Pipe Symmetry Question

olddog · #9 (**permalink**) 03-06-2016, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Springbok

Its a pretty noticeable gap in my opinion, but you are right, I probably wouldn't be stoked on the touch up since the car is just as clean under as it is on top.

If I just get a new header and get it aligned properly, I can send that out to get coated again right?

"Picky" was a poor choice of word, since it implies judgement. I should have used "concerned," "discriminatory," "astute", or well I just can't put my finger on the best word.

Yes you can build new and have it ceramic coated. Just make sure it is perfect before you have it coated. But will the new pipe match the other side. Maybe have to do both sides. This is not going to be inexpensive, but it may help your back to be sitting on a thinner wallet.

Is the header to side pipe connection a slip fit or a flange? I had slip fit that leaked fumes, and I converted it to a flange. That allowed me to adjust what I needed before welding. I touched it up with a ceramic paint. Color is similar, but noticeable. So I painted everything from the flange to the engine. The color difference from inside the engine bay to outside is not noticeable (if you know it and look for it you can see a difference, but with the shading under hood, the average person will not notice). The only place you can see a line, where the color changes, is under the car.

The ceramic paint does not hold up like a ceramic coating. It started to show rust in ~4 years on parts that were bare metal. I just touched it up again last year. Where I painted over the ceramic still looks good. I was concerned that the paint would not stick to ceramic. I cannot remember how I prepped the surface. I considered light sanding, but cannot remember if I did it.

I'm not recommending this, but it gave OK results for me. The paint has a slightly dull look compared to the ceramic coating. Being totally honest the paint in no way is as nice as a coating. OK for me may not be OK for you. Try putting some ceramic paint on you lawn mower exhaust and see what it looks like.