engine breakin with new headers??
09-10-2009, 08:09 PM
#1
aka 'Negative Nancy'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Ohio
Posts: 4,839
engine breakin with new headers??
on the hooker site it says not to break in an engine with longtubes because it could damage the ceramics or something like that....
my engine going in the car has brand new $800 longtubes on it and i dont wanna mess them up during break in, but i dont have stock manifolds and it really would be a bitch to swap them anyways
is there any merit behind this or is it just a safety or something? i dont see how breaking in an engine could hurt ceramic coating on long tubes...somebody enlighten me?
my engine going in the car has brand new $800 longtubes on it and i dont wanna mess them up during break in, but i dont have stock manifolds and it really would be a bitch to swap them anyways
is there any merit behind this or is it just a safety or something? i dont see how breaking in an engine could hurt ceramic coating on long tubes...somebody enlighten me?
09-10-2009, 08:12 PM
#2
aka 'Negative Nancy'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Ohio
Posts: 4,839
Installation Notes
Breaking in an engine with ceramic coated Headers WILL result in damage to the coating and will VOID all warranties. Ceramic coated Headers require several heat cycles to fully cure before they will withstand extreme heat. Hooker recommends using cast iron exhaust Manifolds or old Headers to break in new engines to avoid coating damage. Please call Hooker tech service at 270–781–9741 for additional information regarding ceramic coated exhaust products. The use of header wraps can cause the header tubes to crack or rust due to excessive heat and moisture build–up. Hooker does not recommend the use of header wraps as this will void the warranty.
Breaking in an engine with ceramic coated Headers WILL result in damage to the coating and will VOID all warranties. Ceramic coated Headers require several heat cycles to fully cure before they will withstand extreme heat. Hooker recommends using cast iron exhaust Manifolds or old Headers to break in new engines to avoid coating damage. Please call Hooker tech service at 270–781–9741 for additional information regarding ceramic coated exhaust products. The use of header wraps can cause the header tubes to crack or rust due to excessive heat and moisture build–up. Hooker does not recommend the use of header wraps as this will void the warranty.
09-10-2009, 09:15 PM
#3
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CT
Posts: 1,046
From what I have read the exhaust gets to hot during the breakin period. Seeing that the headers themselves need a breakin period too the coating can't handle the extreme heat yet, I think thats why they don't recommend. Just my .02.
Last edited by ct_white_stang; 09-10-2009 at 09:18 PM.
09-10-2009, 10:25 PM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 479
from what i understand on the situation you are most likely fine adding headers onto the new engine, as long as you have a real good tune and timing is good. They say that because new engines tend to run lean and have high exhaust temps and excess fuel can burn off in the headers increasing temperatures above what it can handle. But if you do short cycles of running the engine and then letting it cool it should be fine.
Kind of depends on the coating of the headers too, different coatings can handle different temperatures and might not be that big of an issue.
Kind of depends on the coating of the headers too, different coatings can handle different temperatures and might not be that big of an issue.
09-11-2009, 01:16 PM
#6
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,139
lol I like how you make it sound so easy. I'm getting ready to put some LTs in and I'm absolutely dreading the task. Setting aside a whole weekend for it.
Good to know about engine break-in with coated headers though. I never would have thought about that.
Good to know about engine break-in with coated headers though. I never would have thought about that.
09-11-2009, 02:07 PM
#8
Banned
Join Date: May 2007
Location:
Posts: 4,064
Its BS mostly... the thing is that ceramic coated is not that great anyway, I mean its better than not, but if you really wanted something "show" then you should have got stainless. I wouldn't worry about it, but you know slapping the old manifolds on there is not that big of a deal either.
