Header heat

[apndrvs]

OK so i went today and bought a 500 degree primer and paint. im planing on painting my whole exhaust system. has anyone used this paint before and is it worth it. im not sure how hot the headers get. any help????

[tinman905]

There is 1200 or higher in temp paint available ,500 degree paint won't last as long if at all.

[apndrvs]

i saw a 2000 degree beside it but it was a whole 2 dollars more. im such a tight wad. i think i may take it back, i just wasnt sure how hot the headers got.

[bikerphil]

500 degree will burn off where the headers curve downward real quick. I usually use 1200 or higher.

[trbig]

Several people have shot the headers with thermal/infrared thermometers, in the summer, and none of them have reached even 300 degrees. Why wouldn't the 500 degree work?

I personally used the 1200 degree stuff, but why wouldn't the 500 degree stuff work?


Tod

[bikerphil]

why wouldn't the 500 degree stuff work?

It will work, just not as well. You're better off using BBQ paint than 500.

[apndrvs]

ok went today and bought the 2000+ degree i hope it works good got the whole exhaust system painted today i will re-mount it tomorrow.

[T99Ford]

quote: Several people have shot the headers with thermal/infrared thermometers, in the summer, and none of them have reached even 300 degrees. Why wouldn't the 500 degree work?

300 might be the head temp in the summer time (I have seen 200+ head temp lots of times in stop and go). That will barely burn your hands. My 500 deg. infrared won't even register (it peaks out) if I do this in the summer after a hard pull, when measured at the first curve in the header. I have seen 300 down toward the muffler, though. I guess running around town might be cooler, but if you are putting a good load on, that 500 paint will burn right off. For reference, the EGT's on my 1000 cc sled run up to 1250 with a good load on, and shortly thereafter squeak a piston It is nothing to see 1000 deg. during normal running. Four stroke is not that much different. 500 deg would do the head but not the pipes.

[1st bike]

apndrvs, how did you clean your pipes first? i have some DIRTY chrome pipes and if the weather turns (you know...gets above like 10 degrees) i am gonna try to sandblast them in the driveway, and then hit them with the high degree paint, then wrap em. did you just scuff them up with some sand paper or did yours not start chrome? let me know if you have any good tips before i freeze to death sandblasting in the snow!

[GARTHXS]

cleaning

I blasted em at the car wash and then let them dry and went over them with some laquer thinner to get the oils off and shot mine with BBQ

[apndrvs]

i started with sand paper but after about 10min i decided there had to be a better way, then i remembered that i have a 5" grinder and bought a sandpaper attachment for it. i had them cleaned up in about 15min. i have pics of them on facebook but dont know how to get them on here. hope this helps.

[apndrvs]

ok here is the url to photobucket there are a few before and after pics of my headers on there

http://s903.photobucket.com/albums/ac234/apndrvs/?newest=1

[vileneeds]

Thankfully I found this thread, I was going to ask the same q's about this. 1200 degrees then? I am going to polish asmuch on my bike's engine as posible then gloss black the rest. Any tips on painting the jugs?

[Montreux_Blue]

apndrvs, I was looking at the pics and noticed something else you need to do.... I hope you still have the original air box so you can modify those pod filters.....


Read this...... http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...hlight=pod+mod

[ManitoulinLad]

Hey Guys: I have done the same with my bike motor & 4 into one exhaust - 1200 degree black from hardware store - just clean it up with acetone (can be baought at hardware store) b4 you paint & this stops it from pealing off. I did this with the whole motor too -Dan