Has anyone used ceramic coating on exhaust headers

[aSTerix]

My header is getting welded and the shop owner suggested getting them coated in ceramic, its not too expensive and I thought It might minimise wome of the heat near my legs.

I know this is done on performance engines and it affects the combustion indirectly, was wondering if anyone had done it and what effect they noticed

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Ceramic Coated Exhaust
Ceramic Coated Exhaust Headers
Ceramic Exhaust Coating

 

[aSTerix]

Ceramic Coated Exhaust
Ceramic Coated Exhaust Headers
Ceramic Exhaust Coating

Oops, I usually do a forum search first but didn't this time, thankyou for the thread links

 

[Chef Jim]

It won’t do anything for heat. You might as well forget about that idea. I temped the bike with an Infrared Gun before & after, there was no difference in temp.
Can’t say if it helped performance or not as I’ve never had the bike dynoed.

 

[aSTerix]

It won’t do anything for heat. You might as well forget about that idea. I temped the bike with an Infrared Gun before & after, there was no difference in temp.
Can’t say if it helped performance or not as I’ve never had the bike dynoed.

were the ceramic coated headers the same temp before and after coating ?

 

[SMSW]

were the ceramic coated headers the same temp before and after coating ?

They will be in a steady state condition. Think about what is going on here. Glass is an insulator, yet we have glass ovenware, casserole dishes, etc. Ever take a glass baking dish out of the oven? It's hot. Back to your exhaust manifold. Apply your ceramic layer (glass, if you will) to the metal. How thick is it going to be? Were it to have a relatively high R (insulating) rating, the fact of its minimal thickness compromises any effect it will have at containing the heat. Heat the metal up to 700 deg F w/ exhaust gasses, and that heat will transmit right through the coating. In the short term - warm up of the bike, you might measure some difference in before coating and after coating temps, but run the bike for a few minutes and both readings will be virtually the same.

 

[Bmacleod]

Who is doing the ceramic coating, the same shop that is telling you that it is recommended? There are a ton of items said to be advantageous out there to bikes and cars, but at the end of the day, very few are worth the money. You should coat the header with something after being welded, but I would think some header paint will accomplish the same result for a lot less money. If money is no object, or the ceramic coating really is inexpensive, go for it, the ceramic coating looks cool.

 

[Bmacleod]

If you want to reduce the header pipe temp, wrap them with insulating tape. It works very well, but keep in mind that option comes with its own set of problems.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I have read a couple of posts where people have stated that, after long term use, their pipes rusted out between the pipe and the ceramic coating.
Research before you buy I guess is the best advice.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

I restored a 1978 GL1000. Had three bikes and all had rust between the chromed header and bolt on heat shields. I figured if I simply rechromed and reinstalled the heat shields, I would end up with rust between the two again. Had the headers ceramic coated at a local shop. They cleaned and sand blasted prior to coating. I also did not reinstall the heat shields since they tended to trap moisture and the headers were exposed directly to the air stream. The look was never that of chrome but after 74,000 miles, they still polished up well and looked a lot better than what I started with...just a few spots of rust where rocks chipped the coating away. I could have sanded and covered those spots with silver header paint but they were so small I decided not to do so. I was quite pleased with the silver powdercoat result.

I've been entertaining the idea of a new set of stainless headers (Delkevic if they are still available) and heat shields powder coated something other than black. If the stock headers are in good shape, they could be powder coated as well.

 

[Chef Jim]

were the ceramic coated headers the same temp before and after coating ?

The ceramic coating raised the header temperature by +100F degrees. Overall bike temperatures were about the same. Most of the heat dissipated by the time it got to the mufflers. I haven't had the bike on a dyne but it runs better with the new headers and Delkavic exhaust.

 

[goddess-athena]

Oops, I usually do a forum search first but didn't this time, thankyou for the thread links

Thanks for the threads. I looked everywhere to find something like these the other day and couldn't find them. Regardless, a wealth of information and from a driver up here in the Pacifc North-wet too. I did read that his pipes were coated both inside and out, which is what they would be doing to my pipes. I do believe that would be one of the necessary things to be sure about when looking into having this done. If you still have rough surfaces on the inside, the exhaust gases are not going to be moving as fast. I also noted in the pictures that he had an aftermarket exhaust. I have noted in some threads on on some YT videos, that this can also make a difference...again, the rate of exit for the exhaust gases. I still have stock ones, and love the quiet, but have noted that many ST folks enjoy the Delkavic. It was extremely interesting to note that that on his teardown, he was outright missing some of the bolts and that he noted that after his install he noted they became loose once againl. I did see the torque requirements in the manuel, and something to be aware of.