Which has better insulating properties, Ceramic or Stainless Steel?

**Cliffy** · 11-08-2006, 07:54 AM

Hi guys, I am looking at some new headers for my '01 Z28. Looking at some stainless ones on Ebay, but a little aprehesive as i will be using on the street as a dailey driver. Live in the snow belt and we use salt on roads. the corrosion resistance of stainless interest me, but I also want to keep under hood temps down. any thoughts on which is better, stainless or ceramic.
thanks.

**warpwr** · 11-08-2006, 08:09 AM

For heat the ceramic coated are way better. Stainless has no heat insulation properties that I know of. When I changed the headers on my '56 from steel (painted, not stainless) to ceramic the floor board heat went waaay down.
I think the stainless will discolor near the heads too (heat colors, blue, violet, orange, etc).

For electrical insulation, the ceramic wins too. JK.

**BlackLT1Z28** · 11-08-2006, 12:09 PM

Ceramic coated and stainless are a trade-off. You could get the stainless and heat-wrap them to keep temps down. But stainless won't rust over time. Other headers will. And with living in an area with lots of moisture, I'd go stainless so they don't rust through.

**SSwt00SS** · 11-08-2006, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Cliffy

Hi guys, I am looking at some new headers for my '01 Z28. Looking at some stainless ones on Ebay, but a little aprehesive as i will be using on the street as a dailey driver. Live in the snow belt and we use salt on roads. the corrosion resistance of stainless interest me, but I also want to keep under hood temps down. any thoughts on which is better, stainless or ceramic.
thanks.

I bought the stainless steel headers off EBAY and they are awesome. I have had no problems with heatsoak, etc. being stainless they will never rust and look great. also, my underhood temp has not changed or caused any issues thus far.

**INMY01TA** · 11-08-2006, 03:34 PM

Stainless does retain heat better than mildsteel.

**Too Fast** · 11-10-2006, 03:03 AM

Ceramic coated run a lot cooler that stainless. I just bought some Hooker LT ceramic for that reason. Should be getting them next week....

**NHRAMAN** · 11-10-2006, 03:03 PM

My underhood temp seems much cooler now with my Ceramic LT's than with my factory manifolds. I imagine it is cooler than with S/S also.

**jimmyblue** · 11-13-2006, 07:10 AM

Stainless steel has lower thermal conductivity than
mild steel or most other metals. But the real deal is
surface emissivity and surface-air transfer. SS and
black iron have high emissivity and throw heat. Here
the ceramic coatings kick ass, this is exactly what
they were engineered for. Gravel, sand and salt
with twice-daily thermal shock however, are not.

The ideal would be coated stainless. But I've got
a used set of Jet-Hots that look like they'll last
me long enough, with maybe a bit of high temp
POR-15 touchup on occasion.