I know this has been asked before, but can someone make it a little more clear? I bought ceramic coated headers instead of stainless steel...was this a mistake? Will I need to replace the headers later? Which ones have better performance gains?

Hockeyplay95

 

please, not all at once!

Hockeyplay95

 

I think you should be fine. Ceramic coating is applied on the inside and outside of mild steel. The coating actually works quite well to retain heat and stay looking new longer than stainless or non-coated headers. However, since it's mild steel, it's still subject to rust. I think they always tend to lose the coating after time and rust out though. Low quality headers especially.

Stainless steel headers provide a smooth surface for the quickest possible airflow. They usually are shiny when new, but don't expect that to last. 304 stainless steel will never rust, but will take on a dull, almost brownish tone and maintain that tone for the life of the headers. But they should last the life of the vehicle. That's why people go for SS more frequently.

 

Please help me understand. How can mild steel rust if the ceramic coating is intact? No oxygen, no corrosion - right? I've had several jet hot coated components for 5 years without noticing any "rust"... at least on the outside.

 

If the coating is intact it will not rust. I just posted my oppinion on coated headers that i've had experience with (honda headers for civics, GSR's with cheap coatings like header paint or imitatation coating similiar to JetHot- not JetHot itself). From what I saw overtime (3 years) the coating faded and surface rust appeared.

I've never had experience with JetHot components (just read & researched about them) but when I buy headers I actually plan to have them JetHot coated as well

They already quoted me $195+sh and $25 more for Jet Hot 2000.

 

you can always buy stainless headers and get them coated

 

the coated mild steel headers will last alot longer than you are likely to keep your G. Additionally, the steel has better noise management properties over stainless.

 

Quadcam.......can you explain "noise management properties" please?

 

usually the steel pipes are less raspy than stainless.

 

i assume you're speaking from experience? do you have any thoughts on why?

 

im going with mild steel headers for my car , just for the fact that ss will crack like mild steel but its harder to weld ss. you have to chamber the the ss header and feef it gas on the inside . i can do it but i charge allot . so its easier to weld mild steel. and no they dont coat the inside of the headers THEY ONLY COAT THE OUTSIDE

 

i've heard cc header are more likely to crack...

 

it looks like your doing a header back all at once. probably spending a good amount between the purchase and the install.

i did the same, and when i look back at all the money i spent on bolt ons, wheels and tires, for the same amount of money i could of been putting out much better numbers with a vortech. (and would of had a sleeper)

 

soad is correct.....the ceramic coat is adhered to a roughened surface ("sand" blasted), so if a company says it will coat the inside, it will flake off over time....but they can apply the ceramic coat inside about 2 inches or so on each end of the pipes...as far as they can reach with the "sand" blaster......therefore the inside of the header of a mild steel material is more susceptable to corrosion than the stainless steel.....but i would bet it will outlast the owner IMO.

I dont understand the comments on SS vs CS and cracking or difficulty in welding....if the headers are made from 304SS (most I have seen are...) which has excellent weldability by all standard fusion methods, both with and without filler metals. Heavy welded sections in 304SS may require post-weld annealing for maximum corrosion resistance.

304 SS cannot be hardened by thermal treatment so if they crack, the cause should not be from heat, but rather a weak design (mechanical stress exceeding the yield stress of the material), poor welds, or corrosion (stress corrosion cracking).