Can anyone advise me on what product you may have used to paint your exhaust manifolds? On my 72 I used Por 15 Manifold gray and after about a couple years or so it turned rusted so it apparently burned off. I think that when I ought the POR 15 the selling point was it would not burn off.

Now on my 68 I tried using Bill Hirsch manifold paint with a primer they recommended. Now its beginning to look what appears to either being discolored or rusted and I am not even finished with the car yet. Both sets of manifolds were brand new from Thorntons.

Anyone found anything else that works and last, or am I just spinning my wheels? Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Gary

 

Unfortunately most products need touch after time. The VHT header and manifold paint is pretty good.

 

You can have them Ceramic Coated, but it isn't cheap.

 

NO NO NO, I used Cast Blast it last 10 years and still looks great now as then. And Cast Blast looks just like cast iron. Use what you want but for me its Cast Blast bye Seymour only. High Temp. Sold on East Bay Auctions or EBAY
Gerald

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I just ordered 4 cans of the cast blast from Summitt racing.

 

Spray graphite from Home Depot, $4.50 a can. Got the idea from a Corvette restoration website. Easy to apply (spray then quickly brush out with a toothbrush) and easy to touch up when needed. A little darker than "cast grey" but I've sold brand new GM manifolds that were just as dark. Use rubber gloves and be aware that some will rub off if you're working around the manifolds. I always get compliments and asked what's on them.

 

I use the cast blast and seems to last quite a while.

 

You ordered 4 cans for one car or more cars ? You will be happy for a long time.

 

For my two cars. I have already pulled both sets off and prep them.

 

I used Eastwood Stainless Steel paint. I'm not sure if its still available but i have a pint can, no kidding, that i bought in 1991.

I painted the entire engine in my 65 Plymouth hot rod with it because it really looks like cast aluminum. That car burned to the ground due to an "unfortunate" nitrous backfire . I had to chip the carburetor off the intake but the paint survived.

Next i painted the headers on my blown BBC in my 69 GTO. The were ceramic coated but I had to modify some tubes so I found i still had that can of paint. It worked perfect and they never discolored for over 15 years. I may have touched them up but it always blended perfect. And this was on steel tubing, not a casting.

So here I am, 27 years later. I still have the can and its still 3/4 full. I'm detailing the engine in my 61 and get to the rusty exhaust manifolds. I hit them with some carb cleaner and a wire brush and blow them off with compressed air. I break out the pint can and a foam brush and.......Wala! They look amazing. I've put a couple hundred miles on it so far and the engine paint (high heat Krylon) has discolored on the intake at the heat riser and at the center exhaust port slightly but the Stainless Steel paint looks like the day I put it on.

Edit: This may be a little "light" colored for exhaust manifolds it certainly doesn't look like cast iron, it looks like cast aluminum. I would consider it as a base coat protectant for cast iron though as it seems to really penetrate into the pores of the metal.

 

If you use Eastwoods Stainless Steel around the exhaust ports, the finned areas that tend to burn off, your top coat of engine paint will last much longer. Proved it by doing it to only one head once.