High temp paint??

[purplepickup]

What is a good high temp paint that I can repaint my Flowmasters and tailpipes with?  

I have my exhaust off and am cleaning & resizing the connections and switching to band clamps.  I'm also welding the tailpipe to muffler connection.  The mufflers have really taken a beating over the years and the aluminumizing has worn thru in a lot of places.  The Bonneville salt has also taken it's toll.  I'm going to sand blast the surface rust off and want to put some really good hi-temp paint on them that protects against rust for a few years.  Problem is that most hi-temp paints that I've seen require curing at 300 -500 degrees for a while right after painting.  I can't do that since I'm also working on other parts of the truck and won't have it running for a month or more.  

I'm getting ready to button this up and wondered if anyone has any experience with exhaust paint that actually works the way it's supposed to and doesn't need to be heat cured right away.

[nomobux]

Choices of color may be an issue, but  I had good luck with Eastwood header paint and it sat awhile before the cure

[rumrumm]

The best solution is to have them ceramic coated but at $12.00 per foot, that may be a little prohibitive not to mention the problem of shipping something that long. But I have heard good reports about Eastwood's header paint, too.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

George,

I have used the Eastwood stainless header paint for years and found it to hold up well. Looks better sprayed on but I lived with brush-on for the system on the '40 for about 13/14 years until I built a s/s system last summer.

Charlie

[C9]

I painted the 32's exhaust system, headers to the ends of the tailpipes where the chrome tips are tack welded on with VHT black.
A bit of a semi-gloss which looked good.
This about ten years ago.

About three years ago I decided the headers needed painting again so I shot them with Dupli-Color.
It's a flatter paint (also black) than is the VHT and after a few months it flattened a bit more.
It's all flat now and even so, it's lasting well and still looks good.
As does the original exhaust system beyond the headers which is still VHT covered.
Next time, VHT.

The headers have a reinforcing ring of braze around the tube/flange juncture.  The flux was cleaned off prior to the original paint and the paint is still sticking to that ok.  The brass was filed and sanded to shape - which didn't take much cuz the brass bead laid down was about the right shape anyway.
Basic prep was to sand lightly with 240 grit wet/dry, just knock off the high spots, ultra smooth is not necessary.
Then the headers/exhaust system were washed down with lacquer thinner three times before painting.
Using clean lint-free rags on the last go-round.  Paper towels were used first couple of times.

It would probably be true with most other high temp coverings, but there were no problems with painting the roadsters exhaust system and letting it sit about 4-6 months before engine start-up.

Takes about 1 1/2 cans of the tall VHT to do the job.  (I think that's the only size anyway.)

The headers on the 31 may be outside the frame and something shiny will be applied there, but once the exhaust heads under the car, VHT it is.

[Fat Cat]

I think that Charlie is talking about the same stuff that we use. If so it is lists at Eastwood. Here is a direct link

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Comes in a can, sorta grey liquid stuff? Yep, that's it.

Charlie

[Dave]

What is a good high temp paint that I can repaint my Flowmasters and tailpipes with?  

I have my exhaust off and am cleaning & resizing the connections and switching to band clamps.  I'm also welding the tailpipe to muffler connection.  The mufflers have really taken a beating over the years and the aluminumizing has worn thru in a lot of places.  The Bonneville salt has also taken it's toll.  I'm going to sand blast the surface rust off and want to put some really good hi-temp paint on them that protects against rust for a few years.  Problem is that most hi-temp paints that I've seen require curing at 300 -500 degrees for a while right after painting.  I can't do that since I'm also working on other parts of the truck and won't have it running for a month or more.  

I'm getting ready to button this up and wondered if anyone has any experience with exhaust paint that actually works the way it's supposed to and doesn't need to be heat cured right away.

When I did the 34 I gas welded the whole system together(I love to gas weld) Then I scuffed it all good and cleaned it all good and sprayed it all cept the manifolds with BBQ paint... It still looked good when I sold the car.. BBQ paint is a lot cheaper that header paint ..
Dave

[purplepickup]

Thanks for the responses.  Jay gave me the answer I wanted to hear.  I've used VHT before and cured it kind of per the instructions.  It lasted a long time.  

I've been thinking about the curing part and I've come up with an idea for a Michigan hillbilly oven for the top of my gas grill.  I've even got a temperature probe to make sure it's the right temp.  Our local speed shop has two cans of flat silver VHT for $6/can and I don't patronize him nearly enough so that's the way I'm gonna go.  If the mufflers didn't show I'd probably use bbq paint or just leave them rusty, but they do show.

Heck, I might even grill a steak and make some biscuits while the stuff's curing.

[Bruce Dorsi]

George:

Sandblasting and/or glass-beading will deposit silica on the metal surface, and this will cause premature failure of the coatings if it is not removed.

I learned this lesson the hard way, after watching several different coatings flake off the surfaces after a few heating/cooling cycles.

The prevention is to wipe the newly-blasted metal down with "Metal-Prep" or a similar conditioner, followed by a quick water rinse.  ...."Flash rusting" will occur as the part is drying, but this is not detrimental.  ...The coating is then applied.

Lacquer thinner may possibly remove the silica, but I have not tried it.

I have had good luck with the VHT paints as well as BBQ paints, IF the prep is done as described.  ....These same paints, as well as Eastwood's exhaust coating, failed miserably when applied over newly-blasted steel.

[purplepickup]

George:

Sandblasting and/or glass-beading will deposit silica on the metal surface, and this will cause premature failure of the coatings if it is not removed.

Thanks Bruce!  That's a real good reminder.  I was aware of that and hope I've gotten all the silica off.  I prepped the mufflers last night and only spot blasted the rusty areas, which were mostly just the factory welds and where the clamps were.  I spent a lot of time hand sanding everything, especially where I had blasted, then washed them down real good with lacquer thinner.  I also ran a flap wheel on a die grinder over all the blasted areas.

When you talk about a "Metal Prep" are you talking about a rust conversion product like RustMort?  I could hit the areas with that too.  I don't want the paint to peel after all this effort. As with any paint job, the result is only as good as the prep.

I know it sounds a little anal putting this much work into a pair of mufflers but I hate to see rust under my car when it's up on the hoist, and the connections did need to be updated.  The annual run to the salt flats definitely takes it's toll on unprotected areas.  I still am finding salt in hidden places where things bolt together and usually rust in the same areas.  I'm finding I almost have to disassemble most everything and at least replace the rusted fasteners.  One trip to Bonneville has done more damage than the 60,000 miles and 9 years prior to that.  I accept it as all part of driving a rod and it IS worth it.
 
Now I've got to work on the oven.

[Bruce Dorsi]

When you talk about a "Metal Prep" are you talking about a rust conversion product like RustMort?  

"Metal Prep 5717S" is DuPont's tradename for a phosphoric acid-based metal conditioner.  

Several other companies offer a similar product, and it's usually available wherever bodyshop & paint supplies are sold.

These conditioners are clear liquid, and do not remain on the metal.  

WEAR RUBBER GLOVES and apply with a brush or rag like you would apply any solvent.  

Rinse with water to neutralize the acid, even though this seems counter-productive.  ......There will be some flash-rusting as the water dries, but this is not detrimental.  Apply your coating of choice.  

The acid wash promotes adhesion of the coating, and also removes the silica from the blasting process.

[purplepickup]

Thanks.  I've got some 5717S and I'll use it tonight.

[Jbird]

[qu....These same paints, as well as Eastwood's exhaust coating, failed miserably when applied over newly-blasted steel....ote]

I took a set of brand new Sanderson BB headers bead blasted them thoroughly, washed them first with lacquer thinner then with a mild dish soap solution, rinsed them thoroughly and dried them in the hot Cali sun for a few hours. Then I coated them with Eastwoods silver header stuff. After the coating cured they were gorgeous. The next morning I fired up the brand new ZZ502, in just a few seconds the coating began peeling off in huge flakes. By the time I had the initial break in done the headers were almost completely bare metal again and there were large silver flakes all over the floor behind the car. I pulled the headers back off and sprayed them with VHT black. I used the Eastwood stuff from the same can to coat the three year old headers on Ugbugly. I didn't clean them nearly as good as I did the Sandersons. A year later they still look real nice. I'm not sure if it was the unseasoned metal of the new headers or the intense heat of the brand new engine breaking in that caused the  coating to fail.
  Jbird

[Auto-Part]

Best paint in the World is Tremclad I have had great sucess with it and it stays on for years and years. Best part is you can buy it just abought any where. Look for their Hi temp holds upto 1200 degrees, even their regular paint holds-up to engine temp upto 350 degrees. Love their silver paint on intake manifols and anything elese you want shiny. Latter