Thursday, August 14, 2008

Tech Tip: Exhaust Manifold Paint

For those of you out there who spend as much time, if not more time, cleaning and detailing your engine compartment than you do cleaning the rest of your car, this tip is for you. If you drive your car regularly, and also maintain a spotless engine compartment, you probably have a problem keeping your exhaust manifolds looking good. Exhaust manifolds on a car that is frequently driven, quickly loose their luster. They become coated with oxidation. Many exhaust paints used to cover up this fine layer of rust often flake off requiring repainting of the manifolds. I am not one to spend countless hours cleaning my engine compartment. I am lucky to keep my car's exterior clean. My exhaust manifolds, however, are very presentable. When the engine was detailed, almost three years ago, the exhaust manifolds were painted with a spray paint manufactured by Seymor Paint. Ken Smizinski, our President and frequent "tech tip" source did my engine detailing. He has graciously provided us with the following recipe for exhaust manifold painting success.


First, remove your exhaust manifolds from your engine. You should get new exhaust manifold gaskets whenever you remove and replace your exhaust manifolds. Beware of over-tightening your exhaust manifold bolts upon reinstallation. Too much torque can result in a cracked exhaust manifold. Check your shop manual for the proper torque setting!!

Once you have removed your exhaust manifolds you should have them sand blasted or bead blasted to remove the top layer of oxidation. You can use a wire brush attachment for a power drill, but the only known failure among those of us who have tried this paint occurred on exhaust manifolds which were cleaned only with a wire brush. Be sure you do not touch the surface of your exhaust manifolds after they have been cleaned. The paint will not adhere to oils or grease. The oil from your fingertips is enough to ruin an otherwise perfect painted surface.

The paint to use is Seymor's Cast Iron Paint. It only comes in grey. It is available through your local auto parts store. The paint is good up to temperatures of 1200 degrees. One spray can, if used properly, is enough to do one set of exhaust manifolds and your heat riser. Spray using light coats. Keep the can approximately 8 to 10 inches away from the surface being painted. There is no need to use a primer. Once your paint is dry, place your painted exhaust manifolds in an oven pre-heated to 500 degrees for one hour. After one hour, turn the oven off. Leave the door closed and let your parts cool down slowly. After the manifolds have reached room temperature, you can reinstall them. As I stated before, my exhaust manifolds were done this way three years ago and they still look very good. I thank Ken for providing this information and testimonial.

Source: CTCC Tech-Tip Manual 1993-1997

1 comment:

magi said...

Excellent dear... I love it! very creative! That's actually really cool Thanks. Exhaust Tip