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Header paint?
- Thread starter buell248
- Start date
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rchuff
Well-known member
Used VHT ceramic paint can get at pep-boys and some other auto part stores.
wickedchop
Well-known member
No offense to anyone but I used the vht ceramic on my cherry bomb muffler on my dodge ram......it has not held up well at all. I would look into jet hot coatings if I were u..swing by ur local powder coater some of those guys do high temp header stuff.
rchuff
Well-known member
Mine has held up just fine, like everything else it's all in the prep. 
Been on there for 4 years now.
Been on there for 4 years now.
Last edited:
AZmidget91
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
- Messages
- 1,664
I agree, all in the prep, and a decent paint.
BUT!!! The stock header looks so good raw stainless, I wish mine wasn't painted when I got it...
BUT!!! The stock header looks so good raw stainless, I wish mine wasn't painted when I got it...
user_deleted
Well-known member
roger that ricky on the prep. would have never thought hi-temp paint would work on an XB header. looks good!
ToneTheMoan
Well-known member
One i had good results with is PJ1 exhaust paint it gives a good satin finish and holds up well too!
vicenzajay
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 14, 2014
- Messages
- 627
Chicago - looks good
rchuff
Well-known member
Thanks for the kind words John.
ztied
Well-known member
vht worked good for me, like someone mentioned above, it`s in the prep. I have a nice set on ebay look to be the real deal professionally ceramic coated, silver color
lowkey
Well-known member
http://www.buellxb.com/forum/showthread.php?34728-VHT-ceramic-coated-header-how-to
The trick is to do a few VERY LIGHT coats! That is my how-to I made, If i was to do it again I would skip the primer or only lay one SUPER LIGHT coat then two or three of the color of your choice, skip that clear I mentioned. They came out good and held up just fine but slight bubbling pin prick sized where the paint was thicker or spattered. I've since recoated them on the bike, just plastic sheet and masking from the rest of the bike and only to rid the pin holes in the coat and maybe some rock chips from off the front wheel. This paint is ceramic and holds the heat in the header VERY well, durability compared to professional coating shop is an 7.5-8 out of 10...
The heat gun is key because the header is off the bike and the ceramic is easy to scratch before it is heat cured so installing is kind of a pain. I wrapped with newspaper when installing, also as mentioned the header heats super quick (on the bike) so I may have gotten the pin holes in the paint because the heat rose to quickly, just cycle the bike on for 20 seconds, let cool all the way down, 30-40 seconds next and so on until you see the paint actually curing. The paint will smoke as it cures so shut off at the first sign of that for at least three or four cycles. You can visually see the change in the paint once cured from when you sprayed it, for me that was more of a glassy finish and without seeing "through" to the metal any more, also the color changed from that gray/silver to a pewter/silver as that is what the can cap indicated I bought.
I talked with VHT about the pin prick bubbles and was told I put the paint on to thick, which wasn't the case but I did put primer, coats of color, then clear, so it all added up in the end. I even waited 3-4 days before I installed it on the bike and heated it multiple times with the heat gun before hand.
EDIT: I'll post pictures of the finished product if I can gain access to photobucket...
Also keep in mind the coating has been on the bike for three years now and is just as good as when I did it in the first place.:up:
The trick is to do a few VERY LIGHT coats! That is my how-to I made, If i was to do it again I would skip the primer or only lay one SUPER LIGHT coat then two or three of the color of your choice, skip that clear I mentioned. They came out good and held up just fine but slight bubbling pin prick sized where the paint was thicker or spattered. I've since recoated them on the bike, just plastic sheet and masking from the rest of the bike and only to rid the pin holes in the coat and maybe some rock chips from off the front wheel. This paint is ceramic and holds the heat in the header VERY well, durability compared to professional coating shop is an 7.5-8 out of 10...
The heat gun is key because the header is off the bike and the ceramic is easy to scratch before it is heat cured so installing is kind of a pain. I wrapped with newspaper when installing, also as mentioned the header heats super quick (on the bike) so I may have gotten the pin holes in the paint because the heat rose to quickly, just cycle the bike on for 20 seconds, let cool all the way down, 30-40 seconds next and so on until you see the paint actually curing. The paint will smoke as it cures so shut off at the first sign of that for at least three or four cycles. You can visually see the change in the paint once cured from when you sprayed it, for me that was more of a glassy finish and without seeing "through" to the metal any more, also the color changed from that gray/silver to a pewter/silver as that is what the can cap indicated I bought.
I talked with VHT about the pin prick bubbles and was told I put the paint on to thick, which wasn't the case but I did put primer, coats of color, then clear, so it all added up in the end. I even waited 3-4 days before I installed it on the bike and heated it multiple times with the heat gun before hand.
EDIT: I'll post pictures of the finished product if I can gain access to photobucket...
Also keep in mind the coating has been on the bike for three years now and is just as good as when I did it in the first place.:up:
Last edited:
lowkey
Well-known member
I just took these right now, so that's how they look after lots and lots of miles...
ztied
Well-known member
sexy, and of course sand the pipes with smooth sandpaper, or scuff pad for the paint to stick,also wipe down to degrease the pipe, let it cure as much as possible, and of course the outside temp will affect the paint
wickedchop
Well-known member
Lowkey, they look amazing. My run in w vht ceramic may have been different due to the fact that my muffler is under my truck taking a beating from the elements. I'm going to definitely give it another run on my headers.....nice job
lowkey
Well-known member
Thanks for the complement!
Keep in mind there is no need to ceramic coat a car muffler as it won't be seeing the kind of heat a header will, for what the VHT is it works as intended, all that is needed is skill in working with aerosol paint and curing the ceramic with proper heat cycling. For a muffler in black, I'd go with a high temp engine application paint instead of the VHT just because it will hold up to rock chips and stuff better. I did this on a stainless steel muffler and the paint was just fine for the two years before I sold it, on something like that the key is to wire wheel up the muffler so that the paint can stick well because stainless stuff is usually polished up. Also not saying ceramic coating a muffler or the whole exhaust on a car/truck is something not to do, it's just not really needed after the header IMO.
