I have just refinished my exhaust manifolds with a high temp cast. I don't really like the way they came out. I've been looking through the archives for different methods. Has anyone tried a high temp clear to keep them looking original. Should I try a different cast paint, Mine came out a to dark. Any ideas would be great.Thanks Mike
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Re: Exhaust manifold refinishing
I used from Resto Labs the makers of POR 15 their exhaust paint. Mine came out beautiful. They have a grayish tint but look like cast. -
Re: Exhaust manifold refinishing
Mike, Eastwood has a stainless steel , high heat manifold paint that I used on my 65. Looks really good. If your going to have the car judged I would not put anything on the manifold. We like to see some rust.Comment
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Re: Exhaust manifold refinishing
Eastwood also offers a factory cast iron that is flatter than the stainless steel.I have used both with success.Comment
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Re: Exhaust manifold refinishing
I have posted my method several times that Iused several years ago. I did a lite sandblast of the manifolds with a fine sand to clean them up. I then put a rust treatment on them called OSPHO. It turns the rust down in the pits to iron phoshate(blackish). This prevents rust from blooming later. I then put on a high temperature clear from VHT. You can get it at speed shops. They looked natural and stayed that way for 10+ years. I Duntov and BG the car during this time with no deducts. The cast blast and other gray paint really shows up as paint when car is judged.Comment
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Follow-up to Ken's technique
Ken,
I've been experimenting with several paints to use on my exhuast manifolds and I've tried the VHT clear coat (SP-115, I believe) you suggest. When I heat cured the manifold at 550 degree F, the clear coat turned quite dark. Much darker than the shade it was after sandbalsting. Am I doing something wrong or should it really turn that dark? Sandblasting got rid of all the rust so I didn't use a phosphoric acid treatment. There's no hint of rust on the heat cured part, so I don't think the lack of the acid treatment is causing the dark, post-heat curing shade.
Any thoughts?
GaryComment
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Re: Exhaust manifold refinishing
Ken,
You must be the fellow who wrote an article about this process in the Restorer several years back. I've used your process on my '64 manifolds back in 1991 & they still look great. They've darkened a bit over time -- I suspect that this is due the the clear. At the time I restored the car & had it judged at the Nationals, the judges had no problem at all with the finish.
Since then, I've done a set of manifolds for a 65 big block Corvette & for a '41 Lincoln Continental Convertible (the owner runs a Corvette restoration shop) with good success. The only refinements I've made was to keep the Ospho wet on the manifold -- do not let it dry. I then use a solvent like carb cleaner or mineral spirits to remove the wet Ospho. This leaves a consistent finish. If I see black specs, the part goes back into the bead blaster to remove the specs, & the process is repeated.
Fred OComment
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We all have 'pet' methods....
And, repeating from a prior thread in the archives, I prefer TechLine, Colorgard, Cast Iron. EXPENSIVE! A 4 oz can is around $35, available from CastLine Coatings, Inc. 559 W. Main Street Gas City, Indiana.
You put it on SUPERTHIN using an airbrush, allow to dry overnight then heat hardened it on the engine. Product was designed for coating the exhaust nozzles of jet aircraft. HIGHLY durable and 'virtually' undetectable once applied.Comment
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Re: We all have 'pet' methods....
Anyone interested you can buy direct from Tech Line. The address I have is P.O. Box 2113 Waxahachie, Texas 75168 Ph. (972)923-0752. Web site http://dm.deskmedia.com/~techline/index.htmlComment
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