Anyone now the best brand paint to spray on headers?

I've post this before..dont laugh....Home Depot BarBQ paint....its a dull black, but it works really well!

VHT flameproof coating is the best spray paint I've ever used on headers. All the others I tried, and they were many, couldn't take the heat. The VHT usually last a few years anyways before you need to recoat them from my experience. The dull aluminum color is the one I really like. If you need a part number I think I have a can of it in the shop and can post it for you tomorrow.

Every new pair I get first thing I do is beadblast them, cut the primary flanges off and grind the primary tube flanges so there are three individual flanges on a small block header, wipe them down with MEK and paint them with VHT, before I ever install a set.

Dave

[This message has been edited by SY1 (edited 07-11-2002).]

what the heck is MEK
LOL http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif
i have heard of brakekleen,mineral spirits,paint thinner,acetone,alcohol,
and vodka being used before paint,Tho...
{the vodka was ingested into the painters mouth via a glass} http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif

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'67 RS 427,4 Speed
Disc brakes,console, fold down rear seat,heater,
Radio Delete, Cowl hood,front,rear spoilers,
Black/black; white bumblebee stripe
Click to see my Camaro (http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/cavemanmoron/vwp?.dir=/camaro+pics&.dnm=67rscamaro427email.jpg&.src=ph&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/cavemanmoron/vwp%3f.dir=/camaro%2bpics%26.dnm=%252767%2bCamaro%2bRS%2bSS%2b 427.jpg%26.src=ph)

MEK = Methyl Ethyl Ketone - just another nasty solvent. that probably causes cancer in rats.

I have had pretty good success with the POR Silver Header paint. Seems to hold up real nice. It's pretty soft until you run the car a bit and bake it on. I cleaned and sanded mine first, applied 2 coats with a 24 hour dry time in between, and then did some minor touch up once they were installed. It was going to be at least a day until I fired it up so the touch up paint had plenty of time to dry as well. Once I ran the car the paint smoothed out and hardened up and still looks great. Looks kind of like a less expensive ceramic coating.

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Scott
'69 400SB, Richmond 5-speed
www.geocities.com/sdenning1 (http://www.geocities.com/sdenning1)

Caveman,
I like the vodka idea! I will try that.

MEK actually if absorbed through the skin accumulates in the liver and can cause damage there. Just wear latex gloves and change them often, nitrile gloves won't hold up to MEK. The stuff sounds nasty, and probably is, but if you read the MSDS for any of the chemicals we're using in our hobby then you'd probably be afraid to use most of the stuff. I've used it for over 20 years, almost daily in aerospace applications. The reason being it's simply the best at degreasing and prepping for paint that we've found. Some problems are an EXTREMELY low flash point, you can see the stuff evaporate off the garage floor if you spill it and it has pretty strong fumes, use only in well ventilated areas.

You know there are probably safer alternatives that'll work almost as well, I'd use them first for home use.

Dave

[This message has been edited by SY1 (edited 07-12-2002).]

MEK = Methyl Ethyl Death --- very nasty stuff and like posted above LOW FLASH POINT. If your going to use it make sure its in an open area and do not use any spark generator devices around it (grinders, drills,heaters etc)

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Jeff 67/68 & 69 RS's
65 442
http://hobbystage.net/camaro/hawaiiancamaro/index.html

Jeff,
That explains why the guys doing wing planks jobs on the jets don't stay in the business very long. You're right, for home use there are better alternatives, I've gotten used to the stuff, need to take a lot of precautions, hopefully it doesn't catch up to me some day.

I remember many years ago watching guys wash their hands and arms in it because it took the paint and sealants off so well. Man you wouldn't do that today!

Dave

I issue that stuff out by the 5 gal can to the airframe guys. it does the trick but nothing I want to be using and I have a few pallets of the stuff.

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Jeff 67/68 & 69 RS's
65 442
http://hobbystage.net/camaro/hawaiiancamaro/index.html

Jeff,
That's about how we use it to. As nasty as it is I find it odd that anyone can walk into a Lowe's and walk out with a can of the stuff. Pretty scary that it's probably laying around in a lot of guys garages in the heat.

Dave

I used the POR-20 aluminum color paint this time but it just bubbled off. I am thinking it was improper surface preparation. I did have them sandblasted and did not handle them at all but they look like crap. This is the third coating attempt and there will not be a fifth. They are going to Jet Hot or someone else to get sprayed next time. I am done with this. Too much work to get the drivers side in and out over and over and over again.

-Mark.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SY1:
Caveman,
I like the vodka idea! I will try that.

MEK actually if absorbed through the skin accumulates in the liver and can cause damage there. Just wear latex gloves and change them often, nitrile gloves won't hold up to MEK. The stuff sounds nasty, and probably is, but if you read the MSDS for any of the chemicals we're using in our hobby then you'd probably be afraid to use most of the stuff. I've used it for over 20 years, almost daily in aerospace applications. The reason being it's simply the best at degreasing and prepping for paint that we've found. Some problems are an EXTREMELY low flash point, you can see the stuff evaporate off the garage floor if you spill it and it has pretty strong fumes, use only in well ventilated areas.

You know there are probably safer alternatives that'll work almost as well, I'd use them first for home use.

Dave

[This message has been edited by SY1 (edited 07-12-2002).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

LOL well i appreciate the heads up on the
MEK i have heard of methyl ethyl chloride
but not the mek... sounds nasty
how bout $2. per gallon mineral spirits,to do a rough clean and then brake kleen for just before paint?
or is isopropyl better, i have used both before painint rallye wheels,and happy with the results both ways....


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'67 RS 427,4 Speed
Disc brakes,console, fold down rear seat,heater,
Radio Delete, Cowl hood,front,rear spoilers,
Black/black; white bumblebee stripe
Click to see my Camaro (http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/8a118c5b/bc/camaro+pics/67rscamaro427email.jpg?bcw8KV9A97U9f2_Q)

SY1: Where did you get the VHT flameproof coating? Is it a spray?

Yes it is a spray paint. I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking it's similar to alumicoating headers. VHT calls it Flameproof due to the high temp tolerance they assigned to it.

I special ordered it at my local autoparts store. It used to be a Car Quest store, now it's an Auto Value store. Just have your parts store look up VHT paints in their catalogs. I bought my last can about 3 years ago. Many years ago you used to be able to buy it right off the shelf, many places had it in stock.

Dave

Hey if your going to use MPK or MEK, p is proypyl e is ethel don't use laytex gloves, it goes right thru them, the only approved long exposure glove , according to osha, is the siverline gloves, they will protect you for up to 8 hours. just went thru another training class at Boeing showing some funky skin and liver rot from not using proper protection....

Thanks Gary,

I notice my hands start to feel cold through the latex gloves after a few minutes working with the MEK, that's why we try to change them often. Not long after the temp change the gloves tend to fall apart. Tried Nitrile gloves but the fall apart rather quickly in MEK. We still need the nitrile for working with jet fuel, the latex falls apart in less than a minute in the jet fuel.