Painting Exhaust Manifolds?

[colnago]

Sorry if this has been discussed before. I can't afford headers for my rebuild, so I'm resorting to the stock exhaust manifolds. However, they look like trash, so I want to paint them with super-duper-heat-resistant paint. Eastwood sells some paint that I'll probably use, but they don't sell primer. Should I prime them with something? If so, does anyone have any recommendations? I picked up a can of VHT flame-proof paint at AutoZone the other day, and it said that it works best over primer, but they didn't even have a spot for flame-proof primer on the shelf.

What to do?

Joseph

[MadJoe]

I wanted VHT Primer for my intake and had a hard time locating it locally, but I did end up finding it on Amazon. Unfortunately Amazon is sometimes a little too proud of their VHT products (like now it's over $17 a can at the moment but has been as low as $8 recently), but the prices fluctuate pretty regularly. If you can wait for a better price, you can use the camelcamelcamel extension to watch Amazon's prices on specific items and receive an email alert if the price you set is met or beaten. That's how I get my VHT from them, anyway.

-Joe

[eggman918]

I recently did the manifold turbo exhaust housings and hot pipe running between the two turbos I used the silver wood stove paint from my local Ace hardware store I think it was good to 1,200* but it might have been 1,500*. I did not use primer but i did grit blast everything and after 2 or 3 coats I baked them at 400* in a Sunbeam portable roaster oven i picked up at a thrift store for the shop for this and preheating slow cooling cast iron and carbon steel when welding. I only have ~2,000 miles on them but so far so good

[1972hiboy]

I used a POR-15 product. They have a manifold paint , I brushed it on, no primer. I bead blasted mine and planed them before painting. I used silver color, they still look great.

[Manny]

The vht flat black has been holding onto my turbo housing and manifolds on my dually for 3-4 years. Its very watery thin, and may have a few rust specs as time goes by but once it heats again it goes away. Very good product and has held on well. The other thing i would say would be the KBS coating flame proof have not used that KBS product but used many KBS products with great success.