C.I Exhasut Manifolds, paint or no paint

[WaltZ]

Installing a pair of oer c.i. exhaust manifolds.
any suggestions on using por15 cast iron paint natural color
if untreated, they will probably rust over time.
what did or would you do...

Thanks in advance

[crossboss]

I would coat them. Otherwise rust will eventually return. In the past I used Eastwood's cast iron grey. Worked excellent.

[70z28lt1]

I was going to try this:
https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating/V-164/titanium
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1491671&postcount=9

for a big block:
https://www.cerakote.com/project-gallery/31903/cerakoted-h-239-sniper-grey-and-c-128-hunter-orange

for the same application.

It's getting good reviews.

[Mike S]

 Graphite spray works excellent and doesn't burn or peel off with age. It can be applied with a foam brush and can be touched up easily with a cotton ball dipped in the graphite solution. It is a  little darker than natural cast iron but it outperforms paint. You can get a can of graphite spray from places like Home Depot. I use it on my BB stock manifolds after the 1200 degree paints failed after a few months, even with following the cure steps to the letter.

Mike

[68camaroz28]

Do as Mike suggested or I know pot 15 works well and lasts For a nice driver.

[WaltZ]

sand blasted, then applied 2 coats of por15, 24 hours apart.... looks great!
now just waiting on my Gardner Exhaust, factory exact system.
looking forward to taking the droning, but sounds awesome, 2.5" Flowmasters American Thunder system and headers off.
Sacrifice some power and back to originality!
Nothing like the factory sound of a stock 302 through the deep tone transverse muffler without resonators!

[Kelley W King]

The only thing I have had work included the heat curing. We put a coat of cast blast on blasted exhaust and cured it with a kerosene space heater hanging the exhaust on coat hangers. Let it cool and repeated it. So far so good. Por 15 would probably be better i think.

[169INDY]

Funny, I have my 68 Big Block car performing an experiment that most do not see (i.e. notice) when the car is at a Show;
Driver side Manifold: Eastwood Factory Gray Hi-Temp Coating, Item #34105Z
Passenger side Manifold: Forrest Technical Coatings, Stove Bright High Temperature Paint in aerosol, Item #6309 Metallic Black or 6201 Charcoal (I can't remember now?)

Both products have held up equally nice for a garaged car that see very little to no wet driving.

[Mike S]

 The nice thing about graphite is it doesn't need curing and it certainly will not flake or discolor with age.

Mike

[TODD]

I would second the recommendation for "Eastwood Factory Gray Hi-Temp Coating" is holding up well. easy to apply and bake in. Color is pretty close to as cast.

[hgger69]

Graphite spray works excellent and doesn't burn or peel off with age. It can be applied with a foam brush and can be touched up easily with a cotton ball dipped in the graphite solution. It is a  little darker than natural cast iron but it outperforms paint. You can get a can of graphite spray from places like Home Depot. I use it on my BB stock manifolds after the 1200 degree paints failed after a few months, even with following the cure steps to the letter.

Mike

Where do you get this spray...I can’t find any products to buy?
It’s not graphite spray that works as lubrication you mean, huh?

[Mike S]

 I bought mine at Home Depot. Yes, it's the Blaster Graphite Dry lube spray.
What I did with the can was to put it upside down and using a brick to place on the can to hold the nozzle in until the propellant was gone. Then using a can opener, open the bottom and pour the contents into an empty jar. I used a 1" foam paint pad to apply the graphite onto the manifolds. After it dries, and a few engine cycles later, the slight gloss from the solvent will be gone. If you rub your hand on it you can possibly get some minor smudge on your skin but it washes off easy. Any touch-ups are easy by using a cotton ball dipped in graphite. Keep mixing the jar to keep the graphite suspended in the solvent.


Mike

[firstgenaddict]

Thank you for that information Mike...
FWIW I use the ceramic engine paint removed from rattle cans and put into an airbrush for engines...
I can put it on THINNER AND MORE PRECISE.
This what the engine looks like currently...




This is how it looked after airbrushing with CERAMIC paint... The coverage on the manifolds, although complete, is VERY VERY THIN. Thick paint cracks and falls off... thin paint burns off.



You should not fill in the cast iron grain when painting engines...

[hgger69]

I bought mine at Home Depot. Yes, it's the Blaster Graphite Dry lube spray.
What I did with the can was to put it upside down and using a brick to place on the can to hold the nozzle in until the propellant was gone. Then using a can opener, open the bottom and pour the contents into an empty jar. I used a 1" foam paint pad to apply the graphite onto the manifolds. After it dries, and a few engine cycles later, the slight gloss from the solvent will be gone. If you rub your hand on it you can possibly get some minor smudge on your skin but it washes off easy. Any touch-ups are easy by using a cotton ball dipped in graphite. Keep mixing the jar to keep the graphite suspended in the solvent.


Mike

Wow, you mean like this one:
https://blastercorp.com/product/graphite-dry-lubricant/

[Mike S]

Yes, that's the very one.