Peter Ficklin asks about exhaust manifold paint.
After twenty years of restoring british cars and
experimenting with all those so-called high heat
paints I finally discovered something four years ago
which really works. It has been on the exhaust manifold
of my 47 Packard for four years now and still looks
like it was applied yesterday. I did the headers on my
1275 Cooper S a year ago and they still look like new.
This product works equally well on cast iron or mild
steel tubing. The most important thing to remember is
GOOD SURFACE PREPARATION! You MUST sandblast or glass
bead the manifold and then DO NOT TOUCH IT WITH BARE
HANDS! Use clean cotton gloves or the like to handle it
after preparation, just the natural oils from your skin
can be enough to prevent proper adhesion. It's also a
good idea to blast it off with Brakleen or spray carb
cleaner to remove any unseen oil. Next step is to warm
it up, either in the hot sun, in an oven set to 125
degrees fahrenheit or using a hot air gun or welding
torch. While it is warm spray on several coats of COLD
GALVANISING, it comes in spray cans and is made by LPS.
If you cannot find it in your hardware stores' paint
section check at an industrial supply store. Cold
Galvanising is something like 90% pure zinc and is the
only coating save for porcelain that I have found that
actually stays on. Remember, proper surface preparation
is essential for a well done job. BTW, this product
only comes in a light grey colour similar to fresh cast
iron, I think it looks good with any engine colour. Jim.
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