DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Anybody tried Eastwood's do-it-yourself- ceramic coatings for headers and exhausts? I sent away for it and they sent me a 4 Oz can of this stuff. Is that enough to coat a set of SBC Heddman hedders? Headers are temporarily off the 350 V8 in my '71 GMC Jimmy. They are used -- ran on the same engine for about 9 years already --worked good. I'm going to airbrush on this ceramic stuff [thinly, I guess], let it dry 24 hours, then bake the pair of headers in an old electric range @ 500*F for 1 hour. After they've cooled, I intend on wrapping them with this tan [called "white"] hotrod shop 2" hi-temp tape. Hoping my starter/solenoid won't cook off anymore.
:devil::gmc2:

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

it doesn't sound like enough to do the job but let us know how it works out!

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

I tried calling their tech line, but it was too late on a Friday afternoon. I'll try Monday. My hedders should be done by the sandblasters by then.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

D@mn! I got my callback from the techline guy at Tech Line Coatings and he said 4 Oz definately wouldn't cover a pair of 350 SBC full-size long-tube headers. He recommended 6 Oz. That would mean I'd have to order another 4 Oz can of the stuff from Eastwood at 24.95 a pop plus 8.95 S&H for about another $34! :no:
I'm not so sure it's worth it. As an alternative, I'm looking at VHT spray paint at $10 a can. That VHT Cast Iron Gray in Hi-temp was sprayed on the 25 year old Clifford headers on the 292 L6 in my orange stepside. Three and a half years later, it's just starting to burn off in spots, but looks good for its age. Also a buddy recommended POR-15's high temp header coatings, at a pint (?) can for $25 [before shipping.]
What bugs me is that the headers came out of the sandblaster's shop today looking good and real clean. If I'd had the right stuff and enough of it I could be shooting it on tomorrow. Now I gotta wait for more mail order, and that hangs my project up again. There ain't no justice.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

I have no experience with this stuff, so I cant tell you directly - But im pretty doubtful of any type of high heat motor paint- ESPECIALLY if the headers are covered. Your best bet is going to be just shipping them off to jet-hot and have them coat them. Its pricey, but at least it will last.

I dont recommend people use header wraps on a DD. If moisture gets trapped inside, they will rust the **** out of your headers while you have no idea its happening.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Well I talked with Eastwood's customer service guy today, they agreed to ship for free if I bought another 4 Oz can. So I'm waiting for that. It' s cheaper than sending it back and starting over with POR-15 stuff from Paddock.
I didn't know my Heddmans were lifetime guaranteed until I moved some junk around my workshed. They went on in '99. As far as rust, here in Tucson, I'm still running some 1978 vintage Clifford Research headers on my 292 L6 in the '68 stepside. After running them for 25 years, I had them hot-tanked, and bead blasted and then spray painted w/ VHT NuCast gray 1400* -- after 3 years on the road, they still look good. Headers don't rust here. I'm still inclined to wrap the SBC tubes, just to see what happens. Will it be much cooler under the hood? Will it make my 350 go more faster? Who knows?
But I haven't opened the 100' roll of faux-asbestos wrap. Just in case.
As far as JetHot and other places -- I loved their video and was about to shell out their $300 when I was rebuilding the 292. But when they said they didn't like to coat used headers because they couldn't guarantee them, I decided $15 or $20 with a spray can could do just as well.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

the wrap will keep thinks a little cooler but I think that would hold moisture in and make the hedders rust!

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Why not buy a mini starter? Jet Hot coated a set of used Hooker Super comp headers for my Chevelle, just got them back a few weeks ago. $280.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Jet Hot does it for about $300. I'm spending $50 for 8 Oz of the ceramic paint and $30 to the sandblaster guy. I'm gonna bake the headers in my Mom's old Hotpoint range (free). That leaves me $220 to wisely invest in broads and beer.
As far as the mini starter -- I prefer to keep it stock. I have a lifetime warranty with Checker Auto. So I now have a fresh starter on which I will install the Accel HiTork solenoid [US made] and I will also route the wiring thru a Ford-style remote solenoid on the passenger-side inside fender wall. I also have a soft heat shield to wrap around the starter/solenoid assembly. I used to use the Mr.Gasket 2-sided aluminum heat shield on a '67 K/10 Sub w/454, but it wouldn't fit the SBC in the K/5 with the Heddman headers.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

OK. Eastwood sent me another 4 Oz can of the black Techline stuff [with free shipping]. Today I hooked up a 220 outlet and swapped the 3' pigtail for a 6' unit. Test and checked the old Hotpoint. System checked good. Now I gotta borrow my buddy's compressor so I can airbrush this gak on.
Stay tuned.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

How did it turn out? I know from experience that using the airbrush for headers can be fun on the fingers ;) I was going to use the Techline coating so I'm interested to see how it looks.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

I haven't shot the headers yet. I have the Hotpoint range hooked up, borrowed my buddy's compressor, got the 30 weight non-detergent oil for it. I just have to get the acetone to clean the airbrush with. Anyday now.
Today I wired in the ford-style remote solenoid. It worked!

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Keep us updated :)

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Well I shot the headers today. After a few problems with the compressor and the airbrush set-up, I got some good saturation on both headers. Then, with the last of the can, I noticed some sludge in the bottom of the can. So I shook it and stirred it up and thinned with a little acetone and shot this on the headers. Not sure if I didn't screw the pooch by not getting the ceramic particulates into solution early enough, but we'll see after I bake the set. The last vial-full kept jamming the little airbrush action.
One note, 4 Oz is enough for both the full tube headers. So I still have an unopened can. On this can I noticed they had printed SHAKE AND STIR in big red letters. The label was different from the first can.
Oh well.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Shot another couple coats on the headers Saturday. I had missed a few spots the first time.
Saturday, I reshot another coat. I noticed some thin and bare spots on the underside that I missed the first time. This time it came out good and I shot a good mix by dropping a 3/8 ball bearing in the can and using that to agitate the paint.
So 4 Oz would've covered it but since I had another can I used two ounces more.
Also the bottom of the right side unit got scratched when I checked for fit with the starter on. Apparently the starter has to be out of the way to mount the header.

Tomorrow I will bake them at 500* for an hour.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

You can't do any worse than Jet-Hot or HPC.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Dude, not to rain on your parade, because that sounds like it will work and help out, along with helping a bunch of otehr things, but run a starter heat shield. You would be surprised how well a well bent piece of tin bolted under the starter will help.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Been there, done that.
I tried to mount the Mr Gasket starter shield that I used to have on the BBC in my '67 K/10 Sub -- it wouldn't fit the 350 with the headers in place. Not enough room. So I tried the soft aluminum/ insulated wrap-around heat shield. It fit, but possibly held the heat in.

Anyway I pulled the headers out of the oven a day after baking them. There was some ugly bubbling that ran off and gathered on the under side. Unsure what it was. Now we know why Jet Hot charges so much. They can afford to re-sandblast, re-paint and re-bake to turn out a professional looking product. I decided that if the Pharoah had leprosy, wrapping him up like a mummy would hide it for 3000 years. No one will ever know.
So I wrapped the headers in 2" tape. Jeez, what itchy stuff!
But they look good.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Mummified headers.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

So they didn't really turn out? Any pics?

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Sorry no pix. I can't get the dial-up ISP to upload digital pictures. I can't even send jpeg email. I bought a digital cam but don't know how to use it. I was also too impatient to document with photographs. And my press agent took the year off.
Overall they are useable just not show quality. I don't know what caused the runs. Impurities? Skin oil? Frame grease? Old ham or turkey fat from the Mom-surplus oven? Bake too long? :metal:
This was my first try at ceramic coating.
Techline has some more interesting colors than just Satin Black and "Stainless" Silver [with a can of polish]. They said they also have titanium and gunmetal. And they're 5$ cheaper from the factory than from eastwood.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

check this place out.they will ceramicoat sbc headers for $100.00 and do a very nice job
http://www.metzcon.com/affordable/

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

Thanks, but I am satisfied with my Eastwood Techline DIY ceramic coated Headman headers. I've been running them for a year and a half and they are OK. With the headers wrapped, the sound is way muffled. The lower frequency vibrations are there, but below the human ear range. It sounds like a mean cadillac. Since I'm in Tucson, I don't worry about rust-out.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

So it sounds like everything have turned out the way you wanted it too in the end.

Congrats!

Eastwood Company has some very high quality parts and as you found out very good tech support about their products as well.

Re: DIY Ceramic Header Coating
 

That was pretty cool that they waved shipping on the second can. They didn't have to do that.