Ceramic or Jet Coated stock manifolds?

[5speedz34]

I really really really need to get my car running. I picked up a set of stock manifolds from another member on here. I'm going to get them ceramic or Jet coated.

First question: Since these are just stock manifolds should I just get them ceramic coated? I really don't know much about either ceramic or jet coating; but I would think Jet coating is more for headers and costs more $$$. I'm just looking for something to help get my car running until I eventually make a new set of headers.

Second Question: Do I put the stock head shielding back on? Also, do I get the crossover coated? If so I would have to take off the stock heatshielding yes? Secondly, would I reattach it?

Thanks guys!

[bszopi]

Jet-Hot coating is just a ceramic coating by the company Jet-Hot. Just like Airborne, etc... Would it be worth the $$? It really depends... It will make it look nice, and will help keep the heat inside the manifolds, therefore helping out exhaust gas velocity some. Yes, you would want to do the crossover as well. And no, you probably wouldn't want to put the heat shields back on. I mean, you could, but you just paid $$ to make them look pretty, why would you want to cover them back up?

[patgizz]

tony,

jet-hot is just a name brand of ceramic coating. same thing. it will help somewhat to lower underhood temps as well as keep them from rusting and looking ugly. if you're doing the manifolds, do the crossover too. yes the heat shields need to come off it, and i'd put them back on the crossover. i ran sans manifold heat shields though with no problems.

[5speedz34]

OK UPDATE:

I talked to my powder coater, because last time I got some stuff done he said he was going to be ceramic coating soon. He said he got some stuff but it wasn't "real" ceramic and he didn't like it.

He told me if I want to ceramic coat my manifolds that I should get them done the right way. This entails as this:

The piece gets dropped into a pool of ceramic coating, so to get all parts inside and out ceramic coated. Once baked the piece is covered in "ash." This ash is the ceramic actually cooking through. The piece is put into a vibrator and then that causes it to be polished.

The guys around here will just spray on a ceramic coating much the same way that they do powdercoating. He says he knows of 4 places in the U.S. that do it the right way, and he also knows of a very reasonable guy in Indiana that does it also. He stated most people running a nice set of headers will get this done and spend close to $1000 to get this coating put on.

He told me he could put on a powder coat that is resistant up to 1400*. The price for that is $100-200 not counting the cost of getting them media blasted or sand blasted.

I don't know anything about ceramic coating or powder coating really for that matter. Does this sound right? I'm I be taken for a sucker? This just seems expensive for some reason.

Either way I'll get them cleaned to get the carbon out. But do I want to spend that much, if I'm going to go to a set of well made headers? No. I don't think so.

I'm hoping Ben will chime in since he had ceramic coating on his manifolds. I'm curious to see how much he spent and whether or not its worth it.

[SappySE107]

I got a guy that can do it as well. Still haven't got pricing from him but id bet he is cheaper than 200 bucks to coat them. It would be sprayed but the way chris told me it would work is to coat them twice. Chris coated mine but 1 coat and the rust came through it. I wouldn't spend 200 bucks on coating stock manifolds though. Heat shields are cheaper:P Besides, use that money to fix your headers.

[sharkey]

my headers cost me $160 to get em coated. the coating was sprayed on, and they look great. well except for when i got them back and found a crack in one primary that i had to grind off and weld.

[5speedz34]

Has anyone heard that the right way is to get the dipped?

Like I said I might just clean them up and call it a day.

[CNCguy]

Has anyone heard that the right way is to get the dipped?

Like I said I might just clean them up and call it a day.

I had my headers ceramic coated at AFI http://www.aestheticfinishers.com/index.htm in Troy, OH. They dip, bake and tumble them so the ceramic is inside as well as outside. I believe that it cost $175 for the silver finish on mine. They aslo offer a black finish that has a higher temp rating for turbo apps but most people seem to get the "chrome" finish. I have a customer thats got the silver finish and it still looks great after 4 years.

[5speedz34]

I had my headers ceramic coated at AFI http://www.aestheticfinishers.com/index.htm in Troy, OH. They dip, bake and tumble them so the ceramic is inside as well as outside. I believe that it cost $175 for the silver finish on mine. They aslo offer a black finish that has a higher temp rating for turbo apps but most people seem to get the "chrome" finish. I have a customer thats got the silver finish and it still looks great after 4 years.

$175 for everything?!!!!!

HOLY SHIT!

[CNCguy]

$175 for everything?!!!!!

HOLY SHIT!

Yeah... Jet Hot is higher but no where near $1000 to coat a set of headers.

Also, I dropped mine off and picked them back up 3 days later.

Heres a pic of mine after coating.

[timg]

Anything with a silver finish will dull with time. I have HPC coated manifolds on my Monte. They are ok, but I think of 98% of the ceramic coatings out there as appearance only coatings- NOT thermal coatings. I will probably never go for a silver finish 'thermal' coating again. I have used Swain Tech's coatings and they were fantastic. If I can, that is the coating I plan to use on all of my future setups.

http://www.swaintech.com/store.asp?pid=10539

Tim

[5speedz34]

I had my headers ceramic coated at AFI http://www.aestheticfinishers.com/index.htm in Troy, OH. They dip, bake and tumble them so the ceramic is inside as well as outside. I believe that it cost $175 for the silver finish on mine. They aslo offer a black finish that has a higher temp rating for turbo apps but most people seem to get the "chrome" finish. I have a customer thats got the silver finish and it still looks great after 4 years.

Well, I'm going to keep that in mind. But for now I think I'm just going to get them sand blasted and call it a day.

[5speedz34]

Haven't had the time to mess with this project to much since my truck blew a set of intake gaskets the weekend before last.

[BlueFlame]

While we are on the subject of exhaust, what sort of upgrades are the best for my 94 GTP? Does anybody make a good set of headers for the 3.4 or s it not even worth the hassle? How are the cats/mufflers on these exhausts? Helpful hints?

[El_Diablo]

i would also highly recomend swain coatings