Header Coatings

[tuf50L]

I'm curious why so many people are picking Pacemaker headers?
I know the table below is marketing but Ramjet seem to be the best buy on the market for RHD.

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[PKs]

I'm curious why so many people are picking Pacemaker headers?
I know the table below is marketing but Ramjet seem to be the best buy on the market for RHD.

Well after a bit of talking around I would say yes, that the Ramjet's comparison chart is certainly a bit of one eyed marketing. I am not saying that they are not a great header but in the end I have pulled the trigger on Pacemaker. They are mild steel, tuned length, and importantly made in Australia not China.
https://pacemaker.com.au/products/ph-4178-2015-2023-ford-mustang-rhd?variant=43837278126337

 

[PKs]

With having selected my mild steel headers I have been looking at various ceramic coatings for them. At @WD Pro suggestion I checked out Zircotec's pricing. They gave me a price to coat them in the UK and freight back to me in Aus. I declined once I saw the total pricing. It may or may not have been the best coating but I let my enquiries drop when I decided not to go that way.
Anyhow I have opted for a base coat of unpolished Cermakrome https://techlinecoatings.com.au/product/cermakrome-mcx/
followed by a top coat of Cerakote in their burnt bronze. https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating/C-148/burnt-bronze
The base Cermakrome is oven baked and the top coat of Cerakote is air cured.
Photos of finished product will come at fitting time.

 

[Racinjason65]

I have a 2018 GT and I am planning on getting long tube headers soon. I have been researching ceramic coatings and have come down to either Cermakrome which is a polished chrome look or Turbo x which comes in either black or blue. Turbo x seems to have the edge in reducing under hood temperatures but I like the visual of the chrome Cermkrome. My decision might end up being based on whether the headers are visible in the engine bay(I don't use an engine cover). Can anyone who has done the chrome headers let me know.

I have 2 S550’s. Both with Whipple’s and ARH headers. One I had the chrome look ceramic coating done on, and that car has noticeably less under hood heat.

 

[PKs]

I have 2 S550’s. Both with Whipple’s and ARH headers. One I had the chrome look ceramic coating done on, and that car has noticeably less under hood heat.

That sounds reassuring Jason. Seeing that I am going double coat with the two products maybe I will end up with extra low temps. Time will tell.
Something that has come up in question is the longevity of the coatings. I have been told 2 to 5 years. How is your's going.

 

[Racinjason65]

That sounds reassuring Jason. Seeing that I am going double coat with the two products maybe I will end up with extra low temps. Time will tell.
Something that has come up in question is the longevity of the coatings. I have been told 2 to 5 years. How is your's going.

Mine is about 2 1/2 years, but only about 10k miles but still looks like the day I installed the headers. Had I known how much it helped with temps, I would have done the ones on my GT350 as well.

 

[WD Pro]

I have 2 S550’s. Both with Whipple’s and ARH headers. One I had the chrome look ceramic coating done on, and that car has noticeably less under hood heat.

Although I have nothing definitive, I'm reasonably sure that under like for like driving conditions, my diff runs cooler now the pipes that wrap around it are coated.

The only reasons I can't say for sure are :

A) I'm only trusting the accuracy of the gauge on the digi dash.
B) I didn't do any controlled before / after recordings.
C) My diff temp sensor was changed at the same time i.e. that might have introduced a difference when compared to the old sensor.

Sustained high temps might not make as much of a difference (and I can't really prove that either way on a public road), but the rate the diff starts to build temp when you first start to hoon around is definitely significantly reduced.

WD

 

[PKs]

I have had my double coating done now for several months but I have not put many miles on the car since having the extractors fitted. The reason being is that 1/ the exhaust sound is not as nice as it was before when I had the OEM active exhaust complimented with the Borla Switchfire X pipe and 2/ after fitting the extractors I got a CEL and I am consequently getting a dyno tune. I had to postpone my first tune appointment when I decided to have a couple of Vibrant resonators fitted to take out the newly acquired shrill exhaust note. The tuner advised best to fit the resonators before doing the tune work.
After a long wait I now have the resonators and in two weeks they are due to be fitted. My tune is booked in for the following week.

 

[Whitedevil95]

I have had my double coating done now for several months but I have not put many miles on the car since having the extractors fitted. The reason being is that 1/ the exhaust sound is not as nice as it was before when I had the OEM active exhaust complimented with the Borla Switchfire X pipe and 2/ after fitting the extractors I got a CEL and I am consequently getting a dyno tune. I had to postpone my first tune appointment when I decided to have a couple of Vibrant resonators fitted to take out the newly acquired shrill exhaust note. The tuner advised best to fit the resonators before doing the tune work.
After a long wait I now have the resonators and in two weeks they are due to be fitted. My tune is booked in for the following week.

Do those headers used like some kind of gasket? Looks like they flanges on my dads old 71 Mach 1.

 

[PKs]

Do those headers used like some kind of gasket? Looks like they flanges on my dads old 71 Mach 1.

I guess it is a preformed gasket, I did not enquire at the time.

 

[K4fxd]

I would have gone with the REX headers. Equal length is tuned length and the photos you posted above are no where near equal length.

Mild steel will rust out, even coated. Do not wrap them or they might only last a year.

 

[PKs]

I would have gone with the REX headers. Equal length is tuned length and the photos you posted above are no where near equal length.

Mild steel will rust out, even coated. Do not wrap them or they might only last a year.

I did consider the Rex but it seems there are pros and cons for both stainless and mild steel. I ended up choosing the Pacemakers as they are a trusted Australian manufacturer and not a non disclosed mob. The Pacemakers are "tuned design". Time will tell if I made the correct choice.

 

[K4fxd]

I did consider the Rex but it seems there are pros and cons for both stainless and mild steel.

I know me and a few others have been pestering REX to build a set of equal length headers for the LH drive model. It makes a difference.

 

[Cheatham]

For me. I got LTH long tube headers and wanted to reduce the under hood heat as well created by the headers. I looked into the Ceramic coating company's (They are not all created equal to say the least) but realized in my days of racing, Wrapping reduced the heat from the headers substantially more than a ceramic coating. But it does look cool.
** I wrapped my LTH with DEI Titanium wrap (which was a Bitxxh to do) and steel banded for security. After the wrap was broke in (will be smoky for a bit) I can touch my LTH with the engine running and not get burnt. Even though I didn't have to high temp spray paint the titanium wrap, I did anyway silver. Good Luck

I wrapped mine before installing, it was pain, but it does work good

 

[DougS550]

I wrapped mine before installing, it was pain, but it does work good

I love the heat reduction from having my headers fully wrapped.

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