QuestionQUESTION: Hello, I drove a 1984 Chevrolet K5 Blazer on a daily basis; 305 engine. My question is, do ALL types of after-market headers eventually rust/deteriorate? And what would be a better option to prevent so; wraps or coating?
ANSWER: Yeah, they all rust, even the pricey ones. Wraps help, but they work much better if used on coated headers. Still, five or six years is all that you can expect even with these precautions. That is why I recommend against headers unless racing. The original cast-iron manifolds will NEVER wear out. An option is a stainless steel header, but you probably already know how expensive that is.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Okay. Thank you sir. The stainless steel, yes, cha-ching. However, I don't know: do they last longer? Also, after asking you I found via web surfing a sort of shorty header made by Sanderson Headers that is made of cast-iron. Legitimate? Again, I appreciate the help; I just want to treat my truck right.
Answer Stainless headers last forever. Look under the hood of most newer cars and you will see a stainless header has been used instead of the old cast-iron job. Those cast-iron shorties are good stuff. Another nice thing about cast-iron manifolds is that they are soooo much quieter than tubular headers (with headers you can hear each valve hit its seat every time it opens and closes).
