Recently I've been researching getting some parts high temp ceramic coated for my turbo build. Found a few local places in CT that can do it There are a number of different coatings on the market currently that range in thickness as well as price. Some are more of a paint on while others are baked on. I know recently 1foxbody had his comptech headers ceramic coated but any one else have any input, tips, advice on this topic?

Coating companies:

Swaintech
Jethot


Finishes:

Chrome
titanium
aluminum
iron
black
gold


This would be a good informational thread on the topic so feel free to chime in

 

I have done extensive research in this department. Though ceramic coating does reduce heat from exhaust components, it's nowhere nearly as effective as combining both wrap and shielding. The ultimate would be wrap and shielding while using ceramic on the inside of the exhaust components. I've experimented with ceramic coating alone, wrap alone, shielding alone, and then eventually combinations and this has been my results.

I steer away from fiberglass wraps and use either ceramic woven wools which are prone to moisture damage (but has the best insulating qualities) or lava wrap which is extremely durable.

For shielding, I use VW or Audi's oem heat shielding that's basically ceramic embedded aluminized steel that's able to be reformed very easily or you can use an aftermarket heat shield such as ACL which is an Austrian based company. The oem heat shielding can be easily found used on eBay and them shaped/cut to your liking. I've seen many other oem heat shields of high standards in other car manufacturers such as Jaguar (possibly uses ACL), Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Mini, Ferrari ($), Lamborghini ($$$), as well as many others. Not all of them use the embossed textured material on all models or shielding placement on the vehicle so pay attention when ordering.

Check out my build thread in my sig and you can see what I've done on my turbo manifolds. You will have to go back a few months in the thread but there's a lot there about it.

 

I am not that big a fan of wraps.

I also have done some research and posted about it in my thread.

The only ceramic exhaust coating I would trust is Swaintech's white lightning coating. It is a real performance coating unlike most coatings which are just cosmetic. Their coating is .015" thick where as most coatings are .002" thick.

I got my headers coated but have not installed them yet. I paid around $350 for the coating including shipping back.

Here is a pic


I will also point out I have my runners and IM coated also. I have my intake tube wrapped in gold heat reflective tape. I also have thermal gaskets and mugen thermo and fan switch. I can already hold my hand on my IM as long as I want even after driving for 3 hours. It should be even cooler after the header install. I am just N/A though so don't have to deal with the excessive turbo heat.

 

how much to get your foot coated?

 

Beat me to it justin

 

Lmao, x2

 

Hehe as soon as I posted the pic I knew that was coming. I almost posted it first but I let you have the fun.

Those are my fancy toe'd socks that I like wearing.

 

Does being a manikin pay well?

 

The reason that using an insulating wrap and shield is much more effective to reducing heat transfer is primarily due to the air gap the wrapping material creates between the shield and the exhaust component. Ceramic coatings are great for racing where every last ounce makes a difference but on a street car, you can compound materials to increase effectiveness. I've monitored heat on my turbo manifold between ceramic coating and the wrap/shielding combo and the difference was several hundred degrees which came out to some 40% better in effectiveness. Apples to oranges IMO....

 

an arm and a leg.

 

Reminds me of those japanese robot manikin's. Those are expensive.

 

Great info guys....Sounds like i started a debate haha

Regarding engine heat management at least we can all agree that it is an effective mod shall we say, which ever route you go with. Whether your turboed or not a cooler engine bay has numerous benefits.

It comes down to price vs performance



Coating: $400+ for (downpipe,headers)

or

Wrap/oem shields: $200 or less



I like the look and simplicity of coatings but not the price, however wrap+shields is more affordable...........hmm decisions, decisions

 

As Brian6speed mentioned, the White Lightning is THE best due to their coating process and material thickness. Yes, it is expensive. And if you have money, it's the easy way out...though not the best choice. They are an industry leader and I know for a fact they do most of the Formula 1 cars which says a lot about them.

But why not invest more time and less money into the other method which is nearly twice the effectiveness? If you are a DIY'er, it's an easy decision IMO.

Really all comes down to if you prefer function over form.

 

Just wondering, is it worth insulating the exhaust beyond the headers? Would the benefits be worth more than marginal HP?

 

It's worth is all dependent on the application IMO. In the typical street build, even most track cars, going any further than the engine compartment will not justifiable in regards to the advantages one will yield.

The primary reason most do this is obviously for the reduction of heat in the engine compartment. Some may even involve the reason of faster spool times (turbo applications). The thing is, when the exhaust system is wrapped, it also helps aid in the evacuation of exhaust gases because hot air is less dense than cooler air and flows more easily. When the exhaust tubing isn't insulated, the heat begins to transfer at a higher rate of speed to the air around it. So if your exhaust system is wrapped to the j-pipe on up, the remainder of the system begins to dissipate heat and thereby killing any power gains associated with the heat loss beyond that point.

So yes, there's a gain to be had from insulating but it's minimal and probably won't even be noticed (or missed) if you didn't do it at all.

 

How about the gain of that warm fuzzy feeling you get in your tummy when you give your CL an upgrade

 

Hey yungone501

Checked out your build thread, I like the way your heat shield looks that you made out of the mercedes OEM stuff. It almost looks like its a fabric and not so stiff. Can you point me in the direction of that particular one you got.