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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Painting the Manifold

My lovely new Maniflow manifold turned-up yesterday as part of a complete system from Maniflow.
As the manifold is supplied unpainted, what's the best option for keeping it looking newish. I have looked at ceramic coating, but that looks expensive, and maybe a tad un-necessary for the use that my car gets, so what are the other options. Halfrauds do a high temperature spray paint, has anyone used it with any success? Frost also do a hight temp paint, but that needs to be cured in an oven as part of the application process.
Has anybody got any advice they might like to pass on.
T Holdsworth

I used mat black high temp paint from Halfrauds and it peeled off after a few months.
I have also tried their HT red paint, -which turned out a rather wimpish sort or orangey colour. But then I sold that manifold so never discovered how well it lasted as a finish.
Guy Weller

IIRC I used black Krylon for painting my steel manifolds and it lasted years, sandblasting first to give a good key helps.
David Billington

I used a white htp sperex? i think - bought it cheap @ stonleigh.
It is a bit discoloured, some bits did not stick as well - probably poor prep ! so touch up on car.
Needed to spray in thin coats - then heat up a bit and let cool - i ran a propane torch into the tubes without trying to over heat.

R.
richard boobier

you might get a decent price for matt chroming as it doesn't need the prep that full chroming needs

Carl
C Bintcliffe

Hammeritte High Heat paint available from Halfords.
Alan Anstead

Sorry for the late addition. I use Eastwood high temp paint available from Frost. I've used it on the last 2 engine refurbs and just sprayed the manifold for my midget last night. It is available in various colours.

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9134
Stuart K

you need to be thinking about preventive heat, these aftermarket manifolds put off a god awful amount of heat, I had my powder coat guys but a simi ceramic heat paint on mine and baked in an over for around 8 hours, its black, flat and looks awsome, and supposed to knock the heat down considerably, Im taking all my exhauste parts in next week to have them done the same way as well.

it was really cheap to have the header done...like $40, that included the paint and the labor, if it does what its supposed to, then it will be a really good cheap modifiation.

Prop
Prop

BTW - the darker, duller and rougher the surface, the more it radiates heat. So dull black paint will radiate more heat than standard unpainted manifold... UNLESS the paint is so thick (or has such good thermal resistance) that the surface of the paint is considerably cooler than the underlying steel.

A
Anthony Cutler

STOP.....!

Before you paint it, make sure you can fit it easily without scratching all your hard work and effort.

Some of the Maniflow manifolds require the engine to be OUT before it will go in.....!

As for paint finish, blast it then matt black. I have used motorcycle exhaust paint in the past.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Why didn't you get a stainless one?
Cheers John
JOHN HALL & JULIE ROBERTS

I responded earlier in the thread thinking this was the maniflow inlet manifold that was recently purchased and mentioned on the BBS, now I'm not sure. My comment regarding paint was what I used for a steel inlet manifold not exhaust.
David Billington

In my experance, Stainless manifolds are very prone to cracking. 304 being better than 409, but neither as good as Mild Steel.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Mark Makes a great point...you may have to (as in my case) pull the engine up out of its bay a good 6-12 inches to install the header as It will foul the steering colomn, by a mere 1/2 inch or so...or you can remove the head....or disassembly the steering colomn, if its just adding the header...(how often does that happen)


Ive heard great things from this DIY product Its called ("Cermakrome")...Id certianly look into it...unfortantly its no-longer for sale to private individuals here in the states, just the rest of the Planet...Even nierobie.

Prop...We are Americans for godsake, We are entitled, LOL....Prop


http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MSPORT&pcode=NIM1706
Prop

If anyone is after a period Sixties look, the inlet manifold would be almost invariably silver with the exhaust unpainted. I believe Sperex was the first VHT paint available over here, from around 1964 IIRC, initially only in white and too expensive to be used on the likes of a Sprite.

I find the modern keenness on black for both inlet and exhaust slightly puzzling. " ... the darker, duller and rougher the surface, the more it radiates heat." Anthony says (I'm sure perfectly correctly), but why do you want either set of pipes radiating heat?

Matt black is surely the very best finish for absorbing heat, which is exactly the reverse of what you want the inlet manifold doing - the ideal being the best finish to reject heat, hence the period silver.

You don't even want the exhaust manifold radiating heat - the point of ceramic coating and tape wrapping is to keep the heat in the metal to reduce underbonnet temperatures.

Or am I missing something?

Tom
Tom Coulthard

This thread was discussed between 22/05/2009 and 30/05/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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