Is it worth spending $150 to get the stock pipe and y-pipe ceramic coated. Does it make that much of a difference in underhood temps
ceramic coating stock pipe
- Thread starter nomasittinright
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HOOCH256
Well-known member
I wouldn't waste 150 on it, myself I would get some titanium exhaust wrap with the silicon spray. Soak the wrap in water before you start and Stretch the piss out of it, once it dries it will pull tight then spray with the silicon spray annnnnnnd all this would cost a 1/4 of that
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ACMtnCat
Well-known member
I don't think the ceramic coat is going to do much about under hood heat but what it does do is cleans up the engine compartment and you won't have the glass dust that comes from the stock clam shell. Also, I don't know where Hooch is buying his wrap tape but when I wrapped my pipe it cost me about $100 for enough length to wrap it not including the silicon spray. So for a $150 ceramic job you get a cleaner look and the y pipe coated!
The ceramic looks better but isnt as good as a heat shield as the wrap, on the other hand the wrap tape lasts about 2 years compared to the coating lasting forever.
The ceramic looks better but isnt as good as a heat shield as the wrap, on the other hand the wrap tape lasts about 2 years compared to the coating lasting forever.
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HOOCH256
Well-known member
Well it's been awhile since I did it but I did a set of twins for around 100 but we also used 2" not one 1" and theyve been on and off the sled for almost 4yrs now and are still going strong! The key is soaking in water cause it allows it to stretch more and once it dries out it pulls in so tight that we couldn't even get a finger nail under it! Also it took 2 of us a few hours to wrap both pipes. I've also wrapped full headers on my race bikes that are 4-2-1 design. Keep in mind the price is really based on how much you can find the wrap for, spend a few mins searching the Internet and you will find it for the right price
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CatRpillar
Well-known member
I coated mine. Cleaner, much better looking and I will see if I can go without the 5lbs of clamshell - was surprised by how much that weighed. Nobody is melting hoods using aftermarket pipes - that I have heard - and they arent clamshelled.
Ceramic Coating
On my last three snowmobiles I had the stock exhaust systems coated. I also had the exhaust shields polished and kept the insulation on. I am sure it lowered the underhood temperatures but mostly made it look nicer. I would recommend it.
On my last three snowmobiles I had the stock exhaust systems coated. I also had the exhaust shields polished and kept the insulation on. I am sure it lowered the underhood temperatures but mostly made it look nicer. I would recommend it.
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CCPerformance.com
Member
RE: Ceramic Coating Snowmobile Pipes
Ceramic Coating your snowmobile exhaust pipe will definitely make a difference in reducing underhood temps, but more importantly it will prevent your pipe from rusting out and as an added bonus, make a bit more HP to boot….
Factory heat shields / clam shells are a DEATH sentence to your factory pipes. They have limited thermal effectiveness and worse yet, they PROMOTE corrosion of your exhaust system. When you ride or open trailer the matting on the pipe gets wet and generally stays that way. The combination of hot /cold cycles and the cheap metal pipes staying moist all the time results in RUSTY / CORRODED pipes…. If they go unchecked we’ve seen holes and rust throughs in as little as a season or two. This is particularly problematic in states like MI that use salt on the roads…
Aftermarket wrapping is effective heat management but equally as bad for corrosion in that most guys wrap there pipes and then never give the pipes another thought until the wrap starts falling off. By then it’s usually too. The other problem is the Y pipe. It's an important part of your system but its not easy to wrap.
We have a few customers that do both, they Ceramic Coat there pipes and wrap them. This is pretty safe as far as corrosion concerns and the best way to keep all the heat in. NOTE: you can NOT wrap or re-install your clam shells on Bright Ceramic Coated pipes. Doing so will overheat the finish and you will never get the “bright“appearance back.. If you plan to wrap your pipes and you want to Ceramic Coat them first, you need to use a High Temp Ceramic that is good for about 2000F+. These Ceramic come in about 10 different colors.
Wrapped Header without Ceramic Coating
Note: Corrosion on right side of Y that was cleaned up prior to Black Ceramic Coating
Ceramic Coating your snowmobile exhaust pipe will definitely make a difference in reducing underhood temps, but more importantly it will prevent your pipe from rusting out and as an added bonus, make a bit more HP to boot….
Factory heat shields / clam shells are a DEATH sentence to your factory pipes. They have limited thermal effectiveness and worse yet, they PROMOTE corrosion of your exhaust system. When you ride or open trailer the matting on the pipe gets wet and generally stays that way. The combination of hot /cold cycles and the cheap metal pipes staying moist all the time results in RUSTY / CORRODED pipes…. If they go unchecked we’ve seen holes and rust throughs in as little as a season or two. This is particularly problematic in states like MI that use salt on the roads…
Aftermarket wrapping is effective heat management but equally as bad for corrosion in that most guys wrap there pipes and then never give the pipes another thought until the wrap starts falling off. By then it’s usually too. The other problem is the Y pipe. It's an important part of your system but its not easy to wrap.
We have a few customers that do both, they Ceramic Coat there pipes and wrap them. This is pretty safe as far as corrosion concerns and the best way to keep all the heat in. NOTE: you can NOT wrap or re-install your clam shells on Bright Ceramic Coated pipes. Doing so will overheat the finish and you will never get the “bright“appearance back.. If you plan to wrap your pipes and you want to Ceramic Coat them first, you need to use a High Temp Ceramic that is good for about 2000F+. These Ceramic come in about 10 different colors.
Wrapped Header without Ceramic Coating
Note: Corrosion on right side of Y that was cleaned up prior to Black Ceramic Coating
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CatRpillar
Well-known member
As a note, not challenging anyone, before I coated I looked all over for legitimate testing to show an HP increase. Couldnt find one. Hot Rod mag had a test and it showed no gains. I decided to go ahead mainly for weight loss.
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CCPerformance.com
Member
Ceramic Coating Snowmobile Pipes
Like most comparisons, your gains are dependent on your starting point and your overall expectations. If anyone is under the impression that Ceramic Coating their exhaust pipes is comparable to adding a shot of NOS to their ride, they’re likely to be disappointed. To be honest, I’d estimate 50% to 75% of our customers Ceramic Coat their pipes for looks so they don’t have to look at or re-paint their rusty pipes again. Any performance gains beyond that is just icing on the cake.
I could site numerous examples of performance gains in assorted areas of motorsports, but let’s concentrate on sleds for this discussion. In particular let’s look at “thermal efficiency” as in keeping the most heat in your pipe as possible. One example would be Ceramic Coating a heavy gauge OEM pipe vs a thin aftermarket pipe like an AAEN or a fabricated pipe. There’s a HUGE benefit in coating the aftermarket pipe in this scenario because the aftermarket pipe has little thermal efficiency. One example I recall was a customer that had a Yamaha SRX-700 with AAEN pipes. Why, I don’t know, lol. He did a perfect A/B exchange. The sled was clutched for the un-coated pipes. After coating the pipes the engine picked up an extra couple hundred RPM.
Other areas to gain here are based on the environment. You’re riding in FROZEN ICE & SNOW!!!! The pipe / pipes are constantly being subjected to thermal shocks as a result of load and the actual snow being thrown on it. Ceramic coating on the pipe allows the sled to make temps quicker and more consistently. This also protects super thin gauge pipes from cracking as a result of thermal shock…… The list goes on and on……….
Example of THIN pipes
Like most comparisons, your gains are dependent on your starting point and your overall expectations. If anyone is under the impression that Ceramic Coating their exhaust pipes is comparable to adding a shot of NOS to their ride, they’re likely to be disappointed. To be honest, I’d estimate 50% to 75% of our customers Ceramic Coat their pipes for looks so they don’t have to look at or re-paint their rusty pipes again. Any performance gains beyond that is just icing on the cake.
I could site numerous examples of performance gains in assorted areas of motorsports, but let’s concentrate on sleds for this discussion. In particular let’s look at “thermal efficiency” as in keeping the most heat in your pipe as possible. One example would be Ceramic Coating a heavy gauge OEM pipe vs a thin aftermarket pipe like an AAEN or a fabricated pipe. There’s a HUGE benefit in coating the aftermarket pipe in this scenario because the aftermarket pipe has little thermal efficiency. One example I recall was a customer that had a Yamaha SRX-700 with AAEN pipes. Why, I don’t know, lol. He did a perfect A/B exchange. The sled was clutched for the un-coated pipes. After coating the pipes the engine picked up an extra couple hundred RPM.
Other areas to gain here are based on the environment. You’re riding in FROZEN ICE & SNOW!!!! The pipe / pipes are constantly being subjected to thermal shocks as a result of load and the actual snow being thrown on it. Ceramic coating on the pipe allows the sled to make temps quicker and more consistently. This also protects super thin gauge pipes from cracking as a result of thermal shock…… The list goes on and on……….
Example of THIN pipes
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CatRpillar
Well-known member
Thanks for the info. Agree with the benefits you had cited, and can even see where coating may cause hp to be produced at a higher rpm. But I still couldnt find a single documented scientifically sound study backing up the more hp claim. If you could point me to one or more it would be greatly appreciated. Not trying to burst bubbles as I would really like to believe there are measurable hp gains.
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CCPerformance.com
Member
Not sure how you'd define a "scientifically sound study". If you're seeking data specific to sleds you may want to contact specific sled builders or coaters concentrating in those areas. I believe Swain has some data.
I suspect you'll run into several problems though. One, what works on an Cat 600 may or may not work on a Ski Doo 800. So transference doesn't always apply. Two, ceramic exhaust coatings and engine coatings have been one of engine builders and racers dirty little secrets for years and many won't share their specifics without being blackmailed. Good luck...
We've been trying to validate some heavy truck / class 8 applications for some time. We know of testing that has been done on turbos, manifolds and down-pipes equating to increased mileage to the tune of 5%-10%. This falls in line with current performance applications but we don't want to rely on second hand data. The added HP & torque resulting from the improved thermal efficiency of these turbo systems is resulting in improved MPG. Where as performance enthusiasts have pursued coatings for added HP & torque with zero concern for MPG..... This is also visible in big trucks customizing trend in "gliders". These guys are seeing improved power and torque from simple extrude honing and ceramic coating of the manifolds.... Most aren't even bothering with the turbo and down pipe where the real gains are to be found....
On more substantiated subjects, we know for a fact (via received quote packages) that OEM auto manufacturers are actively pursuing production methods to Ceramic Coat combustion chambers, valves and piston domes in mass produced engines. Why? They know that the average internal combustion engine is losing upwards of 30% performance / efficiency due to thermal losses through aluminum heads, blocks and pistons......
Ceramic Coated Manifold & Turbine housing, Powder Coated Compressor Housing.
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Gxf800sphc2012
Well-known member
reading all this is really making me consider ceramic coating my Y pipe and pipe now. i like the idea of keeping the heat in the exhaust and the temp not fluxuating as much when snow water or what not hits it and causes "shock" as stated before.
thanks for the good info great thred.
thanks for the good info great thred.
Also just want to say thanks for all the info. I'm getting my pipes coated for the build I'm doing, but I'm not thinking about performance gains, I'm more concerned with no rust and better durability, and less/or no melting of the hood since there isn't going to be a ton of clearance between the two. If I do gain a little in hp along the way, I won't be complaining. I did have the pistons and heads coated already more in hopes of the tuning being a little more forgiving (less prone to siezure since I'm running wiseco pistons), than in hp gains, but again, more hp is ALWAYS welcome!!
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