Paint headers question

[Tuggy24g]

When ever I do a search for header paint they are all spray can. I was wondering if there was a company that you could brush on instead of painting on. My headers are in my car already and wanted to put a coat of paint on them to make them look better, but with a spray can will make a total mess.

 

[Fox80]

Check Eastwood I think they make header/manifold paint in quart cans

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Tremclad makes a high heat brush on paint.I used it on my old headers and it worked pretty good,needs to be stirred really good before use.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3 ... ?locale=en
Guy

 

[khan0165]

here's a post about how I re-painted my headers. I used a KBS product, it's a brush-on high heat paint. I've detailed how I prep'd the metal and how I applied the paint.
before using this product, I had only heard good things about VHT header paint. But I had also heard bad things too.
In my experience, the brush-on method was not successful. It was far more time consuming than spray-on, and it started to flake off almost immediately after the first engine run. I've heard the same about spray-on paints as well... So I think it's a crap-chute either way.

there was one week where I spent a few evenings and the weekend working on my headers.

here's how they started

I got some quotes for sand blasting... $150 was the cheapest :shock: so onto plan B
I spent a few evenings with a wire wheel on my drill and buffed out all the rust I could get to

then I found this product called RustBlast from KBS, that I had seen G-Body_Vet use on his fenders and other components, and I thought I'd give this a try.

I did two treatments, just for peace of mind. Here's how they turned out

it works well, it lifts the rust right off the metal. But I found for rusty parts, it would be more effective to keep a small wire brush and scrape the rust off as the chemical lifts it away. You'll have a cleaner result this way than I did without.

KBS also makes high heat header paints which I thought I'd try. When I asked for a couple of spray cans, the dealer was out of stock and said their brush-on paint is far more popular. I had my doubts, but he convinced me to use it. And I wish I hadn't listened... hated every minute of it.

it's a good paint, applies very nicely, levels evenly, but it's a PITA using a brush on headers... looks like a monkey painted it. You have to spend alot more time and place attention to detail if you want them to look nice with the brush paint.

I spent alot of time and a few finishing coats to get a nice application pattern like this

and I borrowed a heat gun from work to cure the paint

 

[liquidh8]

Nice post, KBS and Eastwood are ones I have seen.

 

[khan0165]

after some experimenting, I guess my conclusion is; you just can't beat the factory paint quality at a reasonable price. At the manufacturing process, they are chemical dipped to remove all grease and residue, and then electrically painted, the paint bonds well and hold's it's age. I've heard basically all aftermarket high-heat or exhausts paints flake or chip off after a short while, even VHT 1500 deg paint. (The KBS I used was 1700 deg)

Ideally you'd want them ceramic coated, but that's costly. And it's hard to clean and prep them well enough for paint at home. Maybe you can hussle a local machine shop for a hot-tank dip, but then you gotta get them painted quickly before rust starts.

I've seen people wrap them with negative results as well, especially in humid climates like here. It's not long before the paint underneath the wrap flakes off, the wrap absorbs moisture and rotts your headers inside out.

... it's all a crap chute!

 

[pontiacgp]

headers rot from inside out, that's why if your going to spend money on a ceramic coating then do the inside as well