Mac headers

[mstic2000]

When I got this bike the mac headers were all kinds of colors under the rainbow. That issue has been fixed. I took a scotch brite wheel on my drill to the headers and got rid of the rainbows and they came out a nice satin finish. I was going to paint them with some VHT black but I kinda like the satin finish. If I don't paint the headers will they rust? Should I use a VHT clear coat on them as they are? Anyone had any similar expierences?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Mstic,

Regrettably those MAC headers are single walled, thin, and the chrome isn't very thick either, and so they will color up again with further use!

Haven't used the VHT clear, but the pipes will still turn under that. SO...if you want them to maintain a single color, either VHT black, OR, I think there is a SILVER/SATIN type VHT or ceramic that you can get!?
T.C.

[bikerphil]

I sanded the chrome down on my Mac 4-1 headers with 320 grit, washed with acetone, and painted with hi temp black. They turned out nice. Make sure you use at least 1200F paint.

[mstic2000]

That's what I was thinking. Because they are single walled the colors would come back, eventually. I like the idea of the silver paint but I think I'll go with the VHT black like my original intentions were to do and be done with them. I picked up a can of the 1500F-2000F. That should getter done. Thanks for the tip on the acetone. I was wondering if that would work to clean them up.

[Da-Bubble]

Just a word of advice...be sure to "bake" the finish or it will flake off. Mine did the first time around. Second time I painted the header, waited about 30 minutes, then bolted it back on the bike and started it up. Let the header get hot for a minute or two the shut it off. (Mine bubbled up around the tops of each header but it will go away when you finish tempering it). Anyway, wait 15-30 minutes and repeat. After doing this a couple times I went for a short ride. It's looked good ever since. Good luck!

[fredintoon]

Not an issue

When I got this bike the mac headers were all kinds of colors under the rainbow. That issue has been fixed. I took a scotch brite wheel on my drill to the headers and got rid of the rainbows - - -

Hi Mstic,
like Bill Gates allegedly said "That ain't an issue, that's a feature!"
Single wall chrome exhaust pipes will inevitably discolour due to the chrome oxidising under heat, the darker the colour, the hotter the pipe.
The perfect exhaust temperature leaves the pipe coloured purple to blue to dark straw to light straw with uncoloured chrome starting half way between the first and second bends.
You and your Scotchbrite wheel have gone and removed this valuable tuning indication and then you buried it under black paint.

[CatatonicBug]

Hi Mstic,
like Bill Gates allegedly said "That ain't an issue, that's a feature!"
Single wall chrome exhaust pipes will inevitably discolour due to the chrome oxidising under heat, the darker the colour, the hotter the pipe.
The perfect exhaust temperature leaves the pipe coloured purple to blue to dark straw to light straw with uncoloured chrome starting half way between the first and second bends.
You and your Scotchbrite wheel have gone and removed this valuable tuning indication and then you buried it under black paint.

Yeah! Besides, that rainbow is purdy! Like the water in the gutter, just after it starts to rain!

[mstic2000]

You and your Scotchbrite wheel have gone and removed this valuable tuning indication and then you buried it under black paint.

Thanks for the input but they were pretty much rusted toast. I think they ran their course as far as any "valueable" tuning indicator. I haven't painted them yet. I ran it all day today and still look good. Just a very slight hint of gold is all. Maybe try and get them in the 14 karat color range. I think I'll run them bare for the summer and see how they hold up. It wasn't just the discoloration that prompted me to want to try the paint. It was also the heavy buildup of rust that I wanted to eliminate before it ate all the way through. I picked this bike up because it looks like fun! It runs great and I really don't care about the looks as long as it doesn't look like Sh*t. I didn't want something that I am forever polishing to look purdy and scared to take out in the rain. I'm going to have some fun with this one this riding season.

Before scotchbrite application

[dragxs11]

Couple other options:
You could take them to a powder coater and give them a few bucks to blast off the chrome. It's easier unless you like scrubbing with sand paper. The paint sticks much better to the raw steel. With the chrome off, you can rattle can them with some high temp paint(Barbeque black works really well).

The more expensive option would be to have them ceramic coated by Jet Hot. They do a variety of colors. Thats what I've been doing lately. Cost is around $300 with shipping.

[corgitwo]

Mac Headers

My cousin owns a sandblasting/powercoating shop and he was telling me he blasts the chrome to rough it up so the powdercoat sticks to it. Followed by a coat of powder paint. Then he bakes it in the oven at 400 degrees to harden it. He's done quite a few cycle exhaust with good success.

[mstic2000]

Here's a couple photos after I cleaned them up. They didn't come out too badly. I just want them to look nice, not out to win any beauty contests. If they do start to gettin looking like crap again I'll just take the scotchbrite pad to them again or I got a can of the VHT black I'll spray on them. I plan on doing a lot of cruising the backwoods of northern michigan with this bike........where the chromed out highway hardleys dare to tread. I also threw on some engine guards and picked up a backrest (that extends out to a driver backrest) at a garage sale here today for $10! So much for the minimalist look.