Topic: Alternatives to rusty finned exhaust spigot clamps on 750k bikes

[RandomOrbit]

I'm looking forward to replacing my exhaust system in the near future with a new Delkevic system and I don't really want to put the rusty exhaust clamps back on, but I also don't want to spend $150 just to replace them.

So I'm thinking of a few different alternatives:

• The F versions of the kits use beefy stainless steel clamps that delete the spigots and clamp directly into the head via studs but I'm not convinced the back end of the kit will match up with the passenger foot peg where the muffler is supposed to attach
• I'm wondering if Triumph 500 finned clamps might fit. They look close in size, and are less expensive, but I've never heard of anyone using them
• There are plain chrome plated strap steel clamps available, but they look ugly and cheap, and they really aren't all that inexpensive
• 1 1/2 Stainless steel clamps might be a cleaner looking option
• Here's the crazy one, but it might just be really good. Bicycle seat clamps are available in a wide variete of diameters. I'm thinking 38.1mm might be about right

So there you have it. I'd love input from anyone who's tried or thought about any of these ideas or if you've got another idea. I need to verify the correct clamp diameter before I would move forward with any of the clamp alternatives.

Here's a pic of the type of bicycle seat post clamp I'm thinking about. They are available in a wide variety of styles, and finishes. I'd probably prefer clear anodized. This one is available for about $4

[ekpent]

 I have soaked mine in toilet bowl cleaner and then worked them over on my soft wire wheel on my buffer with fairly good results. Surprising how well this old metal can clean up sometimes. Another option is to clean them up and then paint them a bright silver or other color of your choice. If you really want to dust some cash get them chrome plated--Ooooh

[RandomOrbit]

I have soaked mine in toilet bowl cleaner and then worked them over on my soft wire wheel on my buffer with fairly good results. Surprising how well this old metal can clean up sometimes. Another option is to clean them up and then paint them a bright silver or other color of your choice. If you really want to dust some cash get them chrome plate--Ooooh

Yes actually, cleaning them up, and silver painting should have been included in the list of options I was considering. Rechroming is bound to be as expensive as buying new. I SHOULD probably see how clean I can get them before I give up on them though.

[carnivorous chicken]

I've used relatively inexpensive hi-temp paint made for BBQs for these, and it seems to hold up.

[BomberMann650]

Contact Speedy Siegl at Group 2 Motorsports for some seriously cool exhaust spigots.

3/5 of your clamp ideas won’t serve the function you need.

+1 to brushing the rust away

[RandomOrbit]

3/5 of your clamp ideas won’t serve the function you need.

I must be missing something then. My assumption was that any circular clamp of the right diameter should be able to clamp the head pipes onto the spigots. Cycle X even markets the ugly chrome straps as a replacement, but you seem to be saying it's not that simple. Can you elaborate on why that won't work?

[BomberMann650]

Because the spigots are bolted on with studs!!!

Its a moot point if your delkevic comes with sporty little bolt’r-down’r attached.

[RandomOrbit]

Because the spigots are bolted on with studs!!!

Its a moot point if your delkevic comes with sporty little bolt’r-down’r attached.

Yes IF I get the F version (option 1) all the clampy bits become a moot point. I like that solution, but I'm concerned the F version will not fit my bike correctly at the muffler end, and the K version uses the conventional K clamps over the stock spigots.



This is the clamp I'm looking to replace, and near as I can figure the fins are ornamental, any clamp of the correct diameter provided it's strong enough should work.

[PeWe]

K7 and F has the rear fastener higher up. On the K0-k6 the rear pipe will have a higer angle over the passenger foot peg mount. Possible to fix with a bracket appr 4" high bolted into the frame and an upper hole to bolt the rear pipe and foot peg. Same on the other side. I used 7-8mm thick aluminum.
As I did here with an RC 4-1 for K7 mounted on a K6. Looked and worked fine.

[BomberMann650]

I don’t understand how the finned clamp torques the pipes to the head.  What sorcery is that?!

[RandomOrbit]

I don’t understand how the finned clamp torques the pipes to the head.  What sorcery is that?!

It clamps the headpipe to the spigot which is bolted to the head. The spigot was omitted on f1 and k7 bolting the headpipe directly to the head, but k0-6 used spigots and clamps. 

[przjohn]

Contact Paul's Chrome just for the Halibut. It's a simple and free Email process for a quote on their website and wouldn't hurt a bit to find out what a rechrome costs. I can vouch for the quality. They have done a few bikes for me and the workmanship is flawless.

http://www.paulschrome.com/

[BomberMann650]

Aha!  TIL

[ekpent]

I don’t understand how the finned clamp torques the pipes to the head.  What sorcery is that?!

It squeezes the pipe and spigot together kind of like if you put your nuts in a vice.    MOOOOOOO

[Yamahawk]

I have soaked mine in toilet bowl cleaner and then worked them over on my soft wire wheel on my buffer with fairly good results. Surprising how well this old metal can clean up sometimes. Another option is to clean them up and then paint them a bright silver or other color of your choice. If you really want to dust some cash get them chrome plate--Ooooh

Yes actually, cleaning them up, and silver painting should have been included in the list of options I was considering. Rechroming is bound to be as expensive as buying new. I SHOULD probably see how clean I can get them before I give up on them though.

I have had really good results with rust removal using a product used for etching concrete. Home Depot carries it, $16 per gallon, it is phosphoric acid, and I believe it is called Concrete Etch. I keep it in a covered porcelain pot, or you can pour it back into the jug when done. But soak your fins in it overnight, and every bit of rust will be gone the next day. It works well for removing rust from gas tanks, also, and gives the bare metal a grey hue, that is like phosphate coating on the metal. I recommend trying it!
Charlie

[ekpent]

 Heard good stuff about that kind of product but have never tried it yet. Terry loves the stuff and heard he occasionally bathes in it.    Being a pool owner I keep some muriatic acid around. That will remove stubborn rust very quickly also.

[Yamahawk]

Hehe... along with anything it touches lol. Be careful with the muriatic acid. Now the concrete etch won't harm your paint, either. Good thing if you are doing your gas tank!
Charlie

[RAFster122s]

The Home Despot stuff is Prep N Etch... you will find in it the paint area along with a bunch of other chemicals.  It is in a plastic gallon jug.  Works well.

Anodizing is going to have a tough time holding up to the high heat.  The fins do serve a purpose, they are cooling fins to lessen any warping of the pipes and stock pipes are double walled header pipes and it helps with heat transfer from head to the pipes and that can keep the outer pipes a bit cooler to keep them from blueing.

David

[Yamahawk]

Because the spigots are bolted on with studs!!!

Its a moot point if your delkevic comes with sporty little bolt’r-down’r attached.

Yes IF I get the F version (option 1) all the clampy bits become a moot point. I like that solution, but I'm concerned the F version will not fit my bike correctly at the muffler end, and the K version uses the conventional K clamps over the stock spigots.



This is the clamp I'm looking to replace, and near as I can figure the fins are ornamental, any clamp of the correct diameter provided it's strong enough should work.

This is a NICE header, and reasonably priced. I have been thinking of replacing the 4-2 Lake pipe type of set up on my 1971 CB750 K1 with this. Definitely a NICE 4-1 header.

The Home Despot stuff is Prep N Etch... you will find in it the paint area along with a bunch of other chemicals.  It is in a plastic gallon jug.  Works well.

Anodizing is going to have a tough time holding up to the high heat.  The fins do serve a purpose, they are cooling fins to lessen any warping of the pipes and stock pipes are double walled header pipes and it helps with heat transfer from head to the pipes and that can keep the outer pipes a bit cooler to keep them from blueing.

David

That's it! Prep N Etch!  Works very well for rust removal, without eating the metal too.
And yeah, you need the fins for heat transfer, so I would't replace them with standard clamps of any kind.
Charlie

[RandomOrbit]

That's it! Prep N Etch!  Works very well for rust removal, without eating the metal too.
And yeah, you need the fins for heat transfer, so I would't replace them with standard clamps of any kind.
Charlie

I get that in theory, but none of the after market exhaust systems that delete the exhaust spigots use finned clamps. So I suspect that in practice they are not really that important. More like a holdover from earlier designs.

That said, I think I WILL try to remove the rust from my stock clamps and use them. I've used phosphoric acid in the past on rusty bicycle parts with good results, so that will be my starting point, then polish between the fins with a Dremel wire brush and then polishing tool. If it looks OK, I'll just go with it. If there is not much chrome left, I'll hit it with header paint.

I need to figure out where to draw the lines, because unless I do a frame up restoration, my bike is never going to be rust free, and I can't afford to be that fussy.

[RAFster122s]

Merely because a aftermarket exhaust maker does not use them does not mean they are not needed.  I believe it was to help the outer pipe's chrome from overheating.  They serve as a heat sink, like used to protect electronic parts when soldering.  It lessens the conduction of the heat to the outer chrome pipe from the heat of the head. This keeps the chrome from overheating. When a chrome exhaust pipe is turned blue it is overheated.  The chrome Honda used on their exhausts was a high quality and thicker than most companies will use today without being very expensive.  If your bike runs too lean it will have very high exhaust temps...that blues the chrome.  Single walled pipes which are chromed will often show the effects of the high heat of the exhaust gases.

[Zenfiddy78]

If the OEM clamps are appropriate for your new exhaust you could blast them and have them zinc plated- 3 color choices- black, gold
(yellow zinc) or clear (silver) See the Asian Orange project for a look at the yellow zinc treatment. If you don't have a plating shop nearby
you could ship them to Godffrey's garage for the whole process. Not sure of the long term effects on this plating but still looks the same after 600+ miles. YMMV

[RandomOrbit]

Now that's an interesting alternative. Better than paint or powder coating.

[1976cb750f836]

If their is a header coat shop in u r area,they can coat them, I had this done when I had my header coated. Better than chrome,won't bule,or flake if done Correctly?
Way cheaper than chrome!

[RAFster122s]

Last poster is referring to ceramic coating process, shop around for price, it can vary.

[Zenfiddy78]

Evaporust is probably the safest rust remover out there- I've done 2 fuel tanks w/great results. It's also eco-friendly. just pour it down the drain when it's no longer effective.

[Zenfiddy78]

On the subject of ceramic coating- make sure that they will blast & coat the system inside and out. Most better shops do so
and that often accounts for the higher price...

[Dunk]

I had a pair of big block headers ceramic coated once (Jet Hot), with relatively little use and the car stored in a garage, not driven in winter, the coating has failed and is flaking off, holes rusted through. I had these coated when new  inside and out for longevity. They rusted out far quicker after coated when new than anything I've never coated or even painted and just drove year round even in salt and snow. I'll stick to rattle can high temp paint.

[calj737]

I had a pair of big block headers ceramic coated once (Jet Hot), with relatively little use and the car stored in a garage, not driven in winter, the coating has failed and is flaking off, holes rusted through. I had these coated when new  inside and out for longevity. They rusted out far quicker after coated when new than anything I've never coated or even painted and just drove year round even in salt and snow. I'll stick to rattle can high temp paint.

That's an indictment of the applicator, not the application. If they had been properly coated, there would be no exposure to air of the mild steel allowing corrosion. I would strongly suspect the internal application was improperly applied and there was not a sufficient prep of the surface with an abrasive, thereby preventing full and proper adhesion of the coating.

[Zenfiddy78]

Thanks CalJ for saying what I was thinking

[1976cb750f836]

My coating is 16 years old,no problems.