I was talking about acid dipping heat exchangers in another thread and ceramic coating was the next step. What about acid dipping and then plating heat exchangers with zinc or something? How do these platings cope with heat? I've heard ceramic coating is kind of expensive, so how does plating compare? Shoot some ideas off.

No, not zinc. Melts at 787'F. A heavy chrome plating would work, but won't last as long as ceramic, chrome turns blue, and flakes because of uneven expantion of the metal and the plating. Won't hold up to salts or acids either. I've been told the ceramic coating is great. Probably run about the same price as plating. From the prices I've seen, about $300-$400, including the muffler for the ceramic. Better thermal barrier, too. You wouldn't be heating as much of the outside air. Would give you better cabin heating than stainless steel. Supposed to last 100 times longer than paint. Costs about 10 times more than paint. I'll probably have mine dipped, then paint them with a high temperature exhaust paint. Much cheaper.Exhaust Detailing Kit-Stainless Steel

Jet Hot will do bothe headers for A bit over $200, Swaintech is in the same ballpark

Ummm... they do have stainless head exchangers... so why go through all this trouble?

Of course, I know that you already knew that!

Maybe he's looking at /6 exchangers.

Yes, JetHot is pretty inexpensive, and very user friendly to work with.

-Rusty

260.00, plus shipping from JetHot.

Delete your post, Bob?

No just did some price checks and made an estimate, thanks for the correction on the price? Looks so good I'll probably go for it. Just have to find a local vendor. I hate paying all that shipping. Stainless steel has it's own problems. Don't like the idea of trashing OEM and replacing with aftermarket.

I'm just thinking "outside the box". Trying to find the 2nd rate heat exchanger solution. It's good to have options. I think I might have some HEs acid dipped next week. I'll probably just high temp paint them. Maybe POR-20. Should only cost $75 to dip them.

I started with new out of box 2.0 SS exchangers and then took all my old Bannana & associated mild steel heater tubing, to the local Radiator shop to acid dip them, then glass bead (not the new SS)blasting, then last to a local cermics plater.
I think I was into the whole thing including the "Cermachrome" plating about $280
Now the thing is, it's HOT!

So which one did you prefer and put on the car? "it's HOT"?

rdauenhauer, I'm gettin' ready to do an engine drop, for hell hole. So while the engine is out.................Where in Seattle did you have the glass bead 'n' ceramichrome done??? Thanks. Not like we could use defrosters in this part of the country.

The Glass blast I did my self. Performance radiator has an outlet up near me in Everett (I think thier tanks location is in DT seattle). Performance Coatings is the shop off of 167 in Kent/auburn. I met the owner a few yrs ago when he was just starting out as hes a Motorcyclist and local club racer.

Bob91403, what I was trying to describe, is that after Ceramic'ing all the assoc. heating and exhaust plubming the car has HEAT! So much heat that when the fan ISNT on you still get bleed thru into the cabin. Not so great on those 80 degree days but we dont so many of those here in the Pac NW.

I see. You mean they hold too much of the heat. Kind of like a brick coming out of an oven. Hot! And stays Hot! Thanks. Since I'm in SoCal that does not sound desireable. Looks like I'm back to having them dipped and painting them.

Im not sure its too much heat just that the application does what its supposed to do ...VERY WELL. Contain & route the heated air and exhaust gas's to thier designated outlets

Rusty, I will be curious to see what your HEs look like after some use.

I'm pretty sure the headers John put on my car were chrome ceramic coated. They were really pretty and shiney in the early pictures of John's assembly, but now after about 10,000 miles, they are just flat grey and flaking a little.

my 2.7s headers and megaphones are jet-hotted. They offer a lifetime warranty on new parts. I'd be surprised if it failed.

Sean is right. Lifetime warranty on new items. The exchangers were NOS, and I don't think I'll have so many miles on the car that it's really going to become an issue.

-Rusty

Just found this thread because I was thinking about doing the Jet Hot thing with my 74 right now since I am in the middle of gathering the used parts to reinstall the heater system.

I have used jet hot in the past to have headers coated on my Formula Vee...Jet Hot is the leader and they're process seems to hold up well... The idea behind the ceramic is to limit heat exchange between the superheated exiting gases and the engine. reduces power robbing heat in engine... also supposed to be a smoother less restrictive bore in the header tubes.

I suppose the process is not so efficient that it would make the heat exchanger inefficient in heat exchange. I was thinking about leaving the ss heat exchangers alone and just jet hot coat the warm air tubes, J-tubes, rectangular lower engine peices, and the vulnerable engine tin peices down there.

I also thought about just using a basic nickle plating process that is inexpensive and used for alot of components on cars that nobody wants to paint nor thinks is necessary to chrome plate etc.

The Jet Hot People run a 1/2 price sale usually in the winter time and you may be able to get a deal on those few small peices but I paid $ 210.00 for a 4 cyl header I would bet youre looking at close to $ 200 for the heater components.

Probably would not do the muffler since the process is not Plating... ie... the part is not "dipped"..... They finish the inside of header tubes with some flexible hose sand blaster nozzles that are passed through the header pipes... ceramic coating is also sprayed on inside and out... I'm not sure they can really finish the inside of a muffler.

rob wellner

You're right. Outside of muffler only.