Stainless Steel Headers... worth it or no?

[69Cobra]

Hey Guys,
I'm trying to get my car finished up and I really need a new set of headers. I'm just wondering if there is any E.T. in going with SS?

[Alan Roehrich]

I cannot see where there would be any ET in a material change from mild steel to stainless.

The ET in headers is purely design, tube diameter, and tube length.

Coating is worth as much as 2.5%.

The correct steps in tubing diameter can be worth as much as 2%.

In order to take full advantage of merge collectors, a cam change may be necessary.

In order to make a set of "tri-Y" or 4-2-1 headers work, as opposed to s set of 4 into 1 headers, you would probably also need a cam change.

Jere Stahl has closed his doors, the only thing he's shipping now is pre bent kits he had left over.

If you want 4 into 1, Kromer is building headers again, or Mark Lelchook.

For 4-2-1 stuff, you have Calvin Elston and Mark Lelchook.

I have friends running headers from all three of those shops, and all are happy.

[my69396]

For a Ford you might give REF headers in Arizona a call 928-692-0111. I have had them on a Mustang and Torino and have been happy with the product and the service. They have the jigs and if you need a change they can do it over the phone. Like going from a auto to a stick.

[ron mattson]

There is performance is stainless, just as coating
Helps ,stainless keeps heat in way better than
Mild steel. The heat retention of a stainless header
Is every bit as good or better than coated mild
Steel and they won't rust

[CWhitney]

Save your money and just use the mild steel. Have them coated by a good company and they will last a long time. REF in AZ has all the jigs for your car also.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by ron mattson

There is performance is stainless, just as coating
Helps ,stainless keeps heat in way better than
Mild steel. The heat retention of a stainless header
Is every bit as good or better than coated mild
Steel and they won't rust

No, the heat retention of stainless steel is no where near that of mild steel with a ceramic thermal barrier coating.

[ron mattson]

The coefficient of thermal conductivity for mild
Steel is 26.98 stainless ls 9.3 and mild steel
Conducts 219 % more heat pr ft than stainless.
I have shot my header tubes with a infrared
Heat gun both coated and stainless and not
Once have I seen mild better. Ever see a pro
Stocker with coated headers, if they were better
I'm sure they would be using them!

[Alan Roehrich]

Larry Morgan ran NitroPlate coated headers for years. And said the coating worked.

Believe what you will, I'll not argue it further.

NitroPlate coats a lot of stainless headers, too.

[Jim Kaekel]

Stainless headers are definitely more expensive, but well worth it. I bought a set about 8-10 yrs. ago and they still are like brand new. Another benefit is that they don't get rust build-up inside, which hurts performance and can get into your engine during cranking. Once you go stainless....you won't go back.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Jim Kaekel

Stainless headers are definitely more expensive, but well worth it. I bought a set about 8-10 yrs. ago and they still are like brand new. Another benefit is that they don't get rust build-up inside, which hurts performance and can get into your engine during cranking. Once you go stainless....you won't go back.

A good set of properly coated mild steel headers are every bit as good as stainless and roughly half the price. Jim brings up a good point, stainless will last forever.
The question that I always ask a customer when they want to build stainless vs. mild steel is, how long are they going to run that combination and how much is their combination going to change over the years? A good set of coated mild steel headers will last 8-10 years. Will you have a different combination within that time? Will your combination have changed to the point of needing a different header in that time?
There's an awful lot of really expensive garage art hanging on racers walls out there!