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Ceramic vs stainless vs titanium headers

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by makikid808, Oct 6, 2011.

  1. Oct 6, 2011 at 3:32 PM
    #1
    makikid808

    makikid808 [OP] They call me unko

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    Is there really a difference between the headers such as the ceramic or stainless or the titanium. If there is what's the pros and cons of them
     
  2. Oct 17, 2011 at 1:11 PM
    #2
    romeo

    romeo Wombat

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    im interested in the answers as well
     
  3. Oct 17, 2011 at 1:20 PM
    #3
    Drunknsloth

    Drunknsloth Indffrnce will be the fall of manknd but who cares

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    I believe Ceramic contains the heat the best, not sure though
     
  4. Oct 17, 2011 at 3:07 PM
    #4
    TacoMX

    TacoMX TW's Official anti body-lift pundit

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    idk what the advantage of titanium would be in a header...sounds really expensive.

    My LCE header is ceramic coated stainless...best option IMO

    Stainless prevents corroision while the ceramic coating contains heat and adds more corrosion and stain protection.

    And remember you get what you pay for, especially in a header.
     
  5. Oct 17, 2011 at 5:53 PM
    #5
    makikid808

    makikid808 [OP] They call me unko

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    Woow. Yea idk bout that titanium header sounds like it's just something u get to brag about. I think the ceramic might be the one. I was jus trying to see what ideas were out there. Isn't there a header wrap that you could use to keep the heat in
     
  6. Oct 17, 2011 at 8:12 PM
    #6
    TacoMX

    TacoMX TW's Official anti body-lift pundit

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    lots of companies dont recommend using a header wrap on their headers, IIRC its because it absorbs moisture and make the header rust underneath. My LCE ceramic header keeps down the heat pretty well. I wouldn't worry too much about heat in your engine bay from a header.
     
  7. Oct 17, 2011 at 8:24 PM
    #7
    makikid808

    makikid808 [OP] They call me unko

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    I was looking at some DT ceramic headers for the full cat4ward system. I looked up LCE and they don't have any for my 3.4 which is sickening cause the DT header is super expensive.
     
  8. Oct 17, 2011 at 8:27 PM
    #8
    TacoMX

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    yeah, I noticed that, but any V6 header is going to be pretty expensive because its two headers instead of one. My LCE for my 2.7 was ~$480.
     
  9. Oct 17, 2011 at 8:30 PM
    #9
    makikid808

    makikid808 [OP] They call me unko

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    These are the times I wish I had a 4 banger. I got a quote for the DT ceramic at around 920. That's more than my intake and exhaust together damn.
     
  10. Oct 17, 2011 at 8:33 PM
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    TacoMX

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  11. Oct 17, 2011 at 11:20 PM
    #11
    makikid808

    makikid808 [OP] They call me unko

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    i saw that to but it pretty much maches up to my quote with the shipping together. shipping anything to HI is such a pain
     
  12. Oct 18, 2011 at 9:06 AM
    #12
    TacoMX

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    ah, gotcha, didn't see you were in HI
     
  13. Oct 18, 2011 at 11:15 AM
    #13
    Yamaha Dave

    Yamaha Dave Well-Known Member

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    This is NOT true. I've been using ThermoTec header wrap on sportbikes for the last 8 years, some of them setup for track and some were setup for street. Remember header wrap is partially made from the fibers of fiberglass with a high thread count canvas type material. That being said when it gets wet it doesn't absorb and or retain water like clothing material. Secondly and most importantly the boiling point of water is 212F. Any moisture that is left will be burned off after one run. Here is a pic of one of the many exhaust wraps I've done over the years. This was for my Yamaha R1.


    [​IMG]
     
  14. Oct 18, 2011 at 11:36 AM
    #14
    Bobber Bill

    Bobber Bill Well-Known Member

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    Ceramic coatings:

    - generally applied to mild steel pipes, but not always
    - prevents corrosion on outside of pipes
    - used for heat retention properties (keeps heat in, less radiates out)

    Stainless Steel:

    - corrosion resistant
    - needs no coating

    Titanium:

    - corrosion resistant
    - considerably stronger and lighter than steel alloys
    - primarily used in racing
     
  15. Oct 18, 2011 at 4:29 PM
    #15
    TacoMX

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    I see.

    My LCE header came with literature that said not to wrap them. The ceramic coating does good at keeping the heat down.

    IMO, the header wraps look kinda...crappy...I know they help keep the heat down, especially on a bike when the exhaust runs next to your legs and in front of you. I just hate the way they look, especially the white ones that absorb all the dirt, dust, ect..

    To each his own :cheers:
     
  16. Oct 18, 2011 at 6:41 PM
    #16
    707eric

    707eric Member

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    Could always look at getting a set of headers then having them coated by a company like Jet-Hot. No idea what the cost is, I just rememeber we used their coating for our 240sx race car back in high school.

    www.jet-hot.com
     
  17. Oct 18, 2011 at 6:49 PM
    #17
    1Bigbird

    1Bigbird Yo! Wat up peeps?

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    True, but if you live where it snows the salt can get trapped in the fibers (along with dirt) and cause premature corrosion. Shouldn't be a problem with stainless though.
     
  18. Oct 18, 2011 at 6:57 PM
    #18
    malander

    malander Well-Known Member

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    iirc I believe reading somewhere that header wrap overheats the headers themselves while keeping the bay and surrounding parts cooler. So your bay may be cooler but you may warp your headers and anything they come into contact with
     
  19. Oct 18, 2011 at 7:04 PM
    #19
    Yamaha Dave

    Yamaha Dave Well-Known Member

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    Corrosion will be not be a problem with modern headers. The reason you hear the myth of rust underneath is because back in the 70s and 80s when headers were either made out of cast iron or regular aluminum this was the case. However now almost every single aftermarket header is offered with some kind of corrosion proof metal or coating either stainless, jet hot, ceramic, or titanium.
     
  20. Oct 18, 2011 at 7:08 PM
    #20
    Grantman

    Grantman Well-Known Member

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    So what is the purpose of the wrap other than cutting down on the heat under the hood in the engine bay? Are there any performance gains?
     

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