Ceramic Coated Headers: Are They Worth It

My career as an automotive improvement expert began when I modified my first car. Since then, as a car enthusiast and published author, my obsession with the automobile has led me to enhance tons of vehicles both inside and out. That’s why I’m thrilled to be a part of a brand new series designed to help keep your car looking great and your engine running like new! I’m Chris Duke, and welcome to eHow’s Auto Center brought to you by Mobil1! Hey Chris, I’m thinking of getting some ceramic coated headers for my car but they cost more than usual headers. Are they really worth the extra money? Thanks! Thanks for the question John. Before we dive into this question, let’s give a little background on the difference between standard and ceramic coated headers. Standard headers are usually made from stainless steel. They look great but still mostly dissipate heat just like standard headers. Ceramic-coated headers are exactly what they sound like--headers that have had a ceramic coating bonded to them. The coating process is what causes the majority of the price increase over standard headers due to the complexity of the bonding process and materials involved. Now as far as whether the increased cost is worth it… if you are looking for a performance increase or other increased benefits from a header swap out, then these are some of the differences you can expect. The ceramic coating will help insulate the engine compartment from the heat of escaping exhaust gases. This combined with the fact that the escaping exhaust gases stay hotter longer as they exit through the exhaust system will cause the velocity of the escaping exhaust to increase, which will in turn provide a slight horsepower increase. The ceramic coating makes the headers MUCH easier to clean when detailing your engine. It also makes them much easier to check when looking for possible cracks or exhaust leaks. The other components in the engine compartment will benefit from the lower operating temperature due to the insulation from the ceramic coating. Even though a slight temperature decrease under the hood may not sound like much, anything that helps the other components run cooler helps prolong the life of your engine, and that’s always a good thing. The ceramic coating is an excellent barrier against rust and corrosion. It is also helps extend the life over traditional headers due to not having the same problems when it comes to expansion and flexing due to heat buildup when in use. For hobbyists and hot rod builders, ceramic headers look fantastic and are much easier to keep clean when you’re doing that super detail job for a car show or other event. So, with all of those pluses in mind, why would you not go with ceramic coated headers? Well, cost is always a factor. If you are needing to replace the headers on your daily driver then you probably aren’t as concerned over looks or horsepower increases, and while not as flashy, OEM headers or even standard third party replacement headers still provide more than adequate results for the job they are designed for. The final decision is going to come down to your budget and performance plans, and what fits those requirements the best. Thanks for the question John! I hope this information makes it easier for you to decide what is best for your vehicle! For eHow’s Auto Center, I’m Chris Duke. Here’s to helping keep your car running like new!