BBK LT's Chrome vs Ceramic

[Lyncher]

Ok all I want to know is how much of a difference in hp is ther between the chrome and ceramic finished BBK lt's. THe ceramics are obviously much more money but is it worth it?

 

[Matts89LX5.0]

this question has to be a joke? right? they don't offer more hp just different look, they rust either way

 

[Lyncher]

...no ceramic helps keep the heat inside the headers..chrome does not, resulting in more heat being released into the engine bay. The more heat, the worse the performance.

 

[90mustangGT]

...no ceramic helps keep the heat inside the headers..chrome does not, resulting in more heat being released into the engine bay. The more heat, the worse the performance.

That is a good point that should be considered, especailly if your not running a fendermount induction system.

 

[Lyncher]

...are there any tests that show how much better the ceramics really are?...i doubt it

 

[Michael Yount]

Tests might show a slight difference -- but the real issue is that chrome will blue and ultimately dis-bond resulting in rusted headers that look like crap and eventually fail. Ceramic coatings done correctly look like new 3, 4, 5 years down the road. No comparison - and no reason to go chrome. The instant you put the chrome ones on, they start to look bad. Might as well paint them with high temp paint - that and chrome will both be rusting in a very short period of time.

 

[Greenfive-oh8]

dont be stupid, just go with ceramic, or stainless would be even better. no questions asked

 

[V8SHME8]

Unfortunately there are no good stainless steel options. The FRPP headers are 409 gauge. Unless you want to shell out for Kooks to make you some sweet thin wall 321 stainless, then you are stuck with ceramic coated. Hopefully someone will pipe in about other options, but as far as I am aware, that is your only way to go.

 

[Michael Yount]

Probably the best of both worlds are the FRPP ceramic coated units by JetHot - they're ceramic coated stainless. Of course, if you want long tubes....

 

[Curse]

Even if there is not a HP gain with the ceramic BBKs, just go with them anyway. I went with the BBK chrome shortys and they look like ass right now. Chrome is now all colors of the rainbow. My cousin went with the BBK ceramic and they look as good now as the first day he put them on.

 

[Ted87GT]

I bought the BBK unequal length headers this winter. when i got them, two bolts were crooked, had to have summit send out a package of ARP's to replace the ones BBK sent. After they were installed, i put 300 miles on the car and both gaskets blew out and started leaking like crazy. This is not the first instance ive heard of this happening. Several other people have had this same problem. Now i had to buy new gaskets from summit and take the headers off, replace the gaskets, and install the headers again which is a huge pain. im so mad at BBK right now. It's not even like i installed them wrong either. I have a lot of experience with cars and I work as a racecar engine builder. I will never buy BBk stuff again, for my own car or my customers. Anyways I would go ceramic if you have the money.

 

[Lyncher]

BBK IS GARBAGE!! i bought the BBK unequal length headers this winter. when i got them, two bolts were crooked, had to have summit send out a package of ARP's to replace the junk ones BBK sent. After they were installed, i put 300 miles on the car and both gaskets blew out and started leaking like crazy. This is not the first instance ive heard of this happening. Several other people have had this same problem. Now i had to buy new gaskets from summit and take the headers off, replace the gaskets, and install the headers again which is a huge pain. Screw BBk im so mad at them right now. It's not even like i installed them wrong either. I have a lot of experience with cars and I work as a racecar engine builder. I will never buy BBk stuff again, for my own car or my customers. Anyways I would go ceramic if you have the money.

Interesting...I have heard nothing but good things about bbk. I think I am definatly going ceramic when I do get em! Now I just need to decide on a cat back...

 

[89MustangGX]

I vote for the ceramic as well.

To go along with the heat issue outside of the headers, supposedly keeping the exhaust gasses heated speeds them and that is where the performance gain comes from. I have no evidence of it, but I like the JetHot coated stuff anyway.

This may differ between brands, as some brand sare coated only on the outside, while JetHot is done inside and out. That may be where the performance gain comes from as well.

 

[Michael Yount]

Ted - did you check to see if the flanges were true/flat before you installed?

 

[fiveohh94gt]

BBK IS GARBAGE!! i bought the BBK unequal length headers this winter. when i got them, two bolts were crooked, had to have summit send out a package of ARP's to replace the junk ones BBK sent. After they were installed, i put 300 miles on the car and both gaskets blew out and started leaking like crazy. This is not the first instance ive heard of this happening. Several other people have had this same problem. Now i had to buy new gaskets from summit and take the headers off, replace the gaskets, and install the headers again which is a huge pain. Screw BBk im so mad at them right now. It's not even like i installed them wrong either. I have a lot of experience with cars and I work as a racecar engine builder. I will never buy BBk stuff again, for my own car or my customers. Anyways I would go ceramic if you have the money.

hopefully you didnt use the crap gaskets they send with the headers, as long as a good quality gasket is used and the bolts dont back out it wont leak, dont blame it on bad quality from bbk

 

[Michael Yount]

Even high quality gaskets and ARP fasteners won't resolve things if the flange isn't true/flat - and many headers come with warped flanges right out of the box. And very few people check them because they assume if they're new, they're fine.

I've seen several brand new headers (Flowtech and Mac) with badly warped flanges. The FRPP's I've seen have been perfectly flat and true.

 

[281pony]

BBK IS GARBAGE!! i bought the BBK unequal length headers this winter. when i got them, two bolts were crooked, had to have summit send out a package of ARP's to replace the junk ones BBK sent. After they were installed, i put 300 miles on the car and both gaskets blew out and started leaking like crazy. This is not the first instance ive heard of this happening. Several other people have had this same problem. Now i had to buy new gaskets from summit and take the headers off, replace the gaskets, and install the headers again which is a huge pain. Screw BBk im so mad at them right now. It's not even like i installed them wrong either. I have a lot of experience with cars and I work as a racecar engine builder. I will never buy BBk stuff again, for my own car or my customers. Anyways I would go ceramic if you have the money.

no offense but if that is your only complaints then wtf is the problem? if you build engines and are so knowledgable, then you should have read/heard how ****ty the gaskets they come with are.

i have had bbk headers on my car for almost 2 years and however long before the prior owner installed them. ceramic coated, no issues with them. they still look good and install very easy. ive pulled them many times with a full engine compartment.

 

[kramer69]

I have the bbk ceramic coated LT's and I love them they still look brand new. Only complaint being that I had to put spacers under the drivers side motor mount because the headers were rubbing on the steering shaft.
-Pete

 

[Ted87GT]

Ted - did you check to see if the flanges were true/flat before you installed?

Yea they had a little weld spatter on them so i touched them up with a grinder and they're smooth now.

 

[z2o_what]

Tests might show a slight difference -- but the real issue is that chrome will blue and ultimately dis-bond resulting in rusted headers that look like crap and eventually fail. Ceramic coatings done correctly look like new 3, 4, 5 years down the road. No comparison - and no reason to go chrome. The instant you put the chrome ones on, they start to look bad. Might as well paint them with high temp paint - that and chrome will both be rusting in a very short period of time.

i dissagree,
i have had my crome long-tubes and my car since october, and i drove it every day until a month ago and they still look good, they have not discolored any where. the only place they have rusted is where they pipes meet. and it is just surface rust