I just picked up a Borla header for my '01 2.5RS coupe. I was thinking of sending it to Swaintech to have it coated so as to keep underhood temps down and make the header last longer.

Is this:

A. Stupid
B. Smart

Thanks.

 

its definatly not a bad idea. you could also wrap it. either way its going to keep heat in the piping so it can exit the car like its supposed to. and its been known to eliminate a cel that some cars throw due to lack of heat to some sensor i dont remember. but yah its not gonna hurt anything but your wallet.

 

i would get the headers ceramic coated esp if you can do it before you install it.. keep the heat in the exhaust so the O2 sensor can get a better reading.. I wish i did it on mine since on hot days my cel dissapears but on cold nights it popps back on

B. Smart
final answer

btw whats swaintech? or where is it and how much do they charge?

 

Thank you both for the comments. I think I will go ahead and do it then, I was planning to anyway but wanted to hear if there were any reasons that were commonly known as to why you shouldn't. The header is at my fab shop now getting re welded and cleaned up. I wasn't happy with the welds on the flanges, and the guy who does work for me said it will probably last a lot longer with more than teeny tack welds there...

I don't want to wrap them. I did that on mt 3S-GTE downpipe and it looks like hell now. Maybe I didn't use enough spray - dunno.

Swaintech has a really nice coating that is a triple layered thermal barrier inside and out. It supposedly has a measurable thickness, and the best heat retention out there (from a GRM article). Check out their site, the coatings look pretty impressive. You are supposed to be able to brush your hand by a pipe at operating temperature and not get burned.

They roughly quote $125-$165 to do a 4cyl header. I am thinking it will be on the higher side since a 2.5RS header is a little odd.

Site: www.swaintech.com

 

since its stainless, ide just wrap it with header wrap

 

....

 

Borlas end up looking like crap after using them awhile anyway.

 

My motives are for keeping temps down mostly. Don't care what it looks like. Just don't want to help it prematurely fail.

 

www.Jet-Hot.com It is a cheap way to keep the header going, the temps down, and exhaust flow up.

Austin

 

borlas are too cheap to pay big bucks (like 100 + shipping correct?) to coat...just wrap. Ive had mine wrapped & painted for >1 yr through winter & salt w/ no problems. (Im sure they will eventually crack though, even V4's cracK)

 

Do you mean inexepensive or crappy when you cay cheap? Mine is at a fab shop getting the welds re-done at the flanges since they looked crappy. Swain charges around $175 for a Suby header. I am doing that to protect the car more than the header.

 

inexpensive...my borlas cost 350 shipped.

what do you mean protect the car? except for the close proximity to the oil filter wrapping/coating on the RS is only for performance & no CEL from cat inefficiency (imho)

 

Cool. I mean protect things in close proximity, oil filter, coolant hose, etc. No CEL will be a nice plus.

 

honestly i dont think our cars run hot enough to be a big concern...remember the headers are also stainless steel (which retains heat much better than the stock carbon steel headers)

i say wrap to save big bucks...

(wrapping + appropriate paint = <$50)

 

its under the car...what does it matter what it looks like, its the function of it