Any ideas on better looking exhaust bolts?

[Can_O_Tuna]

looks good !

[ged]

I like the acorn nuts.

I cant wait to start looking for an exhaust for mine.

[mvalenti]

what about stainless and polish em?

[B-rent]

what about stainless and polish em?

I know that you can buy stainless bolts and nuts that have already been polished, but I don't remember seeing stainless acorn nuts where I bought the chrome. The guy at Fastenal scared me away from using stainless for the exhaust manifold. I do like the idea of polished stainless more than a coating of chrome. It would have to be cheaper too, but I do like the chrome on there.

[mvalenti]

I know that you can buy stainless bolts and nuts that have already been polished, but I don't remember seeing stainless acorn nuts where I bought the chrome. The guy at Fastenal scared me away from using stainless for the exhaust manifold. I do like the idea of polished stainless more than a coating of chrome. It would have to be cheaper too, but I do like the chrome on there.

Did he give a reason?

[tkent02]

Stainless gets brittle with heat cycles, stainless nuts would be OK but for the studs it's probably better to not use stainless.
People do use stainless but I won't. Anything is probably OK if they get some anti-sieze and take them out to free them up once or twice a decade. Letting them corrode in place for twenty or so years is the real killer.

[mvalenti]

Stainless gets brittle with heat cycles, stainless nuts would be OK but for the studs it's probably better to not use stainless.
People do use stainless but I won't. Anything is probably OK if they get some anti-sieze and take them out to free them up once or twice a decade. Letting them corrode in place for twenty or so years is the real killer.

Most materials (metals) do that as well, stainless 300 series becomes brittle when it heats between 800-1600f during its cycles. Not sure what the head sees during normal run time. I think the key is high temp anti seize, and change the hardware every couple years.

[daturat100r]

You could always use brass/bronze nuts, readily available in different acorn shapes or easily turned up on a lathe and get them chromed to suit.Bronze was the traditional material for exhaust manifold nuts probably before coppercote became commonplace