Topic: Q's about High temperature paint

[loonymoon]

I stripped the horrible original yellowed, old peeling lacquer off some of the engine cases on my CB350F back in Sept 2006 and polished it up and recoated in clear high temperature paint. Unfortunately in the last year or so the temperature of the engine has turned the clear paint yellowy on the engine casings. It's not peeling but the yellowing makes the casings look nasty.

What else could (should) I have coated the casings with? Bearing in mind I didn't strip the bike to do the work, I did it with engine in frame and just did the bits I could get at.

Also I've recently had some exhaust clamps I got off Heffay which I had shot blasted but as they didn't come up shiny and I can't afford to get them chromed I've sprayed them in aluminium colour very high temperature paint.



Do you think this would be OK?

[NickC]

Make sure you read the directions. Most header paints require baking after they are painted. I painted my manifolds on one of my Jeeps, and it came out great.
Engine paints need to be heated, but to a lesser degree. Most of the time you just run the engine after they are painted, and the heat cycle cures it.

[loonymoon]

Yes they both said that heat from the engine will cure it. Though to be honest it'll probably be a long time before these clamps are on the bike and getting the heat as to install will require me to unclamp each individual muffler from the four pipe set up to slide the old clamps off.. I don't know when I'll have the time to do it...

[Gordon]

Yes they both said that heat from the engine will cure it. Though to be honest it'll probably be a long time before these clamps are on the bike and getting the heat as to install will require me to unclamp each individual muffler from the four pipe set up to slide the old clamps off.. I don't know when I'll have the time to do it...

You don't have to remove the mufflers from the header pipes to slide the header clamps on/off.  They'll fit over the top end of the header. 

[NickC]

Throw them in the oven, and bake them for a little while.....

[loonymoon]

You don't have to remove the mufflers from the header pipes to slide the header clamps on/off.  They'll fit over the top end of the header. 

Ahh that makes things a lot easier. I assumed that to be able to clamp the headers in there must be a thicker section on the end of the header (there is on my scooter) that won't fit through the clamp hole. I guess then if I slacken off the bolts holding the exhausts on there should be enough movement there to be able to get the clamps off.

Throw them in the oven, and bake them for a little while.....

I did wonder that but we have a gas oven and I wasn't sure about whether volitile fumes should mix with a naked flame!!  I did notice on one tin of paint I picked up it said you could do that, but it doesn't say on the one I have.

[NickC]

I put my manifolds in a gas oven, and had no issues with it. Just make sure it's good and dry before you put them in there...

[Gordon]

I assumed that to be able to clamp the headers in there must be a thicker section on the end of the header (there is on my scooter) that won't fit through the clamp hole. I guess then if I slacken off the bolts holding the exhausts on there should be enough movement there to be able to get the clamps off.

On the end of each header there are two half-circle pieces of metal that serve the purpose you're describing.  When you loosen and slide the header clamp away they will fall off, and then you can slide the clamp off the header.  Keep in mind that in the stock configuration the header pipe and muffler are one piece, so they had to devise a way to get the clamp on and off from the top. 

[loonymoon]

I put my manifolds in a gas oven, and had no issues with it. Just make sure it's good and dry before you put them in there...

... and its a day when the oven isn't going to be used for a while as I assume it'll stink to high heaven.

On the end of each header there are two half-circle pieces of metal that serve the purpose you're describing.  When you loosen and slide the header clamp away they will fall off, and then you can slide the clamp off the header.  Keep in mind that in the stock configuration the header pipe and muffler are one piece, so they had to devise a way to get the clamp on and off from the top. 

Of course.. d'oh!!

[squirley]

Throw those puppies in the bbq if you have one.  Works great and doesn't make the house smell.

[loonymoon]

That's a great idea!! Just have to wait for it to stop raining!

[mystic_1]

Make sure to put the parts on a cookie sheet or something to shield them from direct exposure to your heat source.  If you're using an oven with an overhead electrical element, put a tent of tinfoil over the parts.

Also consider using an oven thermometer so that you don't over-do it accidentally.

mystic_!