Mild Steel match for Stainless?

[evolutionmovement]

What about getting a mild steel and using the high temp ceramic exhaust paint or something to that effect inside and out before instal (downstream of the turbo only to prevent possible paint chips being ingested later on)?

Steve

[BAC5.2]

Talking to the CES guys at the Feed and Speed....

They said that mild steel is really a good option and that stainless isn't even necessary based on the price.

An exterior coating would be good, but inside wouldn't be necessary I wouldn't think.

Is the goal to simply get the same durability from mild that you get from stainless?

[evolutionmovement]

As close as possible, yes. I like stuff to last as close to forever as I can. Maybe it's some weird manifestation of abandonment issues, but it would have to be from a past life as my ex is the only one that's left me and I was always like this.

The thing about exhaust is that it contains water vapor, so just coating the outside wouldn't offer as much protection. I'm not even sure if the inside can be treated, though. If it could I'd maybe make millions applying it to marine environments. It can be big $$ to replace rusted manifolds or even elbows and that's when the engine doesn't ingest water. Of course that exhaust has a surrounding water jacket and any coating would really have its work cut out against salt water, but you get the idea.

Steve

[BAC5.2]

Easy to apply to insides. Cut the pipe in half, spray, re-weld.

Would it be worth it? For the cost of the paint, and labor, it might just cost more than a SS pipe to begin with.

Stainless pipe runs about $100 for a 10 foot stick of 3" ID pipe.

[vrg3]

You can help the water problem out a lot just by being sure to drive hard every once in a while. Lots of short trips pussyfooting the throttle are what allow the water to collect and rust through faster than it should.

[Warp3]

You can help the water problem out a lot just by being sure to drive hard every once in a while. Lots of short trips pussyfooting the throttle are what allow the water to collect and rust through faster than it should.

...seriously, officer, I was preventing exhaust system rust...

[azn2nr]

get it hpc coated. bout 10 bucks a foot for a polished aluinium finish. im payin about 12 a foot for my ic pipes. their starting to oxidize a little. its more for intakes espcialy with all the bends and cleaning too.

[boostjunkie]

Easy to apply to insides. Cut the pipe in half, spray, re-weld.

However, once you re-weld the pipe, all of the paint in and around the area welded will be burned off. The pipe might end up rusting on the inside where the paint was burned off.

[legacy92ej22t]

Easy to apply to insides. Cut the pipe in half, spray, re-weld.

However, once you re-weld the pipe, all of the paint in and around the area welded will be burned off. The pipe might end up rusting on the inside where the paint was burned off.

I also don't think it would really be all that fun to cut circular piping in half then reweld it back together. That and unless it was Tig welded, the welds could hurt flow if they're sloppy.

It would be pretty hard to apply the paint on the inside of the pipe IMO. If you did do a MS exhaust I think it would be worth doing the outside though.

[tris91ricer]

Really, just $100/10 ft of SS? Wow, I need to find that, too!
I've been wanting to bring over my other exhaust parts from the 91, so it made sense to just redo the exhaust anyhow..
Good info, dudes.
I have nothing useful to offer .

[JasonGrahn]

Gget it ceramic coated at Performance Coatings in Auburn.

Or

Go talk to my buddy Andre at Pina Motorsports in Kent. He can teach you a bit about exhaust builds and the metals he uses, then build you a sweet exhaust when he's done.

Then get it ceramic coated.

http://www.performancecoatings.com/

http://www.pinamotorsports.com/fab.html

[tris91ricer]

Sure will look around. Good links, meng.

[Impregacy]

On a turbo engine 300 series stainless would last about as long as 1020 DOM mild steel would on a NA engine.