Cleaning the headers

[Heart Attack]

So my ARH are starting to look crappy with some water stains and dirt. they are bothering me cause of the way it looks. i trying letting them stay warm and putting some simple green and scrubbing them, but they still look the same. any suggestions or ideas or anyone with experience on how to make your headers looking awesome? thanks:rock:

 

[Midnight Runner]

would mothers work? I would do it when it's cold. what headers do you have.

 

[Heart Attack]

american racing headers. hmm havent tried mothers yet

 

[Midnight Runner]

I would do a spot under the truck on the long tube first. Just to see how it looks. Are your headers coded?

 

[Heart Attack]

not coated

 

[FATJACK]

If they are painted, take em off, bead blast em and repaint.

 

[Heart Attack]

im gonna try mothers today and see how that goes, looks like i have something fun to do this weekend

 

[Midnight Runner]

I'm getting ready to do mind, but mind are ceramic coated.

 

[rare03srt10]

If they aint coated nothings gonna work. Like @FatJack said, Repaint them or spend the 100 bucks and have them coated. The finish will last much longer and it will even reduce some heat.

 

[Theol55]

Blast 'em & Coat 'em with Ceramic Inside & Out....:driver:

 

[1TONY1]

If they aint coated nothings gonna work. Like @FatJack said, Repaint them or spend the 100 bucks and have them coated. The finish will last much longer and it will even reduce some heat.

I agree....Impossible to clean bare metal headers other than sanding/blasting. Sounds like a concern so they should be coated. I don't know if Jet Hot still does the higher temp black only coating but years ago when I had that done I did not like it. I like the silver coating.

 

[Yellow venom]

Yeah,like the others are saying,theres no way to clean the headers other then recoating/repainting them,the heat bakes every thing into to them!

 

[Doug-]

If your headers are covered with surface rust you can sometimes get by with Naval Jelly. Once you get a clean metal surface you can then coat them with brake fluid and let fluid burn off when you start the motor the first time and it will creat a clear film that will protect the clean metal look. It works well in the southwest, but if you are in a road salt area you might have to bead blast and repaint.

Doug

 

[Yellow venom]

If your headers are covered with surface rust you can sometimes get by with Naval Jelly. Once you get a clean metal surface you can then coat them with brake fluid and let fluid burn off when you start the motor the first time and it will creat a clear film that will protect the clean metal look. It works well in the southwest, but if you are in a road salt area you might have to bead blast and repaint.

Doug

Now thats interesting!:rock: I've heard alot of things but never that,great tip!:rock:

 

[Alikazam]

If you "paint" a clean metal surface with some never-sieze/anti-sieze and let it bake the fluid out of them, it will leave a nice aluminum or nickel coating (depending on what type of anti-sieze you use). Also eastwood sells some brush on coatings that are good for high heat applications like this. Good luck!

 

[SANCHOBA]

Always a good idea after installing new or freshly coated headers to wipe them down with alcohol prior to starting the engine.

 

[1TONY1]

If you "paint" a clean metal surface with some never-sieze/anti-sieze and let it bake the fluid out of them, it will leave a nice aluminum or nickel coating (depending on what type of anti-sieze you use). Also eastwood sells some brush on coatings that are good for high heat applications like this. Good luck!

Interesting....anti-seize is nasty on the hands.

Heart Attack....do one in Naval Jelly and one in anti-seize then we can judge the beauty contest.

 

[ARRESTmeRed04]

If they aint coated nothings gonna work. Like @FatJack said, Repaint them or spend the 100 bucks and have them coated. The finish will last much longer and it will even reduce some heat.

is it really only 100 bucks to get headers re-coated? if so i need to get that done soon

 

[Alikazam]

I paid about $250 to have a set of long tube headers coated on my van a few years ago with the 2000 degree black Thermal Barrier Coating.

 

[ZCx]

If you "paint" a clean metal surface with some never-sieze/anti-sieze and let it bake the fluid out of them, it will leave a nice aluminum or nickel coating (depending on what type of anti-sieze you use). Also eastwood sells some brush on coatings that are good for high heat applications like this. Good luck!

wonder if copper anti-sieze would work:dontknow: be different