Using A Ceramic Header Coating To Reduce Engine Temperatures

By Javier Beddingfield

Reducing engine temperatures through application of a ceramic header coating can be a smart thing to do under certain situations, but most especially when safety and performance matter when it comes to an engine. Getting the temperature of a vehicle power plant down, especially near the head of the exhaust header, can be important because doing so may help improve performance while also improving safety.

For one, an engine bay or a compartment and the like that puts out a great deal of temperature, such as when a motorcycle engine is putting out exhaust through its exhaust headers or a street rod doing the same thing can generate extreme temperatures. When it does this, not only does performance suffer but people near these headers are in danger of burns if they accidentally touch header surfaces.

This is why it can be wise to look at anything on an engine that tends to emanate heat or that tends to build up heat within its interior surfaces. Taking a set of exhaust headers, for example, and then coating their interior or exterior (or both) surfaces with the right material can help to get temperatures emanating from the surface down to at least 300 degrees Fahrenheit from a high of 1200 degrees.

It's been the case that high-tech ceramics have been used for a variety of applications for decades, including with the space shuttle. Ceramic tiles, made with an ultra-secret manufacturing process, sit on the underbelly of the space shuttle and help to control heat build up that the shuttle experiences upon reentry into the atmosphere. These ceramic tiles do so quite easily, in truth.

There are a wide variety of ceramic header coating materials that can be found in a great many different motorcycle and automotive applications. For anybody who's ever ridden a motorcycle and who's had the misfortune to touch that exhaust header or pipe, appreciating the fact that a coating may be able to protect delicate skin should be reason enough for thinking about having it applied.

In general, the typical ceramic coating is intended to be applied to exhaust headers to control heat while also providing a great deal of protection from the elements, such as against salt spray that can end up hitting headers and other engine components. This usually is welcome protection, considering how much road salt can end up on the ground during a typical northern winter.

There are actually quite a few businesses that can be found online and which specialize in applying a nice ceramic header coating. Just check out the kinds of coatings they offer and what each is intended to do. Generally speaking, most such header coatings are meant to not only protect exterior surfaces but also to be applied to interior surfaces to smooth exhaust flow and increase engine performance. - 32198

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here