I'm cleaning out my engine bay and my longtube headers are covered in surface rust. I plan on taking most of the rust off with a wire brush and I hear alot aboutcoating headers,but would it alright to paint them with high heat rattle-can paint, like the stuff you can use on the engine block? I don't careenough about the headers to have them coated, I'll probably replace them when I make aBoss 302clone out of my vanilla 302 block but right now they stick out like a sore thumb.

 

You can paint them with the high-temp rattle can but I'll tell right now...it won't stay on very long. If you want to improve the looks and get a little performance bump, buy some header wrap (it comes in black or white, I prefer the looks of the black myself). It will drop your engine compartment temp a bunch (and colder intake air means a better fuel charge) and look good longer to boot. You can get wrap to do a complete set of headers from Summit or JEGS for well under $100. I've heard some folks warn about moisture retention but if you drive the car on a regular basis it shouldn't be a problem. Never hurts to go ahead and take the rust off and paint them before you wrap them though...if you want to go through the trouble.

 

Prolly. Try it and find out. If any paint will last, engine block paint should.

 

OK, thanks guys. I guess I'll see if I can find some header wrap. I'm way up north in Canada and we don't have the best selection of autoparts stores, but I'll look around. Maybe I'll wait until I make another trip to see my family in Michigan, you can't throw a rock without hitting an autoparts store down there, infact the Michigan NPD is less than 2 miles from my relatives house, so I can push my 'stang there if I have to.

 

You should be able to mail order it from Summit or JEGS...even up in the Great White North! I grew up in Montana and they would even deliver THERE! LOL!

 

Header wrap holds moisture if it ever gets wet and makes the headers rust out faster.The spray paint is ok it don't last long best thing is a ceramic coating inside and out.

 

you can also get that silicone spray for header wrap to make it a little more moisture resistant.

i know DEI makes some

 

If you use engine block paint it will look good for a minute or so after starting the engine. There are "high temp" paints out there but they don'tlast either. If your not going to coat them or get ones that are wrap them up to hide the rust.

 

If you get good spray paint, and blas tthe headers and clean them good, the paint w ill hold just fine. We paint turbo heders all the times. Not many headers out there get hotter than than. Any color you want from VHT. I think summit sells it.

 

What about trying Barbeque paint, it is tested in extreme high heat enviroments./??