Ceramic Coating with Slip Fit Collectors?

[gearbanger]

I am having a major problem with a newly coated set of headers. They have slip fit collectors and were fitted to the car before sending off to coaters. Now that they are coated there is absolutely no way the collectors will go on. It seems that I may have to grind all the coating off to get them to go on. Is this the case?

If so that seems like a major disappointment, and why would the header coaters have known that and masked those areas from the coating?

[vintageracer]

Because you did not ask them to mask them off!

The first time the coater masks off the collectors for a customer without asking you can be sure THAT customer will be mad and the coater will have to re-coat the headers.

That's why it is best to have your headers coated by the manufacturer prior to purchase. That way if they do not fit it is their problem.

[gearbanger]

In this particular case, the headers had to be custom made. They were fitted and sent back twice to get them right and then sent to the coaters after everything was worked out.

I agree with what you are saying, but I think if it was going to be a problem and they knew it, they should have at least asked me. I have never had a set of slip fit headers so I had no idea it would be a problem. When you get ceramic coated headers that are slip fit from the manufacturer, do they normally omit the coating where the fittings slip together?

How do I fix this problem?

[dhardison]

In this particular case, the headers had to be custom made. They were fitted and sent back twice to get them right and then sent to the coaters after everything was worked out.

I agree with what you are saying, but I think if it was going to be a problem and they knew it, they should have at least asked me. I have never had a set of slip fit headers so I had no idea it would be a problem. When you get ceramic coated headers that are slip fit from the manufacturer, do they normally omit the coating where the fittings slip together?

How do I fix this problem? The headers on my 572 are from Dynatech, utilize slip-fit collectors and are coated. The collectors slip right over the tubes w/o problem. My guess is they manufactured them with enough tolerance to fit even with the coating. If anything they're a little too lose (i.e. they leak badly). In your case you may need to remove the coating from one part or the other (which sucks).

[gearbanger]

I should have known that coating would not leave clearance because they fit really well before the coating. I just haven't done this before and I guess I just ASSUMED that the header guy knew what was going on because he knew they were going to be coated. He even sent a brochure from a coating company with the headers recommending the people he deals with. The coating company (Airborn Coatings) does all kinds of headers, so this wasn't their first rodeo either.

It does suck to have to sand off the coating, but they will be a honed fit at that point. Probably will have minimal leaking.

:pat: :pat: :pat: :pat:

[Rick Dorion]

To avoid a possible problem down the road I would call them first to ensure that sanding the coating off won't affect any warranty if there are issues with the remaining coating , especially where the sanded area ends and coated area begins. Good luck!

[gearbanger]

Good idea.