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Message started by photojoe on 06/18/08 at 08:41:11

Title: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by photojoe on 06/18/08 at 08:41:11

While cleaning the bike yesterday, I felt some rough spots on the inside of the top bend of the exhaust header. Upon closer inspection, It seems to be in the beginning stages of deterioration. It's very thin, but no holes yet. I may be grasping at straws here, but any chance I could save it? It looks like it won't last the summer.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by toddlamp8 on 06/18/08 at 14:10:13

I'd be more interested to know why that's happening. I would think that if it;'s happening there it may be happening somewhere else.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by photojoe on 06/18/08 at 14:30:14

I agree. I'm pretty sure that it's the original header, now 21 years old. The corrosion is smething I may have missed since I bought the bike in March, since it is on the tight inside bend of the pipe. Could just be old age, or something more recent, like running too hot.

One thing pretty obvious is that at one point this bike was sitting exposed to the elements for a long period of time. The front rim was rusted pretty bad, along with every chrome nut, bolt, handlebars etc. I spent quite a bit of time cleaning her up. Well, I'm still working on it. PO did spend a bit of money on a slamming paint job and Trapp which is in great shape, but also sprayed the engine silver while it was still in the frame, obvious from stray paint hitting the black frame.

The area on the pipe starting to rust through has not yet penetrated the pipe, and the rest of it is in pretty good shape with the exception of recent blue/yellow color, but outside of the off color, no rough spots. I feel that the color change was a result of running low octane gas for a while, since it was just a tad blue before downgrading fuel. I could be wrong. Also may be time that time of year to switch to 20-50 oil.

My brain says to look for an easy fix, but my gut says to look for a new header. Unfortunately, my gut is usually right.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by toddlamp8 on 06/18/08 at 14:52:15

A quick fix may be laying on some JB Weld but I doubt that will hold up to the heat for very long. I say just go with a new header. There are a few people parting out on here and you'll run into some other problems if holes start to appear.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by rigidchop on 06/18/08 at 16:21:24

jb weld may not hold up to that kind of heat. i have had it come right back off when the engine gets up to temp. i wouldnt worry about it, its not gonna hurt the motor. just wait till ya can find a used one in good shape. remember the pipes ia a pipe within a pipe.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by photojoe on 06/18/08 at 19:02:51

Good idea. I'll keep a lookout for a good used one, and for now I'm not going to worry about it. If I start messing with it, or scraping the crud thats on there off, thats when I'll get a hole in it. It's probably all thats holding it together. I think I'll take her out for a blast on the highway instead.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by verslagen1 on 06/18/08 at 23:02:27

Don't forget that this is a 2 wall header.

I'd remove it and check the inner pipe to see if it's rusted thru. That's the one that counts. If it has, could be why the outer one is having problems.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/19/08 at 05:24:56

Of course, Verslagen is dead on. If theres a leak in the inner wall, blowing concentrated Hot air on the outter wall, it just Might eat it up. I have no inner wall on mine, I gutted my header pipe, no corrosion issues, but yea, its a thin pipe, SO, IF the header inners arent gonna make you replace the header, then get some Ospho, its a dilute phosphoric acid, available at Kelly Moore paints, dont get the gel, its nasty..I have a quart I keep around & wipe stuff down, kills rust, it is no loner iron oxide, its a black, Iron phosphate, Ive been using it for years,Good stuff.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by T Mack 1 on 06/19/08 at 06:21:21

Joe,
If I recall correctly you're on the Jersy shore. Is the bike a shore bike???? It's pretty hard to keep it from rusting at the shore.

Title: Re: Saving my exhaust header, possible?
Post by photojoe on 06/19/08 at 09:07:29

Thanks for the comments/suggestions. Yes, I'm at the Jersey Shore, a mere 8 blocks from the ocean. My morning rub down includes blowing sand/grit off both wheels. Flooding is a pita also.

I'll check out the Ospho for now, and keep looking for a pipe. If I'm going to go through the hassle of removing it, I'm going to replace it. Those bolts are rusted on there also, so I'll use some penetrating oil first. I just broke my first bolt last week, but it was only on the front pulley cover, so not bad as far as broken bolts go. Header pipe bolt....just read a few posts down.