You'll want to get the really high temp 1200 degree stuff, I doubt the 500 degree will cut it. But it's ALL in the prep work. Have them sand blasted so they are completely clean of any rust, old paint, anything. From there you'll want to work quickly so they don't flash rust. Get a quart of Acetone and some shop towels and keep cleaning them until nothing is coming off on the towels anymore. They have to be very clean. Wear some rubber gloves so the oils from your hands don't get on them either. Paint per the instructions on the can, 3-5 light coats with about 5-10 minutes between coats, IIRC. Then the final trick is to bake the paint on after it's dried for an hour or so. I used an old kerosene stand up shop heater that had a convenient grate over the top, but basically you want to get them over 300 degrees for about an hour or two. You can just install them and use the engine heat to bake them, but it's a pain installing them without scratching the paint off. Once it's baked on, the paint is a lot more durable. I used this method on the exhaust manifold on my Charger, which has now been in three different cars over five years and still looks suprisingly good. Not perfect, but these manifolds can see in excess of 1400 degrees under boost. I also use the same method on every engine part I paint, and the results are fantastic.
My Duplicolor high heat paint lasted all of 3 minutes on the primary tubes of my headers. Its still on the collectors though.
Hey all- I bought a can of dupli-color chrome spray paint- not high heat or anything... and not for anything on my car, but I was impressed by how nice it came out... so I "tested" it... I sprayed an old rusty piece of exhaust pipe after sanding it smooth, let it dry overnight, and the next day I held a MAPP gas torch to it for like 5 minutes straight, until there was smoke coming out the top of the pipe, and the un-painted parts were starting to glow... and the paint did not flake, burn, or crack in ANY WAY! I don't know what I did wrong/right but DAMN! :shock: It really blew my mind that it held up... I don't know what the burning temperature of a MAPP gas torch is, but I'm sure its a few times what a header would see...o No: Just my $0.02... :grin: If I'm right that this stuff would hold up under the hood... I might just have to paint some stuff chrome... err... wannabe chrome lol.
hmm yeah you're right... but I'm still wondering how that duplicolor chrome held up with a mapp gas torch held to it... o No: Maybe I'll try painting my headers with that and see if it lasts... or how long it does... :idea2:
