I'm replacing my super rusty flowtech headers with some not so rust hooker comps. They're obviously used but still have plenty of good metal. They're being sandblasted right now.

The plan is to paint them and then wrap them up in thermal tape. I'm planning on using VHT paint.

I keep hearing that you have to burn header paint in by running them on the engine and letting them smoke off.

Does anyone have experience with this stuff?

Am I going to have to install them twice? Once to burn them in and once to wrap them up.

there may be differing opinions here (of course) but everything I've read says not to wrap headers because they will burn up in no time... every manufacturer says the warranty is voided if wrapped...

Wrapping is a short term fix to a serious underhood heat problem but will overheat the metal. They can be ceramic coated after blasting if there is a coating shop nearby. Done right it will greatly reduce heat and protect the steel.

I have done a couple of sets of headers and I Start it and when it first starts to smoke I shut it down and let it cool the next time it will smoke a little further on the tube and shut it down and repeat until you reach the end of the tubes . Takes a while but it worked for me.

I just sanded mine down and painted with grill paint. I had them on when I broke in my motor and the smoke eventually went away. It was scary at first, because I wasn't sure why so much smoke.
Jim

I used the VHT primer and paint on my wifes car. It'll smoke for a while untill it's cured.

Not sure I'm real happy with it though. Hasn't been on that long and already it looks like it's rusting through in a few spots. Might be the headers fualt though. They were well used when I got them and I blasted them before I painted them.


I think next time I'm gonna use the stuff Eastwood sells. Been hearing some good feadback for some of the guys here that usd it.

I get them as mechanically clean as I can - blast, sand, wire wheel, whatever, then clean them several times with laquer thinner. After spraying, I hang them from the port flanges and point a heat gun into the collector and let it run for about an hour, then into each port for about 15min each to "pre-cook" them before I install. It helps a lot with the smoke from startup.

Painting is very short term, painting and wrapping will speed up the paint breakdown process and then heat fatique the header.

Ceramic coating inside and out is the best longest term solution.

Painting is very short term, painting and wrapping will speed up the paint breakdown process and then heat fatique the header.

Ceramic coating inside and out is the best longest term solution.

I have used a propane torch to warm the headers up before painting them. It seems to make the paint grab hold of the steel a little better.

If you have insanely hot header temps and the paint keeps burning off of them you might want to look at the rest of your exhaust system and make sure it's not too restrictive.

Consider taking one of the tubes and giving it a thin coating of the silver colored 'Never-Seize' paste normally used on high temperature torqued threads, and then wrap that tube in a Thermo-Tech like insulating tape.

After hours of hot operation it is possible the Never-Seize will give better protection against oxidation than the VHT paint.