I want to repaint my exhaust pipes: Difference between revisions

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[[Category: Bodywork & Frame]]

If you are thinking about painting your exhaust, keep in mind that you should use 1200 degree (F) (or higher, if you can find it) high temperature paint. Nothing else will stick for very long, especially on the headers. You will undoubtedly end up with flat paint, as both Caswell Plating and Dupli-Color only list flat in that temperature range.

====A small introduction====

~~Most club members have had trouble if they tried~~ to paint the ~~headers. The cans are not as hot~~, ~~and~~ will ~~usually hold up better, but the header pipes, and the area where the header pipes join the slip-ons, have trouble holding paint, due to the high amount of heat they give off.~~

If you want to paint the exhaust on your motorcycle, we can only guarantee that one of two things will happen:

~~If you just strip the pipe, it~~ will ~~rust~~. ~~You can do this, then clean the pipe periodically with steel wool, but that falls into a "high maintenance" area for most people~~.

A. It will stick.<br>

B. It won't stick.

~~Sand the pipe with fine sandpaper and use a dremel tool~~ with ~~a wire brush to clean around the welds~~, ~~then paint it~~. ~~Make sure you take your time. Follow~~ the ~~directions on~~ the ~~can (especially regarding time between coats), apply thin coats~~, and ~~the~~ paint will ~~stick better~~.

Some have had good luck with this, others haven't. You have most likely heard that most of the real work in painting is in the preparation. This is certainly true, but we have had people who did their prep work and still had their paint fall off in a short time. Motivational speakers will tell you to not prepare for failure, but, when it comes to painting your exhaust, a back-up plan may be in order.

~~Remember, however, that there are no guarantees. Some people have had good success painting their pipes; most haven~~'t.

====Let's get these testimonials out of the way right now:====

'''~~Ceramic coating~~'''

*'''Against:''' "I've had 1200 degree BBQ paint -- applied properly -- fail on the pipes near the headers in only six weeks. I've never seen glossy paint good past 900 degrees."

~~Check your local yellow pages~~ for ~~performance or exhaust shops that do ceramic coating. They claim they can do~~ a ~~range of colors~~, and ~~that they~~'~~ll stand~~ up ~~to hot-rod engine heat~~. ~~It's pricey, but that's~~ a ~~process which is much more likely to last~~. The best paint~~, from~~ a ~~ratings standpoint, is 1500 degrees, and that's not really enough to use on the headers and expect it to last~~.

*'''For:''' "I've had really good luck with the Dupli-Color High Heat paint, as opposed to barbecue paint. I've had it on the exhaust headers of my 1100 for a few years now, and it's held up well. I found it worked better if I "cycled" it a bit at first (see below). The best paint I've found is Duplicolor Ceramic High Heat. Part number is DH1602 for black. There are a limited number of other colors.”

~~'''Testimonials'''~~

:Another feature is this nifty spray can which it comes in:

*"I've had 1200 degree BBQ paint -- applied properly -- fail on the pipes near the headers in only six weeks. ~~I've never seen glossy paint good past 900 degrees." (Note that plasti-kote only lists BBQ paint on their site. It might behoove you to try one of the other two.)~~

:[[Image:558604.jpg|180px]]

*"I'~~ve had really good luck~~ with ~~the Dupli-Color High Heat paint , as opposed to barbecue paint~~."

:Here's a picture of those headers, with several years and quite a few dirt roads on them.

:"I'~~ve had~~ it on the ~~exhaust~~ headers of ~~my 1100 for a few years now~~. ~~I found it worked~~ better ~~if I~~ "~~cycled~~" it a ~~bit at first~~: ~~Start~~ the bike, let it run for a ~~minute or so~~, ~~shut it~~ back ~~off~~. ~~Then let it cool down~~, and ~~do it over again~~ a ~~few times~~.

:[[Image:558615.jpg|180px]]

*'''Ceramic coating:''' "Check your local yellow pages for performance or exhaust shops that do ceramic coating. They claim they can do a range of colors, and that they'll stand up to hot-rod engine heat. It's pricey, but that's a process which is much more likely to last. The best paint, from a ratings standpoint, is 1500 degrees, and that's not really enough to use on the headers and expect it to last."

====Painting the headers====

If you're still with us, and want to give this process a shot, here's your best chance at success. Keep in mind that you should use 1200 degree (F) (or higher) high temperature paint. Nothing else will stick for very long, especially on the headers. You will undoubtedly end up with flat paint, as glossy is pretty much unavailable in that heat range.

Most of the trouble club members have had has come when they tried to paint the headers. The cans are not as hot, and will usually hold up better, but the header pipes, and the area where the header pipes join the slip-ons, have trouble holding paint, due to the high amount of heat they give off.

If you just strip the pipes (and don't paint them), they will rust. You can do this, then clean the pipe periodically with steel wool, but that falls into a "high maintenance" area for most people.

Sand the pipe with fine sandpaper and use a dremel tool with a wire brush to clean around the welds, then paint it. Make sure you take your time. Follow the directions on the can (especially regarding time between coats), apply thin coats, and the paint will stick better. Did we mention to follow the directions on the can?

Once you are satisfied with the look of your pipes, you should “heat cycle” them. This works better than just popping them on and going for a ride:

*After you start the bike for the first time, run it for 30-60 seconds, shut it down, let it get cool again... Do that about half a dozen times before you get it hot for any extended period.

====Painting the mufflers====

Doing just the mufflers (or “cans”, as they're commonly called) is not much different than doing the front part of the exhaust. The process is the same, but the paint requirements aren't quite as stringent. It's generally agreed that you can get away with 500 degree F engine enamel on the mufflers, since they don't run nearly as hot as the headers. This will give you a better choice of colors. We can't say for sure that this will work, as there are no long-term tests that we know about. If you're just going to paint the cans one of the colors available in the 1200F paint, then you should use that, as you'll have a better chance of success.

In spite of the number of choices available in 500F paint, there is still little chance that you will be able to match the color of your bike. It's probably best to stick with a contrasting color. Here's what one member came up with when he tried to paint his pipes Kawasaki Green. Even in these taken-with-a-cellphone pictures you can see that the color just wasn't true. Three days later he ended up going back to black. Still no long-range tests.

[[Image:554170.jpg|220px]] [[Image:554171.jpg|220px]] [[Image:554174.jpg|220px]]

You can make these look pretty good, if you're careful, follow the directions, and take your time.

[[Image:554168.jpg|220px]]

Another member was not a big fan of chrome on a bike that had no other chrome, so he painted the cylindrical part of the mufflers and left the headers and tail alone.

[[Image:Blackmuff.jpg|180px]]

====Links to high-temp paint====

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category: Bodywork & Frame]]
-If you are thinking about painting your exhaust, keep in mind that you should use 1200 degree (F) (or higher, if you can find it) high temperature paint. Nothing else will stick for very long, especially on the headers. You will undoubtedly end up with flat paint, as both Caswell Plating and Dupli-Color only list flat in that temperature range.
+====A small introduction====
-Most club members have had trouble if they tried to paint the headers. The cans are not as hot, and will usually hold up better, but the header pipes, and the area where the header pipes join the slip-ons, have trouble holding paint, due to the high amount of heat they give off.
+If you want to paint the exhaust on your motorcycle, we can only guarantee that one of two things will happen:
-If you just strip the pipe, it will rust. You can do this, then clean the pipe periodically with steel wool, but that falls into a "high maintenance" area for most people.
+A. It will stick.<br>
+B. It won't stick.
-Sand the pipe with fine sandpaper and use a dremel tool with a wire brush to clean around the welds, then paint it. Make sure you take your time. Follow the directions on the can (especially regarding time between coats), apply thin coats, and the paint will stick better.
+Some have had good luck with this, others haven't. You have most likely heard that most of the real work in painting is in the preparation. This is certainly true, but we have had people who did their prep work and still had their paint fall off in a short time. Motivational speakers will tell you to not prepare for failure, but, when it comes to painting your exhaust, a back-up plan may be in order.
-Remember, however, that there are no guarantees. Some people have had good success painting their pipes; most haven't.
+====Let's get these testimonials out of the way right now:====
-'''Ceramic coating'''
+*'''Against:''' "I've had 1200 degree BBQ paint -- applied properly -- fail on the pipes near the headers in only six weeks. I've never seen glossy paint good past 900 degrees."
-Check your local yellow pages for performance or exhaust shops that do ceramic coating. They claim they can do a range of colors, and that they'll stand up to hot-rod engine heat. It's pricey, but that's a process which is much more likely to last. The best paint, from a ratings standpoint, is 1500 degrees, and that's not really enough to use on the headers and expect it to last.
+*'''For:''' "I've had really good luck with the Dupli-Color High Heat paint, as opposed to barbecue paint. I've had it on the exhaust headers of my 1100 for a few years now, and it's held up well. I found it worked better if I "cycled" it a bit at first (see below). The best paint I've found is Duplicolor Ceramic High Heat. Part number is DH1602 for black. There are a limited number of other colors.”
-'''Testimonials'''
+:Another feature is this nifty spray can which it comes in:
-*"I've had 1200 degree BBQ paint -- applied properly -- fail on the pipes near the headers in only six weeks. I've never seen glossy paint good past 900 degrees." (Note that plasti-kote only lists BBQ paint on their site. It might behoove you to try one of the other two.)
+:[[Image:558604.jpg|180px]]
-*"I've had really good luck with the Dupli-Color High Heat paint , as opposed to barbecue paint."
+:Here's a picture of those headers, with several years and quite a few dirt roads on them.
-:"I've had it on the exhaust headers of my 1100 for a few years now. I found it worked better if I "cycled" it a bit at first: Start the bike, let it run for a minute or so, shut it back off. Then let it cool down, and do it over again a few times.
+:[[Image:558615.jpg|180px]]
+*'''Ceramic coating:''' "Check your local yellow pages for performance or exhaust shops that do ceramic coating. They claim they can do a range of colors, and that they'll stand up to hot-rod engine heat. It's pricey, but that's a process which is much more likely to last. The best paint, from a ratings standpoint, is 1500 degrees, and that's not really enough to use on the headers and expect it to last."
+====Painting the headers====
+If you're still with us, and want to give this process a shot, here's your best chance at success. Keep in mind that you should use 1200 degree (F) (or higher) high temperature paint. Nothing else will stick for very long, especially on the headers. You will undoubtedly end up with flat paint, as glossy is pretty much unavailable in that heat range.
+Most of the trouble club members have had has come when they tried to paint the headers. The cans are not as hot, and will usually hold up better, but the header pipes, and the area where the header pipes join the slip-ons, have trouble holding paint, due to the high amount of heat they give off.
+If you just strip the pipes (and don't paint them), they will rust. You can do this, then clean the pipe periodically with steel wool, but that falls into a "high maintenance" area for most people.
+Sand the pipe with fine sandpaper and use a dremel tool with a wire brush to clean around the welds, then paint it. Make sure you take your time. Follow the directions on the can (especially regarding time between coats), apply thin coats, and the paint will stick better. Did we mention to follow the directions on the can?
+Once you are satisfied with the look of your pipes,  you should “heat cycle” them. This works better than just popping them on and going for a ride:
+*After you start the bike for the first time, run it for 30-60 seconds, shut it down, let it get cool again... Do that about half a dozen times before you get it hot for any extended period.
+====Painting the mufflers====
+Doing just the mufflers (or “cans”, as they're commonly called) is not much different than doing the front part of the exhaust. The process is the same, but the paint requirements aren't quite as stringent. It's generally agreed that you can get away with 500 degree F engine enamel on the mufflers, since they don't run nearly as hot as the headers. This will give you a better choice of colors. We can't say for sure that this will work, as there are no long-term tests that we know about. If you're just going to paint the cans one of the colors available in the 1200F paint, then you should use that, as you'll have a better chance of success.
+In spite of the number of choices available in 500F paint, there is still little chance that you will be able to match the color of your bike. It's probably best to stick with a contrasting color. Here's what one member came up with when he tried to paint his pipes Kawasaki Green. Even in these taken-with-a-cellphone pictures you can see that the color just wasn't true. Three days later he ended up going back to black. Still no long-range tests.
+[[Image:554170.jpg|220px]]  [[Image:554171.jpg|220px]]  [[Image:554174.jpg|220px]]
+You can make these look pretty good, if you're careful, follow the directions, and take your time.
+[[Image:554168.jpg|220px]]
+Another member was not a big fan of chrome on a bike that had no other chrome, so he painted the  cylindrical part of the mufflers and left the headers and tail alone.
+[[Image:Blackmuff.jpg|180px]]
 ====Links to high-temp paint====