Seasoned Cermakrome pics?
Discussion
In order to keep my stainless V8 headers looking shiny, I'm thinking about haveing them coated in Cermakrome. It's an expensive job and, although it looks very good when finished, the only pics I can find online are pics immediately after the coating has been applied. What I'm interested in is how it looks after a few months or a year on a running engine. Does it go flat/tarnished or change colour?
Pics would be greatly appreciated from anyone that's had this done.
Pics would be greatly appreciated from anyone that's had this done.
Edited by ian_uk1975 on Monday 21st February 10:37
I'll try and post up mine later [just taking dog to vet as she fell downstairs] I have to be honest, I wouldn't have it done again. They look fantastic when first done but mine look s
te now after only 6k miles. It's expensive and should last longer I reckon and have just been quoted an extortionate amount for a re-coat. Shall be looking for something else I'm afraid. I know some who've had it done were quite alarmed when they saw mine at Chatsworth last year.
te now after only 6k miles. It's expensive and should last longer I reckon and have just been quoted an extortionate amount for a re-coat. Shall be looking for something else I'm afraid. I know some who've had it done were quite alarmed when they saw mine at Chatsworth last year. macdeb]I'll try and post up mine later [just taking dog to vet as she fell downstairs said:
I have to be honest, I wouldn't have it done again. They look fantastic when first done but mine look ste now after only 6k miles. It's expensive and should last longer I reckon and have just been quoted an extortionate amount for a re-coat. Shall be looking for something else I'm afraid. I know some who've had it done were quite alarmed when they saw mine at Chatsworth last year.
Sorry to hear about the dog... hope she's OK.te now after only 6k miles. It's expensive and should last longer I reckon and have just been quoted an extortionate amount for a re-coat. Shall be looking for something else I'm afraid. I know some who've had it done were quite alarmed when they saw mine at Chatsworth last year. Would appreciate pics when you get a moment... dishearening to hear it doesn't last. As you quite rightly say, it should last a lot longer given how pricey it is. Can you not polish it like paint? Can it be T-Cut to bring it back?
rev-erend said:
Lets face it - stainless is as good as you need to get. Just repolish them / keep em clean in the first place.
Cermacrome and others are there to keep the heat transfer down.
Have you actually tried maintaining stainless headers on a car? It's a lot easier said than done. The stainless very quickly goes a dull brown colour and it's virtually impossible (at least, by hand) to bring the shiny finish back.Cermacrome and others are there to keep the heat transfer down.
Cermakrome is there to look good (keeping the heat down is, I'd say, usually secondary to people that have Cermakrome). Standard ceramic finishes (usually black or white) are usually chosen for their heat insulating properties first and foremost.
Milky Bar Kid said:
Whilst it's a nasty messy thing to try and do on a regular basis, how's about trying the acid that TIG welders use to remove the coloured stains after welding stainless? That should be a bit easier, but I have no idea how much the stuff costs.
The last thing I'd want sloshing around my engine bay is pickling paste (Antox), basically nitric acid with a few other nasties thrown in. I use it regularly for removing weld burn from stainless, that is all it should be used for. Its evil stuff if not used properly. ian_uk1975 said:
In order to keep my stainless V8 headers looking shiny, I'm thinking about haveing them coated in Cermakrome. It's an expensive job and, although it looks very good when finished, the only pics I can find online are pics immediately after the coating has been applied. What I'm interested in is how it looks after a few months or a year on a running engine. Does it go flat/tarnished or change colour?
Pics would be greatly appreciated from anyone that's had this done.
No pics to provide but I'll make a suggestion.Pics would be greatly appreciated from anyone that's had this done.
Edited by ian_uk1975 on Monday 21st February 10:37
Zircotec, costly but you get what you pay for. QUALITY
ian_uk1975 said:
Sorry to hear about the dog... hope she's OK.
Would appreciate pics when you get a moment... dishearening to hear it doesn't last. As you quite rightly say, it should last a lot longer given how pricey it is. Can you not polish it like paint? Can it be T-Cut to bring it back?
Thankfully, she's OK, Would appreciate pics when you get a moment... dishearening to hear it doesn't last. As you quite rightly say, it should last a lot longer given how pricey it is. Can you not polish it like paint? Can it be T-Cut to bring it back?
a bit miserable but she is 15 this year and fell from top to bottom like a rag doll. Relieved.I've got some photos somewhere I'll get them up. I was told by the company that did them that I could polish them up so I tried and went straight through the coating
I then asked how much for a re-coat, £350 +vat+carraige[manifolds only] So told them I would seek an alternative as it was far too expensive now. Thought at least as a gesture of goodwill it would be discounted but, hey-ho, they've lost business and will continue to do so.I wanted both a smart look under the bonnet AND to keep the temp's down so it seemed perfect solution, only it's not.
macdeb said:
Thankfully, she's OK, a bit miserable but she is 15 this year and fell from top to bottom like a rag doll. Relieved.
I've got some photos somewhere I'll get them up. I was told by the company that did them that I could polish them up so I tried and went straight through the coating I then asked how much for a re-coat, £350 +vat+carraige[manifolds only] So told them I would seek an alternative as it was far too expensive now. Thought at least as a gesture of goodwill it would be discounted but, hey-ho, they've lost business and will continue to do so.
I wanted both a smart look under the bonnet AND to keep the temp's down so it seemed perfect solution, only it's not.
Phew, glad the dog's OK a bit miserable but she is 15 this year and fell from top to bottom like a rag doll. Relieved.I've got some photos somewhere I'll get them up. I was told by the company that did them that I could polish them up so I tried and went straight through the coating
I then asked how much for a re-coat, £350 +vat+carraige[manifolds only] So told them I would seek an alternative as it was far too expensive now. Thought at least as a gesture of goodwill it would be discounted but, hey-ho, they've lost business and will continue to do so.I wanted both a smart look under the bonnet AND to keep the temp's down so it seemed perfect solution, only it's not.
Seems there's no real answer to keeping headers shiny then. I'm very surprised that the Cermakrome finish is so fragile! The way they market it, it sounds virtually 'bullet proof'. For what it costs, you'd expect a perfect, long-lasting finish. I'd be furious after having spent that amount of money on it. Pics would be good... all the pics online are of freshly-coated items.
Stainless headers are a bugger as even brand new or freshly-polished headers wind-up looking a rusty brown colour very, very quickly.
ian_uk1975 said:
Phew, glad the dog's OK
Seems there's no real answer to keeping headers shiny then. I'm very surprised that the Cermakrome finish is so fragile! The way they market it, it sounds virtually 'bullet proof'. For what it costs, you'd expect a perfect, long-lasting finish. I'd be furious after having spent that amount of money on it. Pics would be good... all the pics online are of freshly-coated items.
Stainless headers are a bugger as even brand new or freshly-polished headers wind-up looking a rusty brown colour very, very quickly.
The thermal plasma method is far superior than the water\paint based system which cermakrome is. The whole point of the excercise is to reduce exhaust temps with the thermal barrier. Aesthetics in my opinion is a bonus if it looks nice.Seems there's no real answer to keeping headers shiny then. I'm very surprised that the Cermakrome finish is so fragile! The way they market it, it sounds virtually 'bullet proof'. For what it costs, you'd expect a perfect, long-lasting finish. I'd be furious after having spent that amount of money on it. Pics would be good... all the pics online are of freshly-coated items.
Stainless headers are a bugger as even brand new or freshly-polished headers wind-up looking a rusty brown colour very, very quickly.
Either way you'll go round in circles cleaning or painting them yourself, heat wraping them, getting a mediacore job by a water based system or spend the extra cash and have the plasma method applied.
Talking from experience here.
Cheers, can't see it though and wasn't looking for compensation, just a reasonable outcome. I would've paid something, but not that much especially when the same will happen again. I feel for others that have had it done, a few after seeing mine when new.
I attend quite a few meets, events and stuff and always showing off my handy work under the bonnet [almost as if the bonnet latch is attached to the handbrake
] it usually meets with peoples approval and more often than not lately their attention is drawn to the now shabby manifolds. I shall now of course be telling the full story to anyone who asks about them.
I attend quite a few meets, events and stuff and always showing off my handy work under the bonnet [almost as if the bonnet latch is attached to the handbrake
] it usually meets with peoples approval and more often than not lately their attention is drawn to the now shabby manifolds. I shall now of course be telling the full story to anyone who asks about them. daveR6 said:
The thermal plasma method is far superior than the water\paint based system which cermakrome is. The whole point of the excercise is to reduce exhaust temps with the thermal barrier. Aesthetics in my opinion is a bonus if it looks nice.
Either way you'll go round in circles cleaning or painting them yourself, heat wraping them, getting a mediacore job by a water based system or spend the extra cash and have the plasma method applied.
Talking from experience here.
Cool, any more detail? contacts?Either way you'll go round in circles cleaning or painting them yourself, heat wraping them, getting a mediacore job by a water based system or spend the extra cash and have the plasma method applied.
Talking from experience here.
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