After four years of riding I decided to pull the fairing and header pipes. Although the header pipes are stainless steel they are beyond the help of Solvo Autosol. I am considering chemical warfare on them. Any help how to get the headers shining again by polish or chemical process would be appreciated.

* Last updated by: redboot on 2/29/2012 @ 11:02 AM *

Sanding will ruin the finish. Take WD-40, clean it with paper towels. Start the bike up. Get the pipes hot enough so you 'cure' the clean finish. This way, it will burn in a different color. If you hit a dirt puddle, clean again with WD. The burned layer should keep it from rusting up again. I have a photo of a set of pipes I did that with, but the program on line is not loading the pic.

Hi Hub. Thanks for the advice, unfortunately my pipes are past the stage of cleaning with WD40. Not sure if you know but the header pipes are a different quality SS than the "bean cans" out back, which are of a good quality and none responsive to magnets. The header on the other hand attracts magnets like "a fat kid to a candy bar" so there is a lot of ferrous content in there, hence the corrosion. What I need to do is find a way or product that allows me to remove the corrosion first, then I can apply your method of WD40 as prevention to futher corrosion. Thanks for your help

* Last updated by: redboot on 3/1/2012 @ 1:34 PM *

What about a scotchbrite pad, it will scuff the surface up a little but should remove the rust & scale.

Neil

try this

+1 on the CocaCola. It puts the rust on the rag you wipe it with, leaving a pristine, clean, pipe.

Old time remedy, we've been using Coke (we ok, that way too in past lives) to clean rust off since it was introduced and someone spilled it on a rusty pipe (not motorcycle, a plumber).

i see you guys talking about wd-40 but I know on rusty bolts PB Blaster works way better dissolving the rust

Check those valves! No steel brush, but a little brass brush. That was just to see what would happen? I never used the valves. However, the carbon lifted off them. The trick here is the same cola deal. Only this time, you neutralize the metal so it does not blacken. Unless you like that look, you'll have to dip that back into a tub of vinegar again, to unlock that fast air color corrosion.

Once the rust is off the header, you need to bang the inners or run course steel wool in a wad down each pipe. Unless you plug off the ends. This vinegar eats the gooda badan d'uh ugly.

I used this on mine once it cleaned them good but takes some effort

Hey Guy's thanks for the input. As I see a lot of pipes floating around for sale I know most of you have removed the header pipes at one time or another and therefore know the challenge in cleaning the header where the four pipes meet the collector. I have tried a scotchbrite pad and you are right Neil, it will do the job and does scuff up the surface a little. However, what I was looking for was alg8er's suggestion. I had heard about using coke before but totally forgot about it so I will give that a go this weekend and then finnish off with with a Hub Cocktail of White Vinegar.
Hub, if I use White Vinegar on Stainless Steel would I use Malt Vinegar on Black Chrome?

I have not seen PB Blaster or the Blue Magic metal polish up here in the frozen north but regularly venture south for some of your cheap gas so I will have a look for those products.

ok so I went out to the garage this took less than 1 minute didn't put a lot of effort into it but here was my results with the PB Blaster

now I only let the pb blaster sit on there for prob 30 sec b4 brushing, the longer it soaks into the rust the better it will turn out

are your headers OEM or aftermarket? If oem I've got a set off my 08 with maybe 1,000 mi on them ill let go cheap

Get a can of Mother's metal polish, some triple 000 steelwool, some rags to apply the polish, and some rags to wipe-off & buff. It will clean the rust right off the headers.