Ceramic vs Chrome Header

I was wondering what the difference between a Ceramic and chrome header is and which is better… also from what I have heard the 4-1 is the best one to buy rather than the 4-2-1 because it allows for more flow and its only one pipe from exhaust manifold to the Cat. So far i’ve decided on the Ceramic 4-1, that seems like it will give me the best results, but I still don’t know for sure… Thanks again for the help.

Chrome headers radiate more heat so under hood temps will be higher. Technically the exhaust gas speed will be faster in a coated header because the temp inside is kept higher.

4-1 will make less torque but higher HP upper RPM
4-2-1 will make more torque but not as much upper RPM HP
(generally speaking)

It will depend on what you want from your car and what you are building it for

wow, holy quick responce!

I am confused by this. If the ceramic header radiates more heat under the hood, wouldnt the exhaust gas inside be colder? I dont know if I’m overtired or if it’s because of my lack of automotive knowledge, but for some reason I can’t make sense of your statement. Can you re-explain what you said. THANKS

I think he is saying that the hotter that exhaust manifold is the more pressure the gas will have on it… The heat’s pressure will push the gas out faster… is that correct???

I thought the whole point to a ceramic coated header is that it helps keep the heat inside the header, and will make under hood temps cooler? With my old manifolds, I couldn’t touch them 30 minutes after shutdown. Now with my coated headers, I can easily grab them with no problems after 10-15 minutes of shut down. I read somewhere the hotter the exhaust gas, the quicker it will flow. But I don’t know how true that is. Just what I read somewhere…

This should be refering to Chrome Plated, not Ceramic. Ceramic Coated Headers retain more heat, and radiate less. Generally speaking, ceramic and other coatings as well as underhood components in the vicinity should be kept lighter colors to cut down on blackbody (infrared) radiation emmission and absorbtion (heat transfer).

Rather than trying to make you look like an idiot like you (try) to do to me, I will correct a simple mistake and leave it as such. You should try it some time.

Yes, hot exhaust gases will maintain a higher velocity.

Ceramic = Performance
Chrome = Bling

teh chrome header on the 240z stayed chrome for about 5 minutes, then got all nasty.

ceramic keeps the temp in the manifold, and under hood temps lower

go ceramic

stop! that’s how the drama starts, right there dude!

Thanks I was very tired when I wrote this.

Ceramic radiate less and have higher velocity of gas inside

Ceramic 4-1 it is… thanks for the help…

The use of blackbody in any sentance shows a little too much retention of physics 102. This debate all depends on what you want to do, and what means you want do to it by. If you have a NA setup with mild steel headers, a ceramic coating just on the outside, like the cheaper ones are will just overheat the tubes, and cause them to crack. Coat both sides and you will do the tubes and the engine bay a favor. If you have a turbo setup, the same applies, but you will not find a true 2,500 degree coating that is is shiny, and some of the better ones are dark blue. Chrome is nice, but if you overheat it it will chip, but the same applies to overheated ceramic coating. The easiest way to overheat it is to back up the flow, and thats the very job description of mufflers, resonators and catalytic convertors, so full exhaust will eventully cause problems. Think i’m lying, find me a car that has been on the street for 2 years with ceramic coated headers and full exhaust with no problems, i highly doubt you will. so like everything in cars, it depends on what YOU want, do you want looks, performance or durability. chances are that each comes at a sacrafice for another, thats just life.

performance would obviously be the answer I HOPE, not gonna spend all that money for a header just so I can have chrome under the hood!!! lol

btw… I’m running N/A right now

yea i got chrome shorties and the engine bay heat is pretty rough, they cool down in about 25minutes or so… my coated ones are tits, much cooler inside :tup:

for performance NA, get them coated in the shiny stuff from jet hot or swain tech, inside and out and enjoy a cooler engine bay. if the headers are new, then jet hot will give you a lifetime warranty i’m pretty sure, but if they are used, you get 1 year, but don’t take my word on that, check up on it.