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painting a rusty header???

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Old 12-16-03, 09:17 PM
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painting a rusty header???

hey the RB header i got has alot of surface rust, which i assume isint uncommon on an old header, anyway, u think if i wirebrush the surface rust off and shoot it with engine enamle it will hold up?

thx

-greg
Old 12-16-03, 09:19 PM
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Nope. Try the highest temp paint you can find it your really serious. But I doubt it'll hold up.
Old 12-16-03, 09:22 PM
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hmmm, i wonder how it will look if i wirebursh the hell out of it with a power drill and a nasty wire wheel, what u think?

-greg
Old 12-16-03, 09:25 PM
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It will get rid of the rust and make a nice surface for more rust to adhear to. The fact of the matter is the sucker will rust, unless you coat it with something. Your header isn't any different than any other header around. All three of mine have surface rust on them, and pretty much every header I've seen that spends any time out of Arizona or Southern California has rust.

It's kind of like "My farts smell bad", there's not much of a way around it.
Old 12-16-03, 09:28 PM
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hmm, im wondering will a chrome coat on it do anyhting besides *** unnecessary weight?, or am i worrying about this to much?
Old 12-16-03, 09:39 PM
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jet hot 2000 is teh only thing Ive seen that looks promising.
Old 12-16-03, 09:41 PM
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just looked, thats 200 bucks to coat it
ill stick with the rust

-greg
Old 12-16-03, 09:41 PM
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Yea me too.
Old 12-16-03, 11:36 PM
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It's kind of like "My farts smell bad", there's not much of a way around it.
Haha

Anyone know what RB coats them with? They look nice in black... just paint?
Old 12-17-03, 12:03 AM
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Originally posted by 1984special
Haha

Anyone know what RB coats them with? They look nice in black... just paint?
that black bakes off. the bends on the header bake the paint off in a matter of HOURS. i have 2 rusty RB headers. it seems like it's the nature of the beast.

if I could find a 2000*F. paint I'd buy it.
Old 12-17-03, 12:25 AM
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I wire brush the bigger flakes off, then treat the header with phosphoric acid to neutralize the rust.
The first time it gets hot, the header gets a kind of black oxide coating that actually doesn't look half bad and is not prone to rusting. Here's a picture of a long-primary exhaust setup that I phosphated.

Old 12-17-03, 12:26 AM
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Mine is chrome from Racing Beat. The chrome does not rust through at all, its a thick industrial type of chrome finish RB uses. Mine looks like **** because of all the mud, dirt and who knows what has splashed up on it but not a speck of rust to report. When it was new it becan to turn a cool blue color after a few days, like the pipes on a hard ridden harley. Hmm gotta clean that thing off one of these days.
Old 12-17-03, 09:00 AM
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mines chrome too.... has a bluish tint to it on the bends now, but..
Old 12-17-03, 09:10 AM
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Ya if you buy the RB header seperately you get the one with the chrome finish, if you buy the full exhaust kit you get the black phos finish
Old 12-17-03, 10:18 AM
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anyone know if rb would chrome a header that we clean up and bring to them?
Old 12-17-03, 02:31 PM
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I found some 1800 degree stuff I was going to try but I have lost the link to it.

Walmart sells 1500 degree that might last.


you could also try.

http://www.vanwestrum.com/xylar.htm
http://www.coating4ind.com/
Old 12-17-03, 02:43 PM
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found it

http://www.hirschauto.com/acb/showde..._ID=12&CATID=1

http://www.hirschauto.com/
Old 12-17-03, 06:13 PM
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1500 degree paint does not work on a rotary header which gets far hotter. I tried some as they have a good range of colours but the finish lasted 15 minutes before bleaching white then later flaking off.
Old 12-17-03, 07:17 PM
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These paints are rated to withstand temperatures up to 1800 degrees F.

Someone give this a shot! Be sure to wire wheel and lacquor thinner the header first.
Old 12-17-03, 08:17 PM
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por 15 stuff is rated very highly here in oz and it will do the job nicely.
Old 12-17-03, 08:38 PM
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do not read what i am writing
Old 12-17-03, 10:23 PM
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I would thnk twice about putting a wire wheel to your header - you will only rough up the service and cause a lot of pitting - then the rust will be back and it will do more damage - you might check into a ceramic coating. Paint will not stand up considering RB's chrome only lasts about a week before it's blue.
Old 12-17-03, 11:03 PM
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Originally posted by Wankelguy
I wire brush the bigger flakes off, then treat the header with phosphoric acid to neutralize the rust.
The first time it gets hot, the header gets a kind of black oxide coating that actually doesn't look half bad and is not prone to rusting. Here's a picture of a long-primary exhaust setup that I phosphated.

I think it's called osphlo or something I think if you used that stuff and found a high enough temp paint,maybe, but as everyone else has said I doubt it also. Someone here was saying they had a home cermaicoat kit out know but I haven't seen it.
Old 12-18-03, 07:02 AM
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scaliwag has a power coating setup. Would it stand up to the temps?
Old 12-18-03, 10:30 AM
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Originally posted by Hades12
scaliwag has a power coating setup. Would it stand up to the temps?
No, the product might even end up nastier than the paint.

If you guys are worried about how the header looks, get some header wrap from Jeg's. I've got it on the racecar, and not only does it hide the rusty-assed header, it keeps it hotter which helps the whole combustion process and ups the HP a little.


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