After that same minute the stainless headers were still 520 degrees. The stainless steel will look all nice and shiny when you first buy it but after you install it and run the engine for about 10 minutes it will change color to a copper shade and stay that way from the heat.
Flowtech Long Tube Ls Swap Headers Natural 304 Stainless Steel
Stainless vs ceramic headers. Ceramic vs stainless headers. Also since the heat is staying inside the headers the exhaust gases will be hotter and will flow more remember as air cools it becomes more dense. Stainless will discolor blue or gold depending on the temps but they will not rust. Tacomx oct 17 2011 4. So for a cool engine bay ceramic beats stainless by a long long shot. There will be substantial more radiant heat compared to coated.
Stainless prevents corroision while the ceramic coating contains heat and adds more corrosion and stain protection. The ceramic actually blocks alot of the heat if they are coated inside and out. Discussion starter 1 sep 22. Joined dec 18 2001 1478 posts. Barely hot enough to boil water. Even better this highly specialized insulation blocks intense engine heat that can rob your ride of horsepower and.
I would go with the ceramic it wont last forever but it will keep the engine bay cooler than stainlessand you save 100. Ceramic coated headers vs. A set of ceramic headers on the same engine registered a mere 258 degrees. Anywhere the coating is scratched will rust and the inside of the pipe will rust of course. Stainless is heavier but more durable ceramic is lighter and prettier. Ceramic is cheaper and once it wears out you could always sand the old off and reapply a ceramic coating to the headers.
Exhaust wraps may absorb moisture from the road and cause rusting if your tubes arent made from stainless steel. Stainless will radiate more heat into the engine compartment than ceramic coated headers will. I also like stainless because i think they look better and they will last a lot longer granted if you buy the 700 dollar ones. Jump to latest follow 1 15 of 15 posts. I had ceramic they were light thats a plus but that bitch cracked on me after 2 years. Ceramic coatings and header wraps are a sure way to add horsepower and a performance attitude to your motor.
And remember you get what you pay for especially in a header. The ceramic headers dropped to 195 degrees within a minute of shutting the engine down.