Mark-87-951

While I have my cylinder head being worked on, I wanted to test my exhaust headers before sending them out for thermal coating. Is there an easy way to do this?

MPD47

Test them for leaks? I seem to recall a method of forcing compressed air into them while submerging them and seeing if any bubbles come out of random spots. Sorry I cant be of more help.

kennycoulter

sticking potatoes in the ends while its under water?

Geo

Test them for what?

Where are you sending them for coating? The best coater in the country is in MPD47's neck of the woods - Swain Technology. Their termal barrier coating (White Lightning) is way better than anything else out there.

http://www.swaintech.com/race.html

special tool

This is what you do with stock headers - no arguing wth my datalogger, please....

-remove headers and crossover
-remove factory heat shields with 4" angle grinder with cutoff wheel
-bring pipes to tub and fill with water, stopping end with one of those
rubber things that your wife opens jars with
-check for water leaks
-weld leaks
-wrap pipes with DEI or thermotec (Summit Racing)
-spray wrap with special coating

You will gain 100-150 rpm spoolup.The bad thing about the factory shields is that they HIDE leaks - though they were good for the first 15 years.
The wrap is MORE effective at energy retention than the factory heat-shields.
I am not speculating here, guys.

Mark-87-951

special tool

Unfortunately, I don't have a compressed air source right now. would thermal coating whether it be swain or jethot or some other brand be better than wrap?

Geo

The Swain coating will be better than wrap. I'd guess the wrap would be better than Jethot which is effectively just a ceramic paint.

special tool

Nothng is better than wrap. I have datalogs
You may get slightly more energy retention using a coating IN ADDTON TO, but it does not outperform the wrap.

Mark - why do you need a compressor to use my procedure?

AznDrgn

From what I've seen the wrap will shorten the lifespan of the header vs the coating.

special tool

That is true.

unreal_news

Would one of these methods allow one to remove the stock silver heat sheild around the inside of the engine bay?

anyone have 'white lightning' applied to their headers?

what was the cost?
found it, 125-165

wouldnt it cost an arm and a leg to ship the headers tho?

thx,
-john

Geo

Do you have datalogs with Swain's White Lightning specifically vs. only wrapped? If not, your data isn't valid.

I have a header for another car with Swain's White Lightning, but don't have dyno charts to go with it.

However, I also used White Lightning on the manifol, turbine housing, and J-pipe on my turbo G20. I can tell you from direct experience that with the turbo engine run hard, the under-hood temps were significantly cooler than what they were when the car was NA with a Jethot coated header.

I did a magazine article on the swap to the turbo engine and while collecting research for the article, I talked with Swain about the effectiveness of the coating and they related the following story:

They have a underground locomotive client who needed to reduce manifold temps from 975*F to 425*F. Nobody else came close. They tried all the conventional coaters and the best any of them could do was around 725*F. When the client gave Swain a shot they hit 475*F on the very first attempt. On the second attempt they put the coating on a little thicker and nailed the 425*F target. That's less than half the heat passing through the coating..

special tool

The coating isn't even in the same league as the wrap - any comparison is ridiculous.

Geo

Really?

Based upon what? Your opinioin? You said you had datalogs. Let's see Swain vs wrap. If you don't have them, don't state an opinion as facts backed up by datalogs.

Swain's coating is unlike any other header coating out there. It's very thick and is a true thermal barrier.

chrly924s

I am thinking of wrapping mine just to reduce temps in the engine bay. Is it worth it on a 924S used for secondary driving?