Painting an exhaust manifold

JRSutton · Apr 4, 2012

The 4h project is progressing - but one sticking point - what to do with the exhuast manifold.

We're going to paint everything, but not sure how to handle painting the manifold because of the heat issue.

What do most people do?

I know it's been discussed here, did some searching, found some ideas, but just don't have a feel for what most people actually DO.

Paint it and wait for it to burn and peel? Paint it high heat black? Buy a new one?

Is there a high heat red paint that's close to the IH red?

I hate to just stick this rusted mess back on.

I'd consider a new one if I knew they had some kind of solid finish that wasn't just going to flake off in a year.

Red Dave · Apr 4, 2012

The factory painted it red along with everything else. Then it would just burn off over time.

I like to clean them with a wire brush and paint them with black high temperature paint. It will still burn off over time, but it looks nice for a few years.

The new ones I have seen are unfinished, bare cast iron.

Yooper Farmall · Apr 4, 2012

I asked this same question awhile back and this is what it basically came down to.

Less expensive option:
If you can take it off and sandblast it, paint it with black BBQ paint. It'll last awhile

More expansive option:
send it off and have it ceramic coated, I looked at a couple of sites and I am guessing it might cost $100-$125

Keep in mind they were probably originally painted red while already on the tractor and the paint burned off in a couple of hours. Also keep in mind that with the hood on most of the manifold is covered.

JRSutton · Apr 4, 2012

Was looking at a new one the other day - almost looked like a ceramic kind of coating -but could have just been thick paint too. I didn't study it too carefully.

My goal is to get the tractor pretty much to what it was supposed to be from the factory - so maybe I'll just paint it.

JRSutton · Apr 4, 2012

excellent point on the hood covering it. That does make me less worried about it.

I've been looking at this thing for so long in its current condition I almost forgot it HAD a hood!

Paul Shuler · Apr 4, 2012

I painted mine with silver hi heat header paint almost ten years ago. I just notice the other day that just a little bit of it is starting to burn off. Didnt think that was too bad.

Andrew Z · Apr 4, 2012

What we have done is to paint the intake runners red and either leave the exhaust side alone or mask off the red and spray it with the high temp stuff. Like other said you dont see the exhaust too much.

Andrew

Anonymous-0 · Apr 4, 2012

Jet Hot ceramic coating. I had the headers of my last streetrod project done and they still look like new. Plus the coating is on the inside as well

IH fan · Apr 4, 2012

I don't know how this would work on cast, but with header pipes, the trick used to be to clean real good and coat with automatic transmission fluid. Then run to heat it up and the pipes would turn gray and not rust after the fluid burns off.
Not sure how cast will react, and not sure if it will get as hot as a header on a car without pulling something pretty hard for a while. Has anyone tried this on a cast iron tractor manifold?

mike1972chev · Apr 4, 2012

I panted mine with paint,but have to keep "touching it up" after a few months.(But mine sits in an unheated BARN also.)

Next time it is off,it will get Jet Hot,but like all are saying,MORE expensive!

George Rausch · Apr 4, 2012

Sands blasted mine, then painted with high-heat aluminum color. Looks fine, and after a few years, brush off the few rust spots, hit iit agin with high-heat aluminum, and it looks great again.

gene bender · Apr 4, 2012

You are restoring it correct just sand blast and paint it and then it will look just like factory what burns off will be OK

Rick Remmert · Apr 4, 2012

Painted mine with VHT high tempature paint from O'Reilly's $7.00 a can. What I have always used before Jet Hot came out.

kevinj54 · Apr 4, 2012

(quoted from post at 19:39:33 04/04/12) You are restoring it correct just sand blast and paint it and then it will look just like factory what burns off will be OK

Yep, then it looks like this

CNKS · Apr 4, 2012

I paint them with the same paint used on the rest of the tractor and let it burn off. Does not look bad to me. The high temp painted ones look out of place.

BoonvilleKid · Apr 4, 2012

My Father bought a new SC in 1953. I can still remember the smell of the paint burning off the manifold. It wasn't objectionable, just one of those things one remembers. One of the pleasant "new" things that went with that super tractor (which I still have.)

mikeintn · Apr 4, 2012

I"ve had good luck with JD black muffler paint, not cheap about 20 bucks a can, but I like it.

Mike CA · Apr 4, 2012

I was going to look into having mine powder-coated in the same color I'm painting the tractor. I'm told that should do well against the heat. I also have to paint the heat shield, but need it to look very good because that's going to be seen. I've got to figure out how to keep that cool against the manifold.

kevinj54 · Apr 5, 2012

(quoted from post at 20:21:04 04/04/12) I paint them with the same paint used on the rest of the tractor and let it burn off. Does not look bad to me. The high temp painted ones look out of place.

I agree. That is why mine has the burned look!!!!!!!!!

mkirsch · Apr 5, 2012

Rusted mess is easy to take care of with an angle grinder and various shapes of wire wheel.

If you're going to leave it on let it go "au naturale" after wire wheeling it.

If you're removing it, consider painting with 2500 degree "header" paint. Be aware that you need to bake the manifold in the oven to cure the paint.

GordoSD · Apr 5, 2012

This is "Cast Blast" The color is like factory steel, not aluminum.

Painting an exhaust manifold

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