exhaust manifold paint

[Old26Buick]

Having three 27 Buick exhaust manifolds repaired. What is a good black exhaust paint ? Every can I have says to paint manifold and then start engine right up to cure the paint. It will be impossible to do this as I have other work to do on engine after installing the manifold. Looking for paint that doesn't have to be heated up after painting , Thanks

[pont35cpe]

I had my Buick exhaust manifolds ceramic coated at a place that does powder coating..

[Bob Engle]

I painted my manifold and then put it in my grill and heated it to 500 degrees and left it sit for about 1/2 hour.  I prefer VHT manifold paints.  They don't discolor as much as other paints.

 

Bob Engle

[Terry Wiegand]

The ceramic coating is the way to go.  You will have a lower under hood operating temperature plus no rust to look ugly.  I did this on the cast iron exhaust and cast aluminum intake on my '16 D-45.  Haven't gotten them into use yet, but,

they sure look nice.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

[FLYER15015]

I used VHT flat black from Autozone and it has held up very well for about 5 years now.

And I still like Terry's picture above, even though it's not his house.

Mike in Colorado

[27donb]

I've been using Eastwood Grey Manifold Paint and I like it.  Original cast iron would be flat in color, although I like the idea of ceramic coated.

 

The Eastwood paint is inexpensive and can be brushed on and touched up easily.

 

I don't really worry about the curing, just brush it on and whenever the manifold gets used it will cure.

 

http://www.eastwood.com/factory-gray-hi-temp-coating.html

 

Can anyone post a picture of their ceramic coated manifold?  I would like to see what it looks like.

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2017 by 27donb
spacing (see edit history)

[26-25Buick]

Donb is correct that a number of high heat liquid coatings are designed to dry but they require heat to cure fully, especially the ones with a silicon backbone. So you can paint the manifold, allow it to dry and reassemble it at your leisure and once you fire up the car for the first time it will finish curing. If you really wanted to get fancy though you'd have a primer coat of inorganic zinc silicate and put the silicon over the top. The zinc stops those pesky little rust spots that can appear in silicon due to it's relatively high porosity. These coatings are one of those things where more is not better, keep them thin and even for the best result.

 

A word to those who are considering the grill option, it is very effective but be warned some of these paints will produce considerable fumes which can be a little unpleasant especially if the area around the grill is not well ventilated or the wind is blowing the wrong way. A couple of other pointers which might seem obvious but do not allow direct flame to contact the paint while it is curing and keep in mind the paint might soften during the heating process before it is fully cured so be mindful of how you support the piece you are curing.

 

A quick word on the ceramic coatings. Make sure whoever is putting it on has plenty of experience. They're really good when they are done properly but they can be a nightmare if not. Main issues range from poor adhesion to excessive porosity.

 

Be interested to see what people have done and how successful it's been. If you can post the failures and the good stories as we can learn from them both. If you have photos please share.

[pont35cpe]

Here is a couple pictures of mine. They can be done in black..  Tom

[pont35cpe]

Also here is a picture of my `36 Buick intake with ceramic coated exhaust manifold..  Tom

[Terry Wiegand]

Here is a photo of the manifolds for my 1916 D-45 Buick.  I am very happy with the results and especially the cast aluminum intake. I had considered polishing the intake, but, once I saw what the ceramic coating would end up looking like, I forgot about that completely.  I had Center Line Coatings out in Portland, Oregon do the work on these pieces for me.  The cost was very reasonable in my opinion.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

[avgwarhawk]

I used this: 

Eckler's Premier Quality Products 33-253839 Calyx Exhaust Manifold Dressing

 

It can be applied with brush or flannel rag while the manifold is installed.  Therefore you can do it last when the engine is in and ready to fire for the first time.  I used it on my 54 and it looks great.   

[27donb]

6 hours ago, pont35cpe said:

Also here is a picture of my `36 Buick intake with ceramic coated exhaust manifold..  Tom

 

 

Those all look great.  I really like a clean well detailed engine.