Rusting Pacesetter headers..........

**pewterzron** · 04-14-2009, 08:11 PM

Anyone have this problem? I have had these headers on for about a year and do not, do not drive in the winter at all. My longtubes are rusting bad and so is the y pipe, they are the coated ones. I called pacesetter directly and they told me they would replace them, cause there is a lifetime warranty. Thats cool but just really pissed cause it has just been a year!!!!!!!!! So now I have to pay to have them installed again. Should have gone with Hooker stainless. Damn it!!!!!!!!

Anyone have the same problem?

**Firebirdjones** · 04-15-2009, 08:36 AM

Usually the coating last a bit longer than that. Never dealt with pacesetter coated headers, always used the painted version on my 4th gens so I'm not familiar with what particular coating/process they use.

But I have had coated Hookers on my chevelle for the better part of 15 years, always coated by Jet Hot.
Living in Ohio, humid and damp year round,,,,but the car was never drivin in the rain, only sunny weather,,,,and I still would only get about 3-4 years out of the coating before pitting started showing through.

I take them off every 3-4 years to have them redone. I need to do it again actually, and I'm hoping living out here in the dry desert they might last a bit longer.

**zmg00camaross** · 04-15-2009, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by pewterzron

Anyone have this problem? I have had these headers on for about a year and do not, do not drive in the winter at all. My longtubes are rusting bad and so is the y pipe, they are the coated ones. I called pacesetter directly and they told me they would replace them, cause there is a lifetime warranty. Thats cool but just really pissed cause it has just been a year!!!!!!!!! So now I have to pay to have them installed again. Should have gone with Hooker stainless. Damn it!!!!!!!!

Anyone have the same problem?

Have them replace them and sell the brand new ones. and buy what u want.

**rc74racer** · 04-15-2009, 09:07 AM

Sounds pretty quick for the coating to go but all non stainless headers rust. If you plan on keeping your car for more than 2 or 3 years you should always go stainless IMO.

**Firebirdjones** · 04-15-2009, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by rc74racer

Sounds pretty quick for the coating to go but all non stainless headers rust. If you plan on keeping your car for more than 2 or 3 years you should always go stainless IMO.

I don't know. For the price of stainless I can buy 3 sets of painted headers.
Since I generally get 15 years out of a set of painted headers,,,,thats 45 years worth of headers.
Shucks I'll be dead before that happens

So for me,,,stainless headers are extra money I don't need to spend.

**rc74racer** · 04-15-2009, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

I don't know. For the price of stainless I can buy 3 sets of painted headers.
Since I generally get 15 years out of a set of painted headers,,,,thats 45 years worth of headers.
Shucks I'll be dead before that happens

So for me,,,stainless headers are extra money I don't need to spend.

You just said you take them off every 3 or 4 years to have them recoated. I don't know about you but my time is worth a lot more $$$ than that. I've put painted headers on several of my older cars and all of them rusted through in less than 5 years. To each their own but if you have the extra $$$ and are going to keep your car i'd go stainless. I like to do a job one time.

**Firebirdjones** · 04-15-2009, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by rc74racer

You just said you take them off every 3 or 4 years to have them recoated. I don't know about you but my time is worth a lot more $$$ than that. I've put painted headers on several of my older cars and all of them rusted through in less than 5 years. To each their own but if you have the extra $$$ and are going to keep your car i'd go stainless. I like to do a job one time.

The coated headers are on my chevelle 454. There isn't stainless sets on the market for that unless you go custom. I go coated on this one for various reasons, and coating them every 3-4 years is because I'm picky about this car.

The painted headers I run I was referring to both 4th gens, my 70 formula, the ventura, the Nomad,,,well you get the idea.
The classic cars I listed have had the same painted headers on them since the 80's. Not sure why you can't get more than 5 years out of a set.

Shucks it's no big deal to swap them every 15 years or so,,,chances are by then you are going to be refreshing that motor up anyway and it all has to come out

Besides,,,it's not that hard to do. I can pull the headers on and/or put them back on the chevelle in 20 minutes.

**shady milkman** · 04-15-2009, 11:54 AM

hmm that is why SS is the only way to go IMO...also i herd painted headers are only designed to keep the headers from rusting while in warehouses etc..and that they burn off after you install them...thats what i heard anyways

**Firebirdjones** · 04-15-2009, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

hmm that is why SS is the only way to go IMO...also i herd painted headers are only designed to keep the headers from rusting while in warehouses etc..and that they burn off after you install them...thats what i heard anyways

Thats why I always blast them and apply a quality paint. It's not a big deal. Stainless is just an extra unnecessary expense. They don't stay pretty forever either.

**zmg00camaross** · 04-15-2009, 08:12 PM

Arizona weather permits for painted headers if you live where shitty winters and salt you won't get away with it. Coated headers do me fine

**JoshieDoom** · 04-15-2009, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by zmg00camaross

Arizona weather permits for painted headers if you live where shitty winters and salt you won't get away with it. Coated headers do me fine

You can blast a header, use quality flameproof coatings and and it will last much longer than you think...

**bigrondownhiller** · 04-16-2009, 01:44 PM

No matter what coating you do if they aren't coated on the inside they will rust from the inside out, just like exhaust.

**Firebirdjones** · 04-16-2009, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by zmg00camaross

Arizona weather permits for painted headers if you live where shitty winters and salt you won't get away with it. Coated headers do me fine

Actually I just moved here. I grew up in Salty Ohio and got away with what I described out there just fine.

**zmg00camaross** · 04-16-2009, 08:07 PM

Well stainless and ceramic would last longer had painted ones on my 71 challenger they did fine but alot easier to remove then f-bodys I am going with ceramic but it's all good stuff

**ntimid8r7** · 04-17-2009, 04:28 PM

If you spend the extra money and get them ceramic coated it is worth it in the long run. It will keep you from taking them off every couple of years and I know that has to be a pain in the ass. You can get black in ceramic which is alot less expensive than going ceramachrome because that has to be coated inside and out in order to keep its finish plus it has to be polished afterwards, thats why it is so expensive for the finish. Plus black has a higher degree rating than all the others too.

**cammed goat** · 04-17-2009, 05:06 PM

Pacesetters are notorious for rusting. I used to see numerous threads on the GTO forum about this same matter.

**blackSS01** · 04-17-2009, 05:10 PM

Glad I went with Hookers (non coated) Been 5 years in WI (not driving during winter) and when I pulled them off 2 days ago..........Very Minimal rust. Really I don't even have to touch them up and I think they would last another 5 years but I'm going to re-paint or something since they are off for the H/C. Hardly any rust, no banging, no scraping, fit great, and sound great

I have always said Hooker FTW

**pewterzron** · 04-17-2009, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by zmg00camaross

Have them replace them and sell the brand new ones. and buy what u want.

YUP, what I was thinking of doing. I was checking out the hooker long tubes with the y pipe. I am really picky about how the car looks, even underneath.

Anyone want a brand new set of pacesetters, CHEAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!