Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

The Nov., '09 issue of Hot Rod, page 104, has a New Product description of Tech Line Coatings' "CilGen" exhaust system coating designed to be applied at home. Has anyone here tried it? I would be applying it to mild steel tubing, homemade exhaust system for a work-truck.

I've used it several times and done a few headers for other folks with good results and no complaints.
I blast with 120 grit aluminum oxide (although now they say sand is OK).
I also built a small oven to force cure the coating. Again, they claim it will cure fine with engine heat. But, it scratches real easy before it's cured.

Good, I'll try it. Thanks, Griff.

Had a funny experience heat-curing some silver (aluminum) high-heat paint on an exhaust tube. The can specifically said to do the heat-cure within several hours of painting. I missed that, and put it in the oven the next day. The paint peeled away in big flakes! Doh!

Th Jbends I buy for header construction are saturated with that white grease inside and out from the mandrel bending machine.
That's got to be removed with high-power solvent and the blast prep is the next most important thing.
I like the aluminum oxide. It impinges into the surface and I think you get an additional layer of oxidation protection.

I have used the Cilgen liquid ceramic coatings and really like the product. I don't use it for header coatings since the coating is very thin and I really do not think there are thermal benefits derived (no matter what the reseller may say).

When aluminum is cleaned and carefully bead blasted, it looks great. But after a short time it will corrode and leave a white powder of aluminum oxide. A few thin coats of Cilgen prevents the oxidation and gives the surface a irridesent finish. Since it goes on so thin, it does not alter the surface finish. If the finish is polished, the polished finish will remain. If it has a matte surface finish, that too will remain.

I think it's great stuff but a bit pricey.

The Cilgen is not really a TBC,,, probably "much better/harder than VHT paint"

The Cermakrome or BHK black satin make for VERY noticable temp differences on headers etc.

Different intended apps.

They have all types of coatings oil sheding for cranks I did valve faces cylinder hard dome and exh ports and cooked em in my regular oven I put it infor longer than recomended cause the head took a long time to reach temp I used noncontact thermometer I haven't pulled head off but exh ports looked good still two years runnin
I remember their tech line was very helpful and the stuff is cheap
And goes a long way I sprayed it on with airbrush
Would use again for sure. And oven didn't smell after at all

After building several systems out of j bends, honestly IMO the best way is to buy stainless j bends to begin with. They might cost a little more, but are worth it....

Crazyman, I'm not very good at doing computer searches; never seem to type a word combination that gets me quite where I want to go. The question is, have you seen a thread on this site or elsewhere with a good exchange on the building of headers and exhaust systems? My search did find an interesting thread on theory (entitled, I think, "A Little Exhaust Theory"). But having read your comment on stainless vs. mild steel tube (which has seemed to work well enough for me, but my experience is limited to two headers and several 2-stroke expansion chambers), I'd like to see more on construction. If nobody knows of such a thread, I'll go ahead and start a new one.

Meanwhile, if anyone reading this is interested in other do-it-yourself coatings, key in "do it yourself piston coatings?" in the Search here (three year old thread).

http://www.kengineering.info/headers.html
This bloke seems to like playing with exhausts, good site.

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=14830
I like mild steel too, but mainly due to equipment deficiencies. Here's some of the fun I had a few months back.

http://www.burnsstainless.com/techarticles.aspx
A member of this forum, very well regarded, good site.

Enough to get you started I rekn!

I'm familiar with Burns Stainless, but not the others. I'll go check 'em out. Thanks very much!!