I want to repaint my exhaust pipes
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.
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 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.
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.
Remember, however, that there are no guarantees. Some people have had good success painting their pipes; most haven't.
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.
Testimonials
- "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.)
- "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. 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.
