Stainless headers and acid......

milleplod

milleplod

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I've just spent 2 hours in the garage getting nowhere trying to clean up my RT's stainless headers - I'm sweating like a bastard. :mad: There's years of crud baked onto them - I've tried the superstrong Harpic (9% hydrochloric content), it's barely touched them, despite lots of scrubing and rubbing. A mate suggested a visit to the local powder coaters - he's had various car and bike parts done there, they've got an acid bath for paint removal. Has anyone tried having headers acid-dipped to get the crap off them? Any observations....?! :)

Pete
 
Won't vapour blasting leave a really matte/satin finish?

FWIW I've found a good soak with wonder wheels works well, followed by a bit of polishing (fine grade wire wool and solvol).

Andres
 
Harpic Max 10 ..... It's £1 per bottle from most supermarkets ....

Buy a bottle and report back here ... I PROMISE you will not be disappointed ..... go ..... go now before the rest of the world finds out and the stocks run dry! ;)

Squeese some on a scouring sponge and gently work it in, no great effort required. Rinse off after 5 minutes with water and gaze in bewildered awe at your achievement!

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Tunneruk said:
Harpic Max 10 ..... It's £1 per bottle from most supermarkets ....

Buy a bottle and report back here ... I PROMISE you will not be disappointed ..... go ..... go now before the rest of the world finds out and the stocks run dry! ;)

Squeese some on a scouring sponge and gently work it in, no great effort required. Rinse off after 5 minutes with water and gaze in bewildered awe at your achievement!

117619011_0_640x640.jpg
Click to expand...

He tried the Harpic already, is this one something different, if so good to know.
 
Tunneruk said:
Harpic Max 10 ..... It's £1 per bottle from most supermarkets ....

Buy a bottle and report back here ... I PROMISE you will not be disappointed ..... go ..... go now before the rest of the world finds out and the stocks run dry! ;)

117619011_0_640x640.jpg
Click to expand...

I tried it already - it did sod all! :eek:How long should I have left it on....I gave it 15 mins or so? After that, I agitated it a bit with a stiff brush - it cleaned up some parts, but not the mega-manky curved bits.

Pete
 
A 12 inch sisal mop on a 3Hp buffer with course soap soon brings them up or if you want to sit back and watch, use one of the stainless steel pickling pastes that are used to clean stainless welds such as Antox or Polinox but use with great care.
 
I'm a pipefitter/welder specialising in stainless steel. We use pickling paste to remove the heat staining from the welds.
I have used it on the stainless exhaust on a CB1000R I had, and it worked a treat. Paint it on, leave for 20 mins to an hour then swill off.

Be aware though, this is a acid based paste. It will strip paint and is generally not nice stuff to get on your skin.

https://www.thewelderswarehouse.com/Welding-Supplies/Pickling-Paste-1.html

This should last you a lifetime. On a side note, get the acid application brush, as normal paint brushes get eaten by the paste.
 
Tractors are go said:
Don't arse yourself; they'll go brown again, and again, and again.....

Until the rest of the bike dissolves into a pile of rust

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
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I owned my 1200ST for 6/7 years, they always looked nice on that because I never let them get really manky - 10 mins with a cloth and some Peek once a month was all it took.

Thanks for the replies chaps. :thumb2 Been looking at Youtube vids of how pickling pastes work on stainless - impressive stuff, although I wonder if it's a bit OTT for home use tbh. Also watched one showing the effect of vapour blasting and, yep, it leaves a satin-looking finish.

Obviously, I'm being lazy and I do think my Harpic technique might need improvement for better results! I'm tempted by a dip in the acid-bath - nitric is apparently the best for stainless, so it'll be interesting to see what the powdercoat place uses. I just want to get them decent-looking, then I'll do as per my ST.

Pete
 
milleplod said:
I tried it already - it did sod all! :eek:How long should I have left it on....I gave it 15 mins or so? After that, I agitated it a bit with a stiff brush - it cleaned up some parts, but not the mega-manky curved bits.

Pete
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Wow .... I couldn't be more surprised!!
 
Tunneruk said:
Wow .... I couldn't be more surprised!!
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The previous owner had an unhealthy obsession with ACF50 - it was lathered on everywhere under the bike when I got it - I wonder if that's been baked onto the headers, they're a very dark grey, almost black rather than brown. Could be that superheated ACF50 is impervious to weak hydrochloric acid! :eek:

Pete
 
Mine were really bad when I picked up my 2010 GSA, cacked in rust that no acid etc would shift. I used various grades of wet and dry with water. The pipes are actually stainless which is chrome plated, so I removed the chrome which was pitted and already gone in places with wet and dry....and even an electric sander!! I then polished up the stainless with a polishing wheel on the end of an electric drill :eek:took me hours :blast

Not bad for 153,000 miles! :D

Before and after.....

xkPnZi9.png


9YdoTbT.jpg
 
Howz said:
Mine were really bad when I picked up my 2010 GSA, cacked in rust that no acid etc would shift. I used various grades of wet and dry with water. The pipes are actually stainless which is chrome plated, so I removed the chrome which was pitted and already gone in places with wet and dry....and even an electric sander!! I then polished up the stainless with a polishing wheel on the end of an electric drill :eek:took me hours :blast

Not bad for 153,000 miles! :D

Before and after.....

xkPnZi9.png


9YdoTbT.jpg
Click to expand...

I’m thinking the OP pipes may in fact be chromed, in which case the Harpic, and Autoglanz won’t look at it
 
ricalnic said:
I’m thinking the OP pipes may in fact be chromed, in which case the Harpic, and Autoglanz won’t look at it
Click to expand...

I've just been in the garage to check the part number on the headers.....it's 7691717.....they're chromed!! :blast Kin ell. Metal polisher it is then. And...er....thanks again chaps, and apologies for wasting folks' time. :bow

Pete
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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