that bonded to the steel
They looked like cast aluminium and held
up fine for the couple Of years i had it
That was in the early 80s when no one
had heard about ceramic coating
Thats the metod the germans used in the
first jet engines when they was unable to
make an aloy that could take the heat in
jet exhaust
I think the alu layer was thick enough to sand
smoth and polish
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Sounds like the coating the Blackjack Aluma-Kote AK5000 headers had I bought in 1978 for my ‘68 Cougar. It was sprayed on, had a cast look pebbled finish. Held up pretty good. They were almost twice the price of normal headers at the time. I couldn’t find a magazine ad quickly, but found this:
(https://s5.postimg.org/5n01u7dd3/DB1_B13_CF-_CB02-4704-81_A7-6_E2_EA501_B79_F.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/ly05qipur/)
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Sounds like thats the same coating. I have to try
to find the company that sprayed my headers
To spray my cast shorty headers but 35-40
years ago..... probably went under like all other
Usefull buissneses in this country
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Did any of you have a worn off ceramic coating that they blasted off the and resprayed them ?
Mine headers and ceramic coated were made in 2000, and worn off in 4 years. I would hate to make or pay for new one's.
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I had a set of used Hookers in my drag car coated by Jet Hot, then more than 10 years later when I had the engine out to freshen we had to modify them a little. The coating wasn’t too bad, but showing it’s age. I called Jet Hot and they coated them again for free ( I paid shipping ). I explained to them they hadn’t been new to begin with, nor was I unhappy, but they still said one re-coating would be free. They held up pretty good again for quite a few years until I accidentally bent one in an unfortunate trailer incident and I replaced them. I had a couple other sets of headers, and a couple sets of long cast 427 manifolds coated by Jet Hot and was happy, but since then people have reported Jet Hot has been sold and their quality and customer service have not been good, so I decided to try a local company that had good word of mouth this last time. Short answer, yes they were able to remove the old coating & re-coat them.
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Wonderful.
Too bad they sold a good company to whom people that don't care abour customer care.
My wife's employer sold out to a company that's all about money than people. Sad....
What did Jet Hot charge you for the headers and how long ago ?
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Trail Coatings in Papillion NE just did a set for a 67 GTO I was working on, 250.00. He does a real nice job too
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Years ago, he worked at the business in Waverly, then started his own business. I spoked with him at a car show.
But I picked the Waverly coat a few parts because he is closer to me, once the other guy found out, he said go somewhere else !
I think he wanted my 427 Cobra for advertisment.
But, I'll contact him as it's been like, 12 years. Lol....
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I forgot about that guy in Waverly, yes Josh used to work for him years ago. I had them do a set in 2001 or so, they did a great job too
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I have a set of 2V 35C headers that were Jet Hot coated. They are rusted to hell. Buyer beware.
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Yep, Josh. Were yours new or did they blast used ones and apply a new coating ?
Falcon67, really ! ?
Do you know why ?
Did you contact them ?
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I dropped the headers off at the coater on the 14th. I'll try to post some pictures when they are done. Thanks to all for the advice.
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Jet Hot did a new set for me 6 years ago. They have a lot of small rust spots showing up. Street car with about 3k miles.
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Local shop here did mine several years ago and I think it was $400.00. They charge by the piece though. A couple tubes got dull fairly quickly but the coating can sure take a beating. (literally)
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I have Hooker Comp headers on the SBF in my '70 Mach 1. The coating which I guess Hooker did in-house looks amazingly identical to Jet-Hot's method. They have held up very well for many thousands of miles in the good weather drives. I'm convinced that buying new headers already coated is superior to re-coating older pipes. Compared to uncoated headers, the reduction in under-hood heat is another major benefit.