Exhaust Manifold / Downpipe paint

[salty_monk]

Any recommendations on paint & prep?

The stuff that's on the one on my skunk is starting to flake off at the top curve already. No idea what it was painted with as it came that way....

I have to do an oil change before Yosemite so they have to come off anyway so I'll give them a blow over then....



Cheers,

Dan

[buttonhook]

I know they make a spray paint that will take like 1000-2000 degrees just check your autoparts store. It has ceramics in it??? don't ask me how? It does come in different colors as well.

[NetBSD]

any engine/header paint that will hold 2,000F will work just fine, i used to do this on my 78 f150 with headers and never had it flake

[salty_monk]

Any special prep or just a run some 800 grit or so paper over them??

I'm guessing someone has hit these with case paint or something.....

Dan

[NetBSD]

id just run over them with some sandpaper or a wirewheel. i dunno what kinda finish you have on those pipes now so i dunno. maybe get them sand blasted, thats what im doing at a local shop for $30

[Craiger]

I used a high temp 1200 degree Rustoleum semi-gloss I found at Wal-Mart for around $6 a can. I used about two cans (or about 13 coats).

I had my Dad sandblast mine, but they were previously coated with a nice rusty finish....so they were cleaned down to bare metal. I doubt yours will need that type of prep, so a light sanding might be good. If you do sand, it might be good to clean them before painting to get any residue off.

One tip....use some of those thin rubber gloves you can get in a pack of 12 (cleaning section of the store) for about $2.00. I've been told the oils from our hands will stick to the pipes and cause them to stain when they heat up.

Here's how mine turned out.

[salty_monk]

Nice... like the satin!

I just got a matt one today... VTT with Ceramic... good to 1300F or something.

As I've got it I'll give it a go but that Rustoleum satin will be next! I was expecting to have to do them once a season but not once a month!!

Dan

[Craiger]

Yeah, I really like how mine turned out (they blend more with the frame having the semi-gloss finish). I painted them from the header mounts all the way to the muffler (where the shine is more evident in the pic I posted).

As I have to remove them for an oil change, I can keep a close eye on their condition.