New Header Pipe all the way to Muffler soon. Is there anything I can do to prevent this same rusty mess?

Loctite makes some spray called Maxicoat...some waxy film when it settles. Grease I guess would be no good because it would catch fire or just melt off?

www.eastwood.com high temp exhaust paint, you may be able to get it at napa as well, i just painted my new exhaust with the satin black header paint from eastwood. its 12 to 14 dollars a can. but clean the exhaust really well with alcohol or asytone. get any oil on it off

whatever you use make sure it's high temp....so a can of high temp paint would be good.

Does anyone know what is the purpose of that metal bracket where the Header Pipe connects to the front Exhaust Manifold?

i assumed when i took mine apart that it was a cover for the flange.

when you paint the pipes read the instructions carefully, some paints need to be baked 400+ degree and some need 24 hours to set before installing them.

Did you actually paint the weaved flexible section on the header pipe, as well as the flanges?

The flanges on my old one are rusted to hell. Also, do you have the specs on the fasteners I need ahead of time so I can save time. 3 per flange (2 total) for header pipe.

i painted the flanges and the flex eventough it is SS. the studs on my manifold flanges where M10 X 1.5 x M10 1.25. i reused the studs with new SS nuts. there are 3 per flange yes. are you using the stock manifolds or headers?

Get it all ceramic coated.... especially the muffler! Duplicolor now offers those hi-temp paints with ceramic in it and are rated @ 1200 degrees fahrenheit. I've sprayed some on more truck headers so far so good no peeling yet it's 2 weeks. Clean with a wire brush and wipe down with acetone or MEK.

That's like LPS-3 to prevent corrosion on objects/parts not used in high heat areas! Not intended for exhaust parts, unless you like alot of smoke and fire

Move down south where there's no salt!!

my exhaust with eastwood hightemp header paint. still drying. needs 24 hours to cure.

a real ceramic coating doesn't come in a can.
but the ceramic paints are pretty good.

300, what happened to the flange that attaches to the support bracket right before the CAT. Did you scrap it? Is there a generic replacement - mines rusted to hell.

i got rid of it and used a generic cat it slipfits and you can use clamps.

I think we all know that.. but there is something ceramic in the duplicolor spray paint. No it's not Jet-hot, Dynacorp, Armour Coat, Swain Coatings, etc. But the duplicolor thru my own experience is better than any other rattle can paint i've used b4 on high temp parts/conditions...

The only way to prevent rust is to live in Arizona or to buck up and buy a stainless exhaust.

cars can rust there too.
been there, done that

find someone that will aluminize the pipes that will help for a few years.

True but for that price I could just replace the whole system again. It's costing about $500.00 in parts so far including the new O2 sensor & paint. I'm wondering if the OEM is actually the Bosal direct fit replacement...that lasted 16 yrs - I hope so. 300 - did you go with grade 8,10, or 12 strength for the fasteners.

grade 5 are fine for an exhaust system.. for SAE. for metric, grade 8.8 is fine.

use zinc plated at minimum, stainless bolts are recommended. and use tons of anti seize.

**** - months ago I bought the replacement upper plenum bolts and they are black and rated 12.9

Do you think I should remove all of them and replace them with 8.8? When they say that grade 12 is brittle - do you think just the vibration alone from driving would snap those plenum bolts?

no.

whoever says they're brittle is a moron.

Their yield (permanent stretch) strength is greater than the tensile (breaking) strength of the grade 8.8s. so before the 12.8s would even begin to have problems at all, the grade 8.8s would have already broken.

either would have done the job though in your case though. the manifold isn't under much stress at all.

i think they where 10.9s but i got them off the shelf at Loews and they are galvanized. the plenum is under next to no stress as far as thous bolts are concerned. the bosal and the OEM are very different i wouldn't say that it will last 16 years but it should be a while before anything happens to it.

Not a concern at all. im surprised that you even replaced them. thous bolts are threaded in to aluminum no, the aluminum will get messed up long before the bolts and thats nearly impossible to begin with. matt is completely right the person that told you 12s a brittle should be smacked with a bag full of the bolts!

if you have any concerns about the grade of bolts you are using go to www.mcmaster.com and look up the bolts, they give details on spec

If you could find some stainless steel hi temp 12.9's that would be ever better... they would never corrode and break due to heat related stress!