New Chrome Pipes - Pre treat to avoid bluing

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I am one of those people who, when I find something is more trouble than they are worth, Hench I just hate chrome exhaust pipes. The next batch of exhaust pipes that I get that has crap plating I am going to get them coated with High Temp Ceramic Coatings- this is common on some cars – but I don’t know if it can be put on the INSIDE of the pipes-anything is possiable;

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Black+Ceramic+Coating+Exhaust+Manifold&FORM=RESTAB
 
texasSlick said:
Preventing blue is a matter of lowering the surface temperature of the header pipes.

Chrome is an element that oxidizes to compounds of different colors, the color dependent on the temperature at which such oxidation occurs.

The oxidized chrome is stable and prevents the underlying chrome from further oxidizing. If you remove the oxidized surface (blue chrome), you remove the protective layer and the underlying chrome will then oxidize. Keep removing the blue and eventually there will be no chrome left to blue again.

Slick
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I have first hand experience with just this issue. Blue away is only a temporary friend. As you remove more and more of the chrome it blues up quicker. I'm sure that there is some kind of humorous analogy or simile that can be made regarding this phenomenon, but as it's early morning and I have yet to get my full caffeine injection, well, I'm at a loss to come up with one.
 
Back in the day , riders around here wove bare copper wire around and back and forth between exhaust nuts creating a net effect ... claimed this stopped pipes from getting discoloured by displacing heat ... have no evidence that it did but saw lots of Brit bikes locally that had same treatment .... anyone else heard or seen this ...
 
Anyone used Zybar thermal coating?
Looks expensive - $80 for 4 ounces

New Chrome Pipes - Pre treat to avoid bluing
 
Craig said:
Back in the day , riders around here wove bare copper wire around and back and forth between exhaust nuts creating a net effect ... claimed this stopped pipes from getting discoloured by displacing heat ... have no evidence that it did but saw lots of Brit bikes locally that had same treatment .... anyone else heard or seen this ...
Click to expand...

The copper wire conducts heat from the header pipes, lowering the surface temp. of the pipes. The wire also breaks up the laminar boundary layer, turning the boundary layer into a turbulent layer which transfers heat more than a laminar layer. This further drops the surface temp. of the header pipes. As I said above, preventing blue is just a matter of lowering the surface temp. of the header pipes.

It then becomes a matter of whether you dislike blue or the tacky look of the copper wire more.

Slick
 
Yup , many years ago went to look at friends Norton for putting mine back together tips ....his had been sitting since ‘74 .... first thing I noticed was a mesh of copper around exhaust nuts ... was 8700 miles on bike when put away and headers were not blue ....
 
Really! don't worry about it. Let your bike wear it like a badge of honor. It tells others you ride it often.
 
I have seen a number of Commandos with "original" old weathered-in headers which were not blue. They didn't
have a mesh of copper around the exhaust tubes either. I once bought an untouched '75 Commando with 1800 original miles.
I put on another 2,000 miles. Not a hint of blueing on the headers. I have a feeling that vintage chromed headers
were built to a higher standard. Environmental rules in the USA have all but shut down the plating industry with
most new chrome work being done in 3rd world countries where the toxic soup is dumped into rivers.
 
I wonder then why my buddy had the copper wire on his , his ride was put away original .....
 
A lot of folks wear copper bracelets though there is no evidence that they actually do anything for medical issues.
 
And I thought those bracelets were related to some secret Religious sect .... dah ! .....yeh , I never considered the copper wire treatment on my bike , just kinda interesting what different riders do to their bikes , different strokes ,eh
 
Another product for this exact application

anyone have experience?


New Chrome Pipes - Pre treat to avoid bluing


How much more specific can you get?
Price is low cost for me.
 
lazyeye6 said:
I have seen a number of Commandos with "original" old weathered-in headers which were not blue. They didn't
have a mesh of copper around the exhaust tubes either. I once bought an untouched '75 Commando with 1800 original miles.
I put on another 2,000 miles. Not a hint of blueing on the headers. I have a feeling that vintage chromed headers
were built to a higher standard. Environmental rules in the USA have all but shut down the plating industry with
most new chrome work being done in 3rd world countries where the toxic soup is dumped into rivers.
Click to expand...

Perhaps old headers just had thicker walls than modern ones?
 
altho the eastwood got a bad motorcycle review -

Expensive & Disappointing on Motorcycle Pipes
I bought the product to use on stainless motorcycle pipes, to prevent discoloring. In the past I have used Rustoleum BBQ black, but this looked more convenient to apply. While it was somewhat messy to apply, I followed the instructions to the letter and had a nice thick coating inside the pipes which I then cured it by running the motorcycle. I let it sit for a couple of weeks, and even though the coating was is intact on the inside, the pipe did still discolor.

I would not recommend this product for stainless or chrome pipes if you want to avoid discoloration or bluing of your pipes. Stick with rustoleum BBQ black.

✘ No, I do not recommend this product.


It would seem most practical to thermally set any internal coating prior to allowing exhaust gas to run thru the delicate coating.....maybe heat gun or mapp gas externally. just my thoughts
 
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I will post some pictures of my header pipes that I treated with VHT Ceramic Header Paint. I thought that I had about 3,000 miles on them but I forgot about the trip to the 2014 INOA Rally on the California-Oregon border. So actually about 4,500 total running miles, most with the original, though resleeved, Amals installed. Coming back from the rally was a real test of the treatments effectiveness as it was an almost 700 mile non stop freeway drone back to NW Washington in 85-95 degree temperatures and cruising at 70-75 MPH the entire way. The pipes still look pretty darn good to me. I have a couple of hours left on a file cabinet that I'm building for my wife then I will get the pictures posted. Honey dos first and foremost.
 
I used to not like blued pipes; Japanese bikes seemed to never blue, the new paradigm--heavy suckers too, I knew the blue was coming. Now I worry if they are not bluing. I look for uniform bluing right and left, but not past the first bend. Bluing is unavoidable, unless your have stainless headers which turn gold...
 
Like I stated in previous post, I used the Eastwood product, followed instructions and put 2 coats inside new pipes. Result was a golden hue like the one above but about another 2 inches longer than one above. It matches my gold and black paint (standard Norton) job! I have gotten used to it and I like it. I believe the only true way to avoid any blue or gold or what ever stain is to have new headers ceramic coated. Just my opinion and experience.
 
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