Header Question

-
JTG

JTG

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
799
Reaction score
46
Is it just me or do headers radiate a lot of heat inside the engine compartment, my car always runs at normal operating temperature, but after its been driven and one goes under the hood every single component so hot to touch even the windshield washer reservoir, fender walls, battery cables, I'm talking everything under there.
 
Depends on your painting/coating. The paint they are shipped in is just that, shipping paint. It'll burn off. The regular header paint you can spray em with is ceramic and will hold up against the temp. But won't really help keep temps down. There is ceramic coating that is supposed to drop temps by 30*+ and the headers can be touched about 5 minutes after running (so I've heard) but it's expensive stuff.
 
Then there's also header wrap to contain a lot of it.
That's actually just one of the reasons I put a hood scoop on.
 
TrailBeast said:
Then there's also header wrap to contain a lot of it.
That's actually just one of the reasons I put a hood scoop on.
Click to expand...

Almost forgot about that. The biggest deal with header wrap though is to make sure you coat or paint them right. Or the heat/condensation will eat away the pipes post haste.
 
Lustle said:
Almost forgot about that. The biggest deal with header wrap though is to make sure you coat or paint them right. Or the heat/condensation will eat away the pipes post haste.
Click to expand...

Mine are aluminized. :D
I couldn't bring myself to wrap them up.
 
How good is your tune? That can create excessive heat. What type of fan are you running? How hot is hot, do you have an IR gun?

Header I would think would heat up and cool faster than cast iron manifolds. To me the higher flow of headers could possibly stay cooler than restrictive manifolds that slow exhaust gasses. In the end its probably a wash.
 
From my experience, the coating on the headers doesn't matter when using the header wrap. The rust through comes from condensation inside the tubes. It's especially quick if you drive short distances and don't get enough heat throughout the system to keep condensation at bay. My personal preference is not to use header wrap unless you've got a race vehicle, where it can help performance.
 
dano said:
How good is your tune? That can create excessive heat. What type of fan are you running? How hot is hot, do you have an IR gun?

Header I would think would heat up and cool faster than cast iron manifolds. To me the higher flow of headers could possibly stay cooler than restrictive manifolds that slow exhaust gasses. In the end its probably a wash.
Click to expand...



^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^

Fix your tune up.
 
JTG said:
Is it just me or do headers radiate a lot of heat inside the engine compartment, my car always runs at normal operating temperature, but after its been driven and one goes under the hood every single component so hot to touch even the windshield washer reservoir, fender walls, battery cables, I'm talking everything under there.
Click to expand...

No it's not just you, headers do radiate huge amounts of heat. So do your engine a favor; give her fresh cold air. Stop forcing her to try to make power on that stinking hot air. It can't be done.I mean you try running around the block with your head in an oven!lol
The first few inches of your uncoated headers can run an easy 600*F and hotter; they can run 400plus at idle . Your rad and every part attached to the engine,is kicking out around 200*F. Your P/S pump is probably pushing 150 plus.You realize your wife's oven runs cooler than all this?
If this air can't get away it just keeps getting hotter and hotter. That's just one more reason to run a 7-blade all steel factory-type fan, and keep it spinning.
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone for the responses, my hooker headers are ceramic coated inside and out, operating temperature on a cool summer day is 180 and on very hot humid day it climbs to 190-200, trans (727) temp is always at 150. Engine has about 600 miles on it so all fluids and tune up parts are fresh, engine is a modified 340 and has a high lift cam (520 lift) 750 Holley, Torker2 intake, 10" non-lockup 3500 stall and 3.91 in the diff.
Car is running the factory 7 blade fan with shroud, 3 core rad, high flow water pump and air dam on front valance. The car does run exceptionally well and has never over heated.
 
JTG said:
Thanks everyone for the responses, my hooker headers are ceramic coated inside and out, operating temperature on a cool summer day is 180 and on very hot humid day it climbs to 190-200, trans (727) temp is always at 150. Engine has about 600 miles on it so all fluids and tune up parts are fresh, engine is a modified 340 and has a high lift cam (520 lift) 750 Holley, Torker2 intake, 10" non-lockup 3500 stall and 3.91 in the diff.
Car is running the factory 7 blade fan with shroud, 3 core rad, high flow water pump and air dam on front valance. The car does run exceptionally well and has never over heated.
Click to expand...

Was your engine broken in before you put it in? Gotta be careful with ceramic coated headers. An engine makes a lot more heat than usual during its break in. Less than 600 miles would still be during break in. Certain header companies recommend against running their coated headers before the engine is broken in.
 
Lustle said:
Was your engine broken in before you put it in? Gotta be careful with ceramic coated headers. An engine makes a lot more heat than usual during its break in. Less than 600 miles would still be during break in. Certain header companies recommend against running their coated headers before the engine is broken in.
Click to expand...

The headers I had sent out to be ceramic coated and were just re-installed recently.
 
AJ/FormS said:
Sounds like your cooling system is well-sorted. Sounds like mine.
Your engine sounds like mine too, except mine is a teensy bit bigger at 367
You are gonna have so much fun!
Click to expand...
Thanks AJ/FormS
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top