Painting header with aluminum colored header paint, it doesnt call for primer...

[Jeffrimerman]

I took off my headers and they were super rusted. I sanded and made them pretty smooth and I'm going to paint with header paint. It's rated for 1300-2000 degrees F. It doesn't mention using a primer. Does anyone recommend priming headers even though can doesn't call for it? If so, should it be grey?

 

[srk468]

I used VHT black header paint on mine with no primer and it's held up great for 2 years now...

 

[Itgoes]

I took off my headers and they were super rusted. I sanded and made them pretty smooth and I'm going to paint with header paint. It's rated for 1300-2000 degrees F. It doesn't mention using a primer. Does anyone recommend priming headers even though can doesn't call for it? If so, should it be grey?

No primer.....it will burn off and take the hi-temp paint with it. Just do a few light coats on bare metal. If there is still some rust it will come through again eventually but you can just touch it up.

 

[Fire-medic]

I suggest using some Metal-Prep liquid prior to painting. Wipe-down the pipes w/it & let it dry, then shoot it. I glass-bead blasted a Kawi 750 Kerker 4/1 years ago, did that, & painted it w/silver header paint from VHT, and the paint is still intact, though the finish isn't as-nice as it was for the first few years. I agree, no primer. And, several fine coats is much-better than a heavy, filled-w/runs single coat. Keep your hand moving, resist the temptation to move slowly, which will cause sags and runs.

 

[Jeffrimerman]

I used VHT black header paint on mine with no primer and it's held up great for 2 years now...

VHT is exactly what I have.

 

[davesax36]

Could I do this to my stock headers and supertrapp slip ons with favorable results? I like the idea of blacked out pipes.

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[Fire-medic]

You would need to rough-up the finish somehow, maybe sand-or-glass bead blasting, or plain-ol' sandpaper, otherwise the paint would just slough-off.

 

[srk468]

VHT is exactly what I have.

You'll be good then, just scuff the pipe beforehand but you don't gotta go crazy just mainly to rough up the surface some then spray it.. I gave mine like 2 or 3 light coats and its been over 2 years and the pipe still looks as good as the day I did it... Before and after pic attached, I just did the header cause I like the way the can looks and it'd be hard to paint shiny aluminum like that...

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[Jeffrimerman]

Nice. Wonder if I should have gone black. How did you get the side intakes so shiny? It looks chrome. I have the same exact exhaust, Kerker. I sanded the whole pipe so that should be ok.

 

[srk468]

Nice. Wonder if I should have gone black. How did you get the side intakes so shiny? It looks chrome. I have the same exact exhaust, Kerker. I sanded the whole pipe so that should be ok.

The actual intakes are just painted with aluminum engine paint but they have fogger nozzles in them now so I couldn't put the factory chrome plastic intake and vboost covers back on but I think it looks good... I think your talking about the diaphragm covers on the carbs, I polished them and some other miscellaneous parts on my bike just by reading a thread on here by you2low about polishing aluminum.. I think the thread name is "more bling polishing" or something to that effect, really helped me out though.. After reading that thread I can polish just about anything now to look like chrome I prefer the black on the headpipes myself cause it blends with the bike more but that's just my opinion, I'm sure aluminum will look great too just don't paint the can or the pipe that runs to the header from the can if you can avoid it because it should be ceramic coated...

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[Jeffrimerman]

awesome, I'll search for that thread. I pulled my exhaust off with the can and mid pipe attached so hopefully they will come off. I think the mid pipe is on pretty good. Maybe some tapping with a mallet will help.

 

[srk468]

awesome, I'll search for that thread. I pulled my exhaust off with the can and mid pipe attached so hopefully they will come off. I think the mid pipe is on pretty good. Maybe some tapping with a mallet will help.

The midpipe separates from the main header pretty easy after you loosen up the one bolt where it pinches to collector, separating the can from the midpipe is a bitch and I'd avoid it if possible LOL

 

[Jeffrimerman]

you can see even the mid pipe is pretty bad. I hung the bars on a pipe and pulled but it's probably been on there for 20 years. Might need a torch to loosen. It needs to be painted as bad as the rest so maybe I'll need to use primer to make sure it sticks to it. I can tape off the can so I don't paint it. I'll head back to pep boys and see if there is header primer also. I should probably wait for a hot dry day I imagine. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and I'm thinking humidity is bad for drying well.

Edit: Just got off phone with pepboys and they said there is no header primer. He said at that high of temp it should be just the paint. Unless there is other high temp primer but putting something not rated for up to 2000 degress might not be good.

re edit: ok nevermind I found it on Amazon. Pepboy don't kow jack

re re edit: It looks like when I search on amazon or ebay what I got "flat aluminum" is the only thing that comes up. Even the other ones that say "primer" in the the title say "paint" on the can.

 

[srk468]

I'd pass on any primer bud, I see what you mean about the midpipe so I'd probably just try what you said about masking off the can and then shoot it that way...

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[Fire-medic]

I am not a pro painter. I suggest using a fine blasting media after knocking the big, loose stuff off w/a mule-skinner wire wheel. You want to scour the pits as-clean as-possible. I had a Kerker in similar shape though the chrome was mostly intact, it's an old system. I used the mule-skinner and then a soda blaster. The chrome which was still intact got a deep scour from the soda media. The places where the chrome was pitted or peeling got both soda and the mule skinner first. I used Metal-Prep after, and the system is sitting in storage awaiting more work, it's holding up well not coated w/any finish. I am not going to re-chrome it, I don't think it is in good-enough shape, and chroming would probably be hideously-expensive. There is a Jet-Hot dealer about five minutes from my office, I might get a bid when I am ready to do something w/it. I did stop & talk to the manager and w/o seeing it, he said $200 to start, depending on condition.

Yours looks like it can be redone, it's worth saving. I didn't see the can/megaphone though. Did I overlook it earlier?

 

[Jeffrimerman]

The can looks great. I wonder if there is a shop around here that can blast it. How much do you think they'll charge?


Yours looks like it can be redone, it's worth saving. I didn't see the can/megaphone though. Did I overlook it earlier?[/QUOTE]

 

[Fire-medic]

If you have a garage where you can keep one, and a good compressor, buy one (a pressure can sandblasting rig, <$100 on-sale) from HFTools & use it whenever you need something really-clean. Then you can do all your own stuff, and that cuts'down on your bill when you go to have some refinishing done, though some businesses will shoot it anyway so they have a known good surface to begin-with, to coat. Without actually knowing the total cost of coating, I was quoted a price of $200 for prepping & 'Jet-Hot' coating a Kerker 4/1 I have, by a local business here in south FL where they do it, about a year ago.