header question

[74340charger]

okay, I am looking for cheap reliable headers and X pipe for my 74. It has a 360 that will get a preformer intake,  mild cam and mild head work eventually. I live in Michigan and my car is stored under covers and tarps durning winter, but still out side. I drive it when it rains as well. I want to know if there is a thread on this already. I just want to know what you guys found works and how big a pain they were to install your self. Also, do I need to wrap them? and what wrap should I use. No muffler shop in the area deals with the old mopars, so I don't trust them to  say what works good in my car. thanks.

[RallyeMike]

If the car is outside, the headers are going to rust. I would not waste money on coated or chome headers. If you are looking for cost-effectiveness, Hedman makes inexpensive street headers which generally fit well in my experience. Everyone has a good or bad story about every header manufacturuer.....

Small block headers are bit of a pain to install and more so if you have column linkage for the trans. Spend your money on the best flange gaskets around so that you don't have to fight leaks all the time. Header wrap is not a good option for the street. They hold in moisture when the car sits and gather grease and dirt. It's better to leave them painted black and sand and touch them up each year with 1500 degree flat black exhaust paint.

[74340charger]

I am glad that i don't have a colum shift, and thank you for the response. That answered everything I needed. Pretty much the only thing that I am good at is painting stuff that doens't need to look perfect.

[myk]

I'm thinking about headers as well.  Why would ceramic coated/chrome headers be a waste?

[aifilaw]

ceramic coated headers are meant for those people usually pushing a lot of HP, or a lot of heat (turbo's). They are an added cost that can be unneccessary depending on the build, but I'd say 400-450+ HP would be a good mark to start using ceramic coating, unless its just at the dragstrip, in which case why bother.

[myk]

That's good news, considering that ceramic coatings can go for as much as $200, or more than some headers.  So, do headers and manifolds throw off the same amount of heat, then?  I've got to keep those underhood temperatures down...

[rob9593]

I'm not so sure the ceramic coating is such a waste......uncoated headers will look like crap in no time....period,

Coated headers will look presentable much longer, regardless of HP level........ if cost is your main motivator, don't get the coating, but if you want it to look nice under the hood, it's almost a 'must have' in my humble opinion.

Furthermore, coated headers are supposed to keep under hood temperatures cooler by letting less heat radiate into the engine bay....I haven't seen any evidence that would either confirm or refute this, but that's what they say anyway.....

I suspect it works, because quality engine builders are coating the tops of their pistons, and in the cylinder heads with similar stuff and they are making more power with it

[RallyeMike]

I think you missed the original point:

....... looking for cheap reliable headers .............. car is stored under covers and tarps durning winter, but still out side. I drive it when it rains as well............

Coated headers are expensive, and they will rust too, just a little slower. At least he will be able to touch-up black-painted headers and make them look semi decent.

[myk]

Ok, my only question is about heat suppression then-does the ceramic coating help to reduce underhood temperatures? 

[aifilaw]

Ok, my only question is about heat suppression then-does the ceramic coating help to reduce underhood temperatures? 

It does in fact do exactly that, Dependant on the quality and thickness of the ceramic coat depends on how well it does and how long it will last, effectively it does not allow heat to soak through at that point, but the heat must be dissipated elsewhere...further down the exhaust pipe.
Most people end up doing things like wrapping heat wrap around their starter to keep the headers from overheating it and thus being unable to start their engine while the compartment is still hot.