Get blue off pips

[brownbear1000]

How do you clean the blue off your pipes and mufflers?

[knarfie]

Web site

Heres a website with reviews on just about everything under the sun. http://www.webbikeworld.com/


I've never found anything that will remove the blue. Thats why the mfgrs went to the double wall pipes. The pipes look cool blue I think. Kinda how they are spossed to look you know.

[79XS11F]

As I understand it Blue is runing "rich" Gold Is running "lean"
Rob

[GtrMn]

Hmmm Did I just learn something new? I had always thought blue was lean...

[Wildkat]

Extremely fine micro-mesh (3600 - 6000 grit), like that used for aircraft windows, worked for me... The only problem with this is it removes the metal as well so you can't go too deep...
Some have had pretty good luck with semi-chrome too...
It all takes a lot of time and elbow grease...

Of course... you want to make certain your carbs are proper... otherwise... all those hours you spent polishing them up... turn into more hours polishing them up... Dang it


Long live the double walls!

[petejw]

Wildkat,
that micro mesh ur talking about,
have u used it to polish the alloy
and if so was it any good.

[Wildkat]

I've used it to polish pretty much everything that isn't painted on both my FJ and my XS and it does an outstanding job bringing the metal back to life... I like to go for a mirror polish rather than the original dull brushed finish and it takes very little time once you get a good technique down...

I usually start with the 2400 and work up to a 6000 working one direction with one grit and then working perpendicular to it on the next... this leaves a mirror shine that is absolutely amazing!

Here's a link to some
Here's some information on it... You might be able to find it for less cost somewhere else... I'm not certain on that... It can be a bit pricey... but it truly does a great job.

Some have questioned that doing this opens the metal to oxidation... but I haven't had any problems with it...

[petejw]

Thanx Wildkat,
Ive been doing pretty much the same thing,
polishing everything that i can, its almost
becoming an obsession, lol,

but doesnt polish alloy look much nicer
than chrome, ive been mucking around trying to polish
the fins on the side of the head, its getting there, but its
fiddly work.

ive been using 400wet/dry used wet with sum detergent,
then stainless steel wool dry, then wet and then buffing
to a shine, ive had pretty good results doing it that way.

a good alloy polish will protect it from oxidizing,
i havent had to much trouble keeping it shiny.

[STEPPENWOLF]

Re: Web site

[QUOTE]Originally posted by knarfie
http://www.webbikeworld.com/[/url]

You weren't joking about that web site,great link!!!

[HobbyMan]

I use this stuff called Mas or something close to it. Simichrome should work also. I would try to refrain from things that take the chrome down unless it is necessary. The paste polishes take a LONG time with lots of HARD work but in the end, the resuly is amazing. The blue will go away. Before you do that, you need to get your mixture squared away. Blue pipes is a symptom of too much heat usualy caused by a lean condition. My pipes were perfect untill I ran my bike with cracked intake boots. They durned gold, blue, then deep purple. I only had time to polish one header before I left for school

[Wildkat]

Excuses, excuses...

I only had time to polish one header before I left for school

Slacker! Man! I expected SO much more from you than this... not taking care of your bike before you left... what kind of XSive are you anyway?


Don't you miss being here and getting this in person?


Isn't the bluing a thermal reaction in the metal or is it strictly surface discoloration? To fully remove it... do you have to take off some of the surface metal? I have found that regular polish does a decent job of getting some of the discoloration off... but to really get the nasty stuff (it was already on the headers when I got them... I PROMISE)... I haven't found a much better way than the really fine micro-mesh... and a LOT of elbow grease... (something I need to restock as I am starting to creak in strange places...)
I'm all for anything that doesn't remove material... on the pipes (ahem... Tod)

[HobbyMan]

Yes you are right but it is only on the very surface of the metal. And yes, suprisingly I would like to be home right now.

[Wildkat]

Before and After

I took this pic after using the Micro-mesh on the #4 header today... The bluing in the pipes on Bag Lady is so bad it goes all the way down the headers to the bend that leads to the mufflers... #4 looked just as bad as #3 still does... but this will give you an idea of how good the micro-mesh is...


I started with a 2400 to get the really nasty stuff... but then went to a 4000 to avoid removing too much material...

[Wildkat]

Hey Pete... here's something else I did with it

Hopefully, the pics will do it justice...





I haven't finished it yet... but this was only 15 - 20 minutes of polishing yesterday afternoon...

[petejw]

Nice work Wildkat,
u can c a big difference on the exhaust.
I tried taking pics of mine the other nite,
didnt work out 2 well, ill wait 4 a nice sunny day
and take a cpl more.
I think its well worth the effort, when u get such
a good result.

Have u used any polish on it,
or is that just with the micro mesh?