Initial Ceramic Header Spray Review

[cambo]

So I've put about 500 miles on the bike since coating the header pipes with vht ceramic paint.

Pro: I love the look.

Con(s): I'm a little worried that it's the reason that my bike seems to overheat much faster now. and also takes a lot longer to cool down.

Is this possible? Can someone that understands ceramic coating chime in?

I used to be able to ride all day and the maybe towards the end of the day, my bike would hit over 200F...while sitting in traffic. But throughout the day, my temps would hold steady around 172-185.

Now, my temps hit 200F almost instantly...unless I'm moving the temps quickly raise to 210...the fans have to come on at almost every traffic light.

And even when I'm moving...which in the past has usually cooled it to low 170s...the bike seems to barely cool down to sub 200 temps. I'm happy if I get below 190 but that's seldom. To give you an estimate of how slow...the temps drop about 1 degree per mile. Throw a traffic light in there...and it's right back up there. It's like I take 20 steps back and 1 step forward lol.

I even did an early oil change (at 2500 miles) thinking the oil I used at the 600 mile marker must be shitty and maybe it was helping to cause the overheating...but nope. Fresh oil...and still gets really hot. So that's why I think it's the ceramic coating...it's the only thing different I've done.

I'll ride it out for the rest of the season but if I'm not happy with it...I may just sand it all off.

Could it be because I coated the ENTIRE header pipe? all the way back to the mid pipe?

And then again, am I just worrying about nothing? Is the temp being that high even a big deal?

 

[Rabbitman109]

Well that is strange. I wouldn't think that coating the header would raise engine temps. While it isn't a huge deal, your fans will just run more, I wonder why it is doing that. Honestly it is just going to make it more uncomfortable for you, and really just makes you rely on the rad/fans more. If they fail you could have an issue.

Generally the thought is with ceramic coating is that it keeps the exhaust hotter, allowing for better flow and more power. Maybe it is a side effect to have increased engine temps. Maybe you would drop a line to a professional coating place, see if they would call this normal.

 

[Rotaryknight]

it is probably because of the ambient air temp being high on certain days. While I ride to work going 80mph, with air temp at 90-95F, my engine temperature hovers around 190F.

You will have to ride it for atleast a month to come up with a conclusion. I never heard of ceramic coating causing overheating. THough, you arent actually "overheating" until 230F.

 

[Fuzzy8]

The hotter running bike is just due to the season. You have to remember it's not just the air temp itself, but the increased humidity=decreased air density (your engine has to work harder), the higher road temps keep the bike hotter longer, yada yada yada... Just wait and see, the first cool day in fall you'll swear your bike has a hidden turbo somewhere.

 

[alexk]

I run my stock '13 in triple-degree 50%+ humidity regularly. It does NOT hit 200F unless I'm moving under 30mph. The highest I've ever seen it on the highway is 190F, and the highest I've ever seen when stopped is 220F.

Some back of the napkin math from a forum with questionable data:

For every pound of pressure cap rating the boiling of point of the above mixture raises 3 degrees. If you had a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water the coolant would boil @ 265 degrees with a 15 pound cap.

That would suggest that the boiling point of 50/50 mix at standard pressure is 220F (265-3*15). I don't know what pressure our cooling system is set for, but anything over 210F makes me nervous...​

Do keep an eye on it, and check the color of the radiator fluid and the engine oil. My concern is that during the baking process you may have overheated the engine, which would be a very bad thing(tm)

I've worked with a number of cars that have overheated, and they all ran hotter afterward (I wish I understood exactly why, but I never figured out the exact cause). Some leaked radiator fluid into the oil or vice versa due to a warped head or failed head gasket. If you see an oil sheen on the radiator fluid, or if the oil starts getting cloudy or whiter, then it's going to take some work to get the bike purring nicely.

If the bike never gets above 220F, or if the temp starts dropping significantly with the weather, then you're golden. I'm hoping for ya!

and regarding exhaust gas temps - catalytic converters are most efficient when the exhaust gas is hotter, so modern car designs place the cat right up against the shortened collectors. That's harder to do on a bike, so I'm at a loss as to why Yamaha didn't coat or insulate the headers from the factory - it costs pennies when done in bulk, and the reduced cat costs should more than offset that spend... damn I wish I knew some of their engineers...

 

[cpatt]

could it be because the pipes use to heat up and cool with the wind blowing on them. and the ceramic coating is stopping it from heating up/cooling down.