Painting headers?

Sonnylynnvick75

Sonnylynnvick75

XS650 Young Gun
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Whats my best option for painting headers? High temp powdercoat or exhaust rattle paint from walmart, or would I be better off just wrapping them in black exhaust wrap?
Using stock headers
 
I doubt the high heat rattle can paint would stand up to the heat unless properly cured. You could ceramic coat them but its pricey. Black exhaust wrap can be had for cheap and looks good in my opinion.

Or paint them and if it cracks and chips, then put on exhaust wrap. Up to you really.
 
You can get high heat header paint at Autozone or probably any of those stores. We used some black header paint on some shorty headers on our 72 LS1 Corvette and it has held up for 4+ years now and still looks great. I personally like the wrapped look, but doesn't mean you can't do both.
 
I just did VHT 2000 degree primer and flat black paint on my 2 into 1 exhaust. For something like $15 for both cans. I looked into a baked on finish, similar to powder coat or Jet Coat designed for exhaust. It was going to be over $100. I intend to put on an exhaust wrap also, but you have to have a finish on the header to stop rust under the wrap. My exhaust was a fresh Gordon Scott so I had to treat the bare metal. If you are bare metal you will have to coat it under the wrap.
 
If you just wrap them they can rust faster. I opted for powder coating mine with cermachrome. I cant comment on rattle cans. Never used em.
 

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I went with Flame Proof 2000 degree in a very heavy matte in order to slow the rusting process. Wrapped in white header wrap because it turns brownish after it goes through its heating cycle. I really like the way it came out, and it's probably all due to the fact it's on those sweet Gordon Scott stacked curved drags.

Small tip if you decide to wrap is soak the fabric before and it will stretch much easier and I think it kind of shrinks when you hear it up the first time, but I could be wrong on that. Haha
 
I have used vht header paint a few times. Use vht primer, and follow the instructions, and it will look good for years.
 
I have some twenty year old silver jet glow on a bike I'm riding, it still looks good. I had a bit of rust showing but some blue magic easily removed it.
 
if you have a john deere dealer around you they have a semi gloss black muffler paint. I used it the exhaust on my hot rod model T, its held up for 6yrs now.
 
Some of the off-road and multi-purpose Hondas of the `70s had flat black painted exhaust pipes. We recoated a few with the VHT rattle-can of those times. Surface-prep and curing was the critical part, done wrong it would either grey-out or scratch-off easily. Had to redo more than a couple...
 
im interested in wrapping the exhaust on my XS650 stock bike. how do i go about painting the headers? do i have to sand them, then paint with the Hi-heat silicone paint? or can i just spray it on as is? Or will i need to prime?

i have the intension to wrap after painted to help fight the rust issue with the wrap. i would have to paint the out side on the wrap as well correct?
Thanks!!
 
Nickyd said:
im interested in wrapping the exhaust on my XS650 stock bike. how do i go about painting the headers? do i have to sand them, then paint with the Hi-heat silicone paint? or can i just spray it on as is? Or will i need to prime?

i have the intension to wrap after painted to help fight the rust issue with the wrap. i would have to paint the out side on the wrap as well correct?
Thanks!!
Click to expand...

No on piainting the outside of the wrap. I just wrapped mine. Didn't bother painting them. Its not worth it and they're not seen under the wrap at all.
 
That sounds good to me, but the convo above is saying that if I don't paint the headers rust will take over? If I'm understanding it. And other people iv read that say you have to pain the outside of the wrap? I'm just trying to make the best decision.

Thank you
 
Nickyd said:
That sounds good to me, but the convo above is saying that if I don't paint the headers rust will take over? If I'm understanding it. And other people iv read that say you have to pain the outside of the wrap? I'm just trying to make the best decision.

Thank you
Click to expand...

In the logical sense, at least how I understand it, if you have rust and then wrap without painting first then you're just going to rust more. So the way I see it is if it has rust already then sand, prime, paint with high temp stuff then wrap. I have never heard of anyone painting over the wrap. You can buy wrap in black, silver, carbon, white, etc. so I wouldn't see a need for it. Mine are wrapped in black.
 

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