Recommendations for chrome shop in continental USA and suggestions on how to decarbon the inside of the pipes.

jamesp · Feb 16, 2023

Hi, I am looking for a chrome shop to re-chrome my balanced header pipes and any suggestions on how to clean the insides of them. I did find one shop here in California (maybe the last one left), but they want the pipes cleaned out first. Thank you.

ashman · Feb 17, 2023

If you go the rechroming way just think chrome weakens metal and the pipes have been chromed before and redoing them will weaken them even more, my first job after leaving school was at a chrome/zink plating shop I worked there for 12 months and if they were a good shop they have all the prep tanks to remove anything, but we never did old pipes as to many problems after with rechroming old pipes.
You be better spending your money on new pipes as rechroming old pipes you will have crack welds and weaken joints.
If you do find a shop that will take your money, I mean your old pipes there be no come back if they crack up from weaken metal.
I am glad I never stayed at that job I probably be dead now.

Fast Eddie · Feb 17, 2023

Caustic soda was the cleaning method of choice when I was a kid, especially on oily old two strokes.

Onder · Feb 17, 2023

Will the soda bath do anything to the existing chrome? If it does disposing of the waste water/soda bath may be a serious matter. Chrome and other heavy metals are not our friends. Polished stainless is becoming the replacement norm in many situations.
...I am no greenie but I refrain from taking a dump on my sitting room floor.

cliffa · Feb 17, 2023

Are stainless downpipes available?

Fast Eddie · Feb 17, 2023

Onder said:
Will the soda bath do anything to the existing chrome? If it does disposing of the waste water/soda bath may be a serious matter. Chrome and other heavy metals are not our friends. Polished stainless is becoming the replacement norm in many situations.
...I am no greenie but I refrain from taking a dump on my sitting room floor.

IIRC caustic soda will damage chrome if it come so into contact with it, but I don’t see that as an issue if the task at hand is getting them re chromed.

But you don’t use ‘a bath’… I think that’s just the method used to dispose of unwanted corpses ! With exhaust pipes the method was to plug one end, partially fill with soda, plug the other end, swill it around and leave it to stand for a while, then empty out and repeat as required. Some grit or similar might help with stubborn carbon.

If doing this with alloy products, do not leave it to stand, it will dissolve the alloy…

kommando · Feb 17, 2023

Caustic soda is alkaline so will not make the dreaded chromic compounds an acid will from chrome. Your local radiator repair shop should have a caustic bath for cleaning out the radiators before repair.

concours · Feb 17, 2023

jamesp said:
Hi, I am looking for a chrome shop to re-chrome my balanced header pipes and any suggestions on how to clean the insides of them. I did find one shop here in California (maybe the last one left), but they want the pipes cleaned out first. Thank you.

Find another chrome shop.
You cannot "clean" (to the required level) the inside of the pipes.

Also, if you intend to ride the bike, those pipes may be 100 miles away from cracking near the balance pipe.
Replacing would be a better choice.

JMWO

YING · Feb 17, 2023

I think you would be much better off just getting a new set over having yours re-chromed. I would bet the cost difference would not be much.
Mike

MichaelD · Feb 17, 2023

You could consider painting them black, I did that with my Dunstall 2-1-2 and it looks surprisingly good, and lasts pretty well. I think the pipes will probably rust through from the inside before there is a problem on the outside

texasSlick · Feb 17, 2023

Most chrome shops that still exist, will insist on clean insides. Caustic soda is the best method to remove carbon.
I agree with YING that cost wise you will be better off going with new. The EPA regulations have raised the cost of all metal plating, driven many small plators out of business or ran them to Mexico, where they polute the waters that run into the Rio Grand or Colorado.

Slick

jamesp · Feb 17, 2023

Thank you for all your comments. I have been dealing with chrome shops since the early 70s and watched the various state and local governments put them out of business in California. I can remember being told how chroming weakens metal, but had forgotten about it. Also, my first father in law had an industrial chrome shop and suffered from the chemicals. I would like to stay with balanced pipes, but found that Andover Norton will not be carrying them any time soon, if ever, and I received negative comments about Viking chrome quality. So, I thought again about rechroming mine again. I suppose if I can’t find a good balanced set I can always go with un-balanced. Thanks again.

kommando · Feb 17, 2023

RGM still do a balanced pipe set, made for Wassell by someone in the UK and for the MK3. So you need to change to the spherical seats if your current set have the flat flange and the primary pipe will be out a bit more as its designed to clear the larger MK3 primary case.

https://www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/commando-850-balanced-exhaust-pipes-mk3_1297.htm

I have a set which I will use when the unbalanced set currently on the bike go rusty. They match bend wise the previous balanced pipe set I took off when they went rusty but kept as a possible pattern for a custom made set.

jamesp · Feb 17, 2023

kommando said:
RGM still do a balanced pipe set, made for Wassell by someone in the UK and for the MK3. So you need to change to the spherical seats if your current set have the flat flange and the primary pipe will be out a bit more as its designed to clear the larger MK3 primary case.

https://www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/commando-850-balanced-exhaust-pipes-mk3_1297.htm

I have a set which I will use when the unbalanced set currently on the bike go rusty. They match bend wise the previous balanced pipe set I took off when they went rusty but kept as a possible pattern for a custom made set.

Thanks, I will take a look.

elefantrider · Feb 17, 2023

Universal Metal Plating

The last time I went there, it was $250 for the downpipes.

jamesp · Feb 17, 2023

elefantrider said:
Universal Metal Plating

The last time I went there, it was $250 for the downpipes.

Thanks, I sent them a picture and asked for an estimate.

maylar · Feb 20, 2023

I bring my parts to a local bike shop, and they send them out to somewhere in New Jersey I think. I had a pair of factory original 750 pipes rechromed because the right side tucked in close to the frame. They needed a bit of metal working where that pipe had rubbed against the frame rail. Cost me $400 and the work was superb. No cracks (yet).

Stephen Hill · Feb 20, 2023

The chrome shops in my neighbourhood (there are two) won't touch used exhaust parts, even if you clean them first. They say the risk of contaminating the materials in their tanks is too high.

concours · Feb 20, 2023

Brown's replated my kicker. It was one of the last jobs to cycle through.
End of an era.

Is Your Chrome Leaving Home?

Originally Published In The May 2015 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine Over the past few weeks The Cycle Source office has been receiving a rash of desperat

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Torontonian · Feb 22, 2023

I travel to Asia ( Thailand ) alot so you may consider a trip with the girlfriend or get one there to rent while you put the items you want chromed into the plating shops then go to the beach and pick them up later on. Get your teeth done at the same time too .

Recommendations for chrome shop in continental USA and suggestions on how to decarbon the inside of the pipes.

jamesp

ashman

Fast Eddie

Onder

cliffa

Fast Eddie

kommando

concours

YING

Pittsboro,NC

MichaelD

texasSlick

jamesp

kommando

jamesp

elefantrider

jamesp

maylar

Stephen Hill

concours

Is Your Chrome Leaving Home?

Torontonian

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