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Thermal coatings: How well do they hold up over time?

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JS4G63

Supporting Member
188
35
Jun 4, 2005
The Ranch, Kansas
I am looking at ceramic/thermal coating options recently and am wondering how well they last now that people have been racking up the miles and the years have been ticking by.

The last time I knew (which was years ago now) the two popular options were:
FFWD Connection - GCB Extreme, 2-step coatings on the inside and outside of the workpiece.
Tirado Custom Coatings ceramic - this is the place that Forced Performance links to on their site regarding coating.

I want something that is going to be essentially permanent, not flake off of scratch off due to normal wear and tear, etc. Long ago I had a stock 2G exhaust manifold ceramic coated by a guy locally here, and it held up flawlessly for many miles and years. It is still sitting in my scrap metal bin right now, looking silvery and better than new.

What's the best option for a long-lasting, EFFECTIVE thermal coating these days? I still like GCB Extreme, at least on paper.

Thanks!
 
I had my exhaust manifold ceramic coated silver by a local. That was around 10 years ago & it is still holding up like when first coated. Only thing is the finish has dulled over but will shine back up if I polish on it. I think the dulling is related to the heat cycling because it come back fairly quickly after the polishing if driven. It will stay shined until I run it. Keeps temps down reasonably well too, about the same as the outside of the OEM heat shielding per my HF infrared thermo gun best I can measure due to its inconsistencies from the reflecting on rounded surfaces. These infrared thermo things work best with straight shot of flat surfaces.
 
Interestingly, Tirado has not responded to my inquiry for quite a while now.
I think the guy who did mine locally back in the day is still around. I'll just have that same silvery coating done again this time. I have even found complaints on Harley and other forums about Jet Hot still coming off eventually.
 
I had my manifold thermal coated but was not impressed, not sure if it was done right or what but after the first track event it started flaking off.... I think maybe the prep process wasn't done correctly or the surface had some contamination before they applied the coating. but needless to say I am back to exhaust wrap...
 
Prep work makes all the difference. I did my manifold new, heated & soaked in acetone. mead blasted, alcohol clean, then ceramic coated.
 
I have had one of the jet hot coatings on the headers of my GTO for the pass 4 years. The coating still looks as it did the first day everything was installed. The parts were coated brand new though, so that may help some.

I recently installed a downpipe on my Talon with a jet hot coating. It still looks new, but it has only been on since the spring of this year. I know Swaintech (spelling?) is supposed to be a very good coating as well, but it only comes in white. I have no experience with it, but all the reviews I have read were positive.
 
Just curious... is jet hot a BRAND of product, or just a general term for a certain TYPE of coating?

And yea Mello, PREP work is gonna make a massive difference in the long-term outcome. I'll clean the heck out of everything to the best of my ability before handing it over to whomever I pick to do the coatings.
 
I've used but flame proof a few times. The first time it flaked off in a few months. The second I made sure that I prepped it correctly. Sand blasted lacquer thinner the whole 9 yards and so far it's been holding up great. Granted it's only been 6months but hell for the cost of the paint 10$ no biggie if it flakes it'll have a heat shield anyways.
 
I had a local company that does ceramic coating do a few items years back (turbine housing, O2 housing, etc) & they didn't stand up too long, started flaking off after a couple summers use. I had Swaintech coat a few pieces (portion of a downpipe, O2 housing, exhaust mani) & it seemed to stand up much better. It eventually started to show some wear/chip but after a much longer amount of time. Parts such as the downpipe weren't an issue as they run a bit cooler. But more then likely if your looking for parts such as exhaust mani, turbine house, O2 housing, expect that it likely won't last forever. The typical "ceramic" that many places do are for sure not going to stand up to the heat in these areas.
 
Interestingly, Tirado has not responded to my inquiry for quite a while now.
I think the guy who did mine locally back in the day is still around. I'll just have that same silvery coating done again this time. I have even found complaints on Harley and other forums about Jet Hot still coming off eventually.


Maybe they are busy with...

penis???
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Lol, this is what I got when I Googled the name.
 
We offer Cerakote, I dont apply it myself, it gets sent out locally to a professional who does most shops in the phoenix area, but we have had good results so far, no negative feedback except for one, a bronze one that seems to have rust coming up through it for some reason and flaked a little by the turbine flange. Was re coated under warranty and doing the same thing... again. This is the only one that this has happened to and the owner jesse, does time attack. Could have been a prep issue or an over temp rating issue not sure as hes not logging egt’s yet. But that car moves, and it runs for extended lapping. The colored cerakote coatings are rated for 1800+* and black 2000+* so far all others are holding up without complaint. Cerakote is the brand a lot of coaters use as a standard for exhaust coating. Tirado uses cerakote as well. Ive heard good things about jet hot and swaintech also if you like just black or white
 
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Thanks Kyle, that clears a few things up for me! Black 2000+* sounds fine with me. The manifold is gonna be hidden by a blanket and a heat shield, so as long as the coating is long-lasting, I'll be satisfied. I'll just stick with cerakote, which is almost certainly what is holding up fine on my old OEM manifold. That's good, since shipping is so expensive these days!
 
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