Exhaust heat paint

[Anonymous]

This is the first reply I've posted so hopefully it works. For those of you who do not like the appearance of header wrap and do not wish to put out the money for actual ceramic coating I recommend that you try Duplicolor high temp paint with ceramic. I've had really good results with this stuff. If you don't ride in the rain alot, I've had it stay looking good for 2 seasons. Just clean and sand the header really good and the paint will cure through normal riding.

 

[Billy Ricks]

http://www.techlinecoatings.com/articles/Coating_Exhaust_Manifolds_Article.htm

This place has a brush on ceramic coating that doesn't require baking.

 

[Clone]

I read about the brush on ceramic coating, I think I might try it when I have to replace my megaphones. Buy chrome ones, cheaper, then coat them black.

 

[Anonymous]

I know this thread is kind of old but I have been busy riding! Here is a picture of my pipes wrapped with 1" DEI header wrap, and sprayed with high-temp silicone both before and after wrapping. They were wrapped about 1 year ago. There is some mud on there but you get the idea. No rust!

I highly recommend the stainless clamps and silicone paint that DEI offers along with their wraps. You can get the whole kit from Summitracing.com.

 

[Mattman]

Jethro,
where did you go to have yours done? I'm in NH too and let me tell ya my crome pipes are specaled with pits and rust.

 

[retrex]

Painting Header Pipes

Painting Header Pipes

I have recently painted my headers with good results and thought that I would pass it on for public consumption. I went about it a little differently in that I didn't want a flat black finish. I opted for nice gunmetal grey/black chrome like finish. It sheds water much better than a flat finish and should last longer. I'll update on this theory next fall.

Anyway the process I followed is this. Because I used my original OEM pipes I needed to weld the cracks in the seams and to add metal to the rusted out union joints of the pipes after wire brushing them clean. I ground off the excess weld material wherever appearance mattered.

I sand blasted the really bad rusted areas, but not the good smooth areas. I didn't want the textured look except were it didn't matter or where the rust had already eaten into the metal. On the smooth curved areas I used 180 grit emery cloth tape followed by 240 grit to remove light rust and sand off the chrome. I used steel wire wheels in a high speed drill where I could not sand. I opted for this method rather than use power because I didn't want to cut swirls or gouge the metal surfaces. This will take time and it is physically difficult. Wooden jawed vises made it easier to hold the pieces steady.

For the next stage and from this point forward I highly recommend that you use clean, oil and residue free rubber gloves to handle the pipes. To finish up I use 220 and then 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper and a solution of Simple green and water to finish sand and remove any oil residue. Rinse, let dry and wait for a low humidity day. Plan ahead. I used wire wrapped around the lip on the end of the pipe that goes into the cylinder head to suspend the pipe from hooks so they did not touch anything. I did not touch the outside of the pipes from this point forward when just transporting them. I hooked a thumb in the pipe input opening and lifted using my thumb and the suspension wire.

When you get a nice dry low humidity day or two, acid wash the pipes. Navel Jelly pink stuff is ok if you don't have the stuff they use for POR15 prep. This will eat away at and neutralize the remaining rust and leave a good etched surface for the paint to adhere to. Rinse thoroughly and let dry in the Sun or use heat to dry. Use the rubber gloves at all times. Don't sweat on or brush up against the pipes. If you do, then reclean with Simple Green, or equivalent, and redry. Don't panicky if the surface appears to have slight rust haze. This is normal and desirable. The paint will latch onto this.

Next paint the dry pipes with the first coat of black high temp (1200 degree or better) paint. Use whatever paint you trust. I used Black Velvet 1200 degree high temp paint from the POR Store. It is fairly expensive and I bought and used most of two 8 oz containers. Open and use can at a time, don't box the paint, use some, and then pour the remaining back into a container for reuse. I brushed on first coat in order to push the paint into the crevices and into the pitted rusty areas on the pipe. If you don't know how to hand paint without leaving brushstrokes, talk to a professional painter or spray on the first coat. I did not paint the flanges that bolt the header to the head because I wanted the chrome accent.

After the paint has air dried for a full 24 hours, cure it with heat. Use a heat gun with 600 and 1000 degree settings. Heat up the pipes slowly from the inside out with 600 degree setting first, let cool and then repeat with the 1000 degree setting. Do this a couple of times at the 1000 degree setting.

After the paint is cured, lightly sand with 600 wet/dry and Simple Green, or equivalent, and water solution. Rinse and dry, with heat preferably. Gloves always.

Spray on the second coat. I have a compressor and good gravity fed guns. If you don't then use a Pre Val from a regular professional home paint store. You can do a good job if you thin the paint you are using correctly and take your time. Nice and even. No drips or you have to resand. Go through the drying process mentioned above.

Do not sand.

Spray on the first of two coats of High Temp Clear. Just enough paint for a smooth and glassy surface. No drips. Note, two cans will do two coats unless the spray tip gets clogged on the second coat. It is better to have an extra can to finish in case the tip gets clogged. I was lucky in that I was just finishing the second coat when the tip went south, a word to the wise. I used VHT 1200 Degree High Temp Clear. After you spray on the first coat go through the drying process. Do not touch the outside of the pipes from this point forward when just transporting.

Wait for a low humidity day. Lightly sand with 800 wet/dry and soap water solution. Rinse and air dry. Do not touch the outside of the pipes.

Spray on the second and final coat of VHT 1200 degree clear. Go through the drying process one last time. Note that anything, dust, lint, whatever particulate on the surface before drying will melt into the finish as you apply heat. I suggest that before you turn on the heat wash the outside of the pipes with clear water to remove all surface particles.

To install on your bike you should wrap the pipes in ace bandages to protect them from scratching. Ace bandages work very well and don't mar the finish like other cloth.

To cure the pipes you have to heat them gradually for increasing time lengths. Wash the pipes down with clear water. Fire it up. At the first sign of smoking coming off the pipes shut it down. Let the pipes go stone cold. If you have the time, do this over a number of days. Rewash, fire it up let it smoke for 30 seconds or less. Shut it down and let it cool down again. Keep doing this process gradually increasing the smoke time. You should see that it is taking longer and longer to smoke and smoking less and less. Use your judgment and common sense to determine when you can run the engine indefinitely, with a fan on it to cool if it is air cooled.

If you generally follow the above instructions and have a bit of luck you should come out with a product that is as good or better looking than ceramic coated at about 1/5th the price.