Discussion starter 1 sep 22. This keeps the header from rusting and insulates a lot of the heat.
1979 93 Mustang Bbk Shorty Headers 5 0 Fox Body By Bbk
Ceramic vs stainless steel headers. A ceramic coated stainless header would be the ideal setup if money aint a thang. Ceramic coatings take that a step further. The stainless header is a good choice for longevity but it doesnt have any insulation properties. They are cheaper bc the steel in the header is not cheaper. But because of the mild steel core it will eventually rust if the coating takes any abuse. Joined dec 18 2001 1478 posts.
Stainless will radiate more heat into the engine compartment than ceramic coated headers will. Stainless headers get around this problem by using a material that doesnt corrode in the first place. The ceramic label come from the fact that its mild steel with a cermaic coating not that the header is made of ceramic. Also since the heat is staying inside the headers the exhaust gases will be hotter and will flow more remember as air cools it becomes more dense. A full stainless header will not rust at all. Ceramic coated headers are not stainless.
Because of this coating they do not need header wrap. Ceramic coated headers vs. Ceramic is cheaper and once it wears out you could always sand the old off and reapply a ceramic coating to the headers. This is the reason a chikara steel header is so damn cheap and then the ceramic coated is more and so on to stainless. These coatings made of aluminum powder mixed with ceramic dust are sprayed onto the header as a powder and then baked on in an oven. That is why they rust.
The ceramic actually blocks alot of the heat if they are coated inside and out. I also like stainless because i think they look better and they will last a lot longer granted if you buy the 700 dollar ones. This forms a hard impermeable barrier that doesnt corrode. Jump to latest follow 1 15 of 15 posts.
Gallery of Ceramic Vs Stainless Steel Headers
