Header Coatings Revisited

[JakeL]

Hi all -

I posted this on the DSR forum as well, but I wanted to see if the greater body of folks had anything to add here, too. The car in question is a Stohr DSR.

I thought I'd see if there was any new or updated experiences to relay in terms of having header coatings, since the searches I've done here and on the DSR forum.

I'm looking to help reduce under-deck temperatures, and reduce risk of blown-engine-oil-fires. Also have a few bits with very close header clearance that I'm sure wouldn't mind being a little less toasty.

I have some experience with Jet-Hot, and what I read here seemed to indicate the Jet-Hot 2000 might be necessary for the temps we'll see, but was curious if perhaps their "Extreme Sterling" (1700*) might also do the trick?

Thanks for any additional thoughts or advice!

Cheers,

-Jake

[Craig Henry]

Hi Jake,

You might give Swain Technology a call and see what they recommend. I had an interesting chat with Daniel Brown, President (Ceramic Engineer), several years back at a trade show and was impressed. He also is involved with SCCA rallies and the "One Lap" crowd so he has knowledge about our cars and racing.

Craig

http://www.swaintech.com/

[S Lathrop]

One thing to remember about coatings is that they will help retain the heat in the tubing material itself. Increasing the operating temperatures of the headers does nothing for longevity. Also they make repairs of the headers nearly impossible.

A better approach is to use heat shields and circulate air under the shields. You could use a small duct to by pass some radiator air and direct it to the headers. Also think about where the hot air can be exhausted for the headers.

Look at pictures of the turbo installations on older Indy cars.

[ReynardF1000]

I have coated 304 SS exhaust inside and out with no problems. I do my best to keep the exhaust heat controlled with non-touching insulation around the header 'cluster' and allow natural convection to take place around the 'cluster'. Cooler exhaust gasses have less energy for 'pulling/sucking' intake charge during valve overlap.