CHROMED EXHAUST MANIFOLD

GENE DERRINGER · Feb 24, 2016

I have been warned that chrome plating an exhaust manifold could cause over heating? Does anyone have any experience with this? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

Steve@Advance · Feb 24, 2016

What are you putting it on? If it's a show tractor or parade car/truck, something that rarely if ever gets pushed to full power, I don't see it causing overheating.

The chrome may turn blue close to the head, and chrome has a way of magnifying every flaw, but I don't see it causing any mechanical problems. Just my thoughts, never really tried it with a cast manifold. Headers yes, but not iron.

The place I used to get powder coating done (before they closed) always had powder coated manifolds waiting to be picked up. Evidently power coat doesn't harm anything and holds up. These were mostly for exotic European engines, never saw one after it was run, but they sure looked good!

bigbob1939 · Feb 24, 2016

A good powder coating place will have a coating that is really close to chrome and will not be harmed by the heat of the motor. It will also fill in the minor imperfections in the casting.

jeffcat · Feb 24, 2016

All of those big bad biker hogs have chrome pipes.

Indiana Ken · Feb 24, 2016

Over heating of what...? Maybe the chrome....eh. I don't see how a coating on the manifold, downstream of the engine could cause engine overheating. The manifold may run a little hotter since I would expect the chrome coating would not radiate heat as effective as the rough cast surface.

504 · Feb 24, 2016

Chrome really doesn t stand up to heat discolors pretty bad. And when you sand blast it to chrome it all of the pits are still there,just now you have chrome plated pits. See below. My brother coated his manifolds over 20 years ago and they still look like he just installed them.
Untitled URL Link

4play · Feb 25, 2016

Don't worry about heat dissipation, you would actually want to keep all the heat you can inside the exhaust system, this helps with velocity and reducing back pressure. Chrome plating is not the best thing to use, it will discolor around 450*F. There are ceramic coatings with many options on colors, and chrome finish is one of them.

GENE DERRINGER · Feb 25, 2016

Thanks 504: What did your Brother use?

ericlb · Feb 25, 2016

you can do it, but its best for a trailer queen that isnt run but to the show ground then back to the trailer, if its on a runner the chrome will turn blue, check out harleys that are rode often , and show cars that are driven to the shows, and you'll see what i mean, coatings are much better

GENE DERRINGER · Feb 26, 2016

Thanks BigBob

CHROMED EXHAUST MANIFOLD

GENE DERRINGER

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Steve@Advance

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bigbob1939

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jeffcat

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Indiana Ken

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504

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4play

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GENE DERRINGER

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ericlb

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GENE DERRINGER

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