[5bassman]

A local guy has some brand new header pipes for my Bonie that I may buy along with some other items. Before installing them I want to line them with some kind of protectant. Anyone know what works best? The only one I've heard about is Kreem Blue Shield but I'm sure there are others.

 

[FattRat]

Funny you should ask........
AND YOU'VE GOT BRAND NEW HEADERS, NEVER USED?!?!?!

I bought a bike with 380 miles on the headers..... already blued from the air injection still in. I took the bike apart, removed the headers, and cleaned the inside of my pipes with a variety of solvents in an attempt to remove the soot.

I then bought some "Blue Job" and began to scrub, watching TV, and scrub, more TV, losing interest, scrubbing some more ; I did this for a few nights, and with increasingly less enthusiasm every passing night.

I already bought the Kreem, but read that it was meant for NEW/UNUSED pipes..... but I wasn't gonna let it go to waste, I was gonna use it anyway. Coated the interior of my pipes, let them hang dry for a day, stuck 'em in the oven, then repeated the ritual again.

I wiped my clean headers down with alcohol to rid them of my hand's oil and oily fingerprints before firing the bike up. Unfortunately I used my alcohol I have laying around with vinegar in it and forgot to buff my vinegar spotted headers down. My bad.

Anyway, some pictures below. I've done a thousand miles on the cleaned & Kreem coated headers now. AI is removed, intake & jetting was on the rich side, and the pipes don't look half bad. Only wish I woulda caught the vinegar spots before firing up the pipes for the first time:

[ This message was edited by: FattRat on 2006-12-01 00:05 ]

 

[5bassman]

Hey Pat,
That does look good. I haven't bought them yet but hopefully today. The guy has the brand new pipes in the plastic, two Bellacore Air Elimination boxes and the pods. I can get them at a good price.

 

[FattRat]

DO IT!

I took this on with the idea that some of the original bluing would come back, and that with time I should expect them to blue a bit......

But I wanted to avoid/prevent the blotchy unkempt over-blued and 'burned' look. I put 22,000 miles on the headers of my other bike with the AI removed very early in the game. Click onto my link below and look for the Black Bonnie and study the headers on those.

Frankly, I may be a bit disappointed that very LITTLE bluing will return. I happen to belong to the camp of "Blued pipes are beautiful" but I just hadda see how UNblue the factory pipes can stay/become.

 

[jquattro]

FattRat - too bad on the vinegar, but hey, thats distinctive!

On the BlueJob - I've tried it with inconsistent results - was it just a matter or perseverance?

 

[FattRat]

..... yeah, I think it's a matter of PHCK'n perseverance; I really got to hating tackling by hand. I think if a guy were to use mechanical assistance, it might be too abrasive.

Here's where I've got to tell you something else, and I'm not sure about this but.......

I ran out of the VERY small amount of powder they put in that huge jar of "Blue Job", I felt taken advantage of. However I've since found some stuff in my garage that I have NO IDEA how/where I got it. I kinda remember somebody giving it to me with which to tackle my Beemer's blued pipes, but I don't actually remember. THE STUFF LOOKS EXACTLY, FEELS EXACTLY, MAY WELL BE EXACTLY the same stuff in that 'Blue Job' I bought. It's:
-NOTHIN'S BETTER-
Water stain remover, money back guarantee,
"FOR HAPPY GLASS"
"Glass, chrome, porcelain, tile, fiberglass, aluminum, and stainless will shine & sparkle as new. Remvoes water, mineral stains, rust, scum, paint overspray, oxidation."

Watkins of Sacramento
(800) 688-2887

But I got burned out and threw my rag(s) down before stumbling upon this stuff. I really don't know if it works but..........
:wink:

 

[Panthermark]

Looks real good Pat!

I'm not a fan of the blue....

btw...I love those "Made in England" stickers. I have one for my ride.

"Made in Taiwan" won't look as cool.

 

[Hilts]

Blue pipes are cool. They're what separates the Bonnie riders from the rest.