blueing pipes

[rayzuki]

My gz has only 750 miles on it and the pipes are starting to turn blue at the motor. Is this normal? I got mine used and the pipes were already blue. I was thinking about getting them rechormed but if this is normal I don't think I will waste my money.

[badfun]

1900 miles and yeah mine are a bit blue and brown as well. I haven't tries to clean them up yet.

[jonathan180iq]

Normal. Don't waste your money. They will just blue up again.

[Easy Rider]

Normal. Don't waste your money. They will just blue up again.

+1 :tup:

The length of the blue depends on your environment and riding style. Hotter/ridden harder = longer blue/gold "stain".
The first 8 inches or so is inevitable regardless and you might do more damage than good in trying to remove that.
If it gets longer than 8".....turns the corner and starts down the front.....then there is a product or two that claims to be able to remove that without harming the pipes. I have no personal experience as I just let mine go.

[rayzuki]

so I decided I couldn't stand looking at the blue on the pipes and didn't want to waste my money on rechroming again since it will only be a temporary fix so I found a cheap alternative. Not the best solution but it works for me.
http://www.postimage.org/aV2BmlgS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV2BmlgS)

[Easy Rider]

so I decided I couldn't stand looking at the blue on the pipes

And you somehow thing THAT looks better than the blue pipes ??
Sorry, but I don't agree.

They DO make polish specifically to remove (or reduce) the blue on the chrome.

Moreover, what you have done will cause the portion of the pipe you have covered to get MUCH hotter than intended. This might make the pipes warp. It will certainly drive the blue farther down the pipes AND cause the muffler to get hotter too.
Overall I don't think it is a good idea.

[jonathan180iq]

Let me first say that you did a very solid job on the wrapping. That can be hard to get right and I think it looks good.

However, like Easy said, you will be causing your pipes to get even hotter. When you remove the heat wrap in the future, you will propably see very discolored pipes. If they get wet, you may also notice that they will rust under there.

Considering these things, if you really like the looks, drive around for a day or two and see if you can tell a difference in the extra heat produced throughout your entire exhaust system. I'm sure that you will.

Just take these things into consideration if you decide to leave it on there.

[rayzuki]

Quote from heatshieldproducts..com
By wrapping the exhaust system it maintains hotter exhaust gases, decreases the density, and allows the exhaust gas to exit the system faster! Greater exhaust scavenging is produced and lowers intake temperatures: that equals more horsepower. It also adds to rider comfort, by reducing burns caused by exhaust pipes coming into direct contact with your legs or can even protects fairings from melting. These colored short exhaust rolls are the perfect exhaust insulating wrap for your motorcycle, go cart, or quad. Our exhaust wrap withstand 1200°F continuous and 2000°F intermittent. Our custom exhaust heat wrap can be fastened with Thermal-Tie, hose clamps, or wire.

[Easy Rider]

Quote from heatshieldproducts..com


And you don't think even for a second that the claims might be exagerated just a TINY bit, in an effort to sell more of their product ?? :??:

In order for most of that to even approach being true, one must have a "free flowing" exhaust to begin with.........which you do NOT have if you are still running a stock muffler.......or one with any significant baffle.

So, like someone else said: Let us know how it turns out after a week or so. Maybe you won't notice any difference, since it would be kind of hard to measure the temp. of the muffler.

The same amount of heat will be procuced and (trust me) the "flow" of gasses won't be that much different .......so the heat that you are trapping IN the header pipes has to go somewhere. It will "flow" toward the back and the part of the pipes that are not covered WILL be hotter.

[BigIron]

I've been thinking of painting mine with engine paint. Maybe flat black from the head down to the front pegs. Some online MC stores sell paint made for your exhaust. I dont know what affect this would have on heat though.

[Easy Rider]

I dont know what affect this would have on heat though.

Not much. Good luck getting the paint to stick to the chrome, however. :cry:

[Sarris]

Guys;

My 2005 GZ has 12,000 miles and has no pipe blueing. I think you need to check your carb settings as blueing usually means your engine is running too lean. I run 65 mph for some distance alot of the time, no blue!

:chop:

[Easy Rider]

I think you need to check your carb settings as blueing usually means your engine is running too lean.

DUDE: :tdown:

1) A LOT more bikes DO have a little blueing than the ones that don't. It is NOT something to worry about. Now, if the pipes start glowing cherry red........that is a WHOLE different matter! :)

2) What "settings" would you suggest "checking".......since the only easily accessable one is the idle mixture ??

[rayzuki]

Easy,

I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. I get your point. My point was to mention that these "in theory" will not make the pipes any hotter than normal. I will agree with this. Just got back from a 50 mile ride and the pipes are not super hot. I can't say for sure without a temp reading but I would say basically no difference. Granted a 200+ mile ride may give different results. I don't know that yet. If I start to see problems I will take them off for sure but for now I do think it looks better than the blue pipes and I will leave them on.

[rayzuki]

I've been thinking of painting mine with engine paint. Maybe flat black from the head down to the front pegs. Some online MC stores sell paint made for your exhaust. I dont know what affect this would have on heat though.

I have used flat black header paint rated at 1200 degrees on my truck and it burned off. Took a while 6 mo to a year but it was gone and the headers started to look a rust color. In short I don't like the stuff and wont use it again. Even for a motorcycle with lower exhaust temp. I agree with Easy it won't stick to chrome very well. Just my 2 cents.

[Sarris]

You need to have a mechanic put an exhaust analyzer up the exhaust, pop the carb caps, and adjust the fuel & air mixture screws to acheive the correct stoichiometric ratio (The ideal air to fuel ratio is 14.7:1 for 4 cycle motors). I had mine properly adjusted at 100 miles. It runs better than ever, and no blueing after 12,000 + miles. It cost me nothing under warranty. GZ's are inherently lean from the factory to achieve the EPA emission standards. And, it gets worse every model year as the EPA standard get more stringent.

:2tup:

[BigIron]

I agree with Easy it won't stick to chrome very well. Just my 2 cents.[/quote]

How about if I sanded the pipes first??

[Easy Rider]

Granted a 200+ mile ride may give different results.

No, listen, I really don't CARE what you do.....but you seem like a nice guy and I'm just trying to help you not to make a mistake you will regret later.

I think the heat may build up more on a (relatively) short run around town when the air flow isn't as strong.
Time will tell. Like someone else said, over time, the pipes can rust inside that wrap. How will you know if that is happening?

[Sarris]

The auto parts stores sell an ultra-high temperature header paint. If it really bugs you, I'd remove the exhaust system from the bike, give it a light sanding (to remove the shine and give the surface some light texture), meticulously prep the surface per the manufacturers recommendations and paint them w/ header paint. Pay close attention to the recommended drying time as well. It works just fine on car headers.

I think it's worth a shot. Black would look really cool. I'd do the whole system, muffler and all.

:rawk:

[BigIron]

OK Sarris, you talked me into it. I'm not doing the muffler though.

[jonathan180iq]

on Youtube lastnight I found a video of a white GZ with black exhaust. The paint scheme looked fine but the quality of the job was shoddy.

Make sure that you prep it correctly.

The video is easy to find. Just search in Youtube for "Marauder GZ 250" There are several videos including one of Jaime's bike with the Dunstall muffler.

For those intersted, there are several other videos of people who have drilled out their backing plate for a "better exhaust note".

[Sarris]

Hey;

Be sure to post some photos when done and a "how to". Are you sure about not doing the muffler? Sure would look cool to have a whole black system.

Look at ths HD with a black exhaust.

http://www.postimage.org/aVdlruS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVdlruS)

Keep us posted. Oh yeah, I didn't talk you into this, you really wanted to do it, you just needed some encouragement!

I sure hope like hell it works!

:rawk:

[BigIron]

I'll post a pic but dont hold your breath. Right now I have a big remodeling project going on and its taking most of my time.

[deadman13]

I've been thinking of painting mine with engine paint. Maybe flat black from the head down to the front pegs. Some online MC stores sell paint made for your exhaust. I dont know what affect this would have on heat though.

when i got mine it was nice and rusty up near the head, so i got flat black engine paint and sprayed to the heat shield. i didnt scrub, scratch or anything to the pipes except clean them with some degreaser. paint stuck just fine to the chrome parts, covered and smoothed the rusty spots and almost "hides" the headers. not to mention i seem to be able to touch the pipe a little sooner, but i never really wanted to touch hot head pipes anyway. just a thought!

[theikeman]

Generally speaking, blue pipes indicate a too lean condition (running hot) and can be affected by many things like the factory tune, altitude, air leaks, exhaust leaks and or carb adjustments. Without getting into all that here, let me share with you some good information on removing the blues.
First of all forget about all those blue-jobs and similar advertised products, not needed and only work with a ton of elbow grease or a power buffer. Here is what I have done for years. Get the finest steel wool you can find which is 0000. Go buy a can of mothers, or other brand of metal polish, dip your steel wool pad in there and start rubbing, as the paste begins to dry use a clean soft cloth and polish, then do it again, after each coat your pipes will look cleaner and cleaner and eventually (depending on how bad they are) they will look like new. Please note, this method will not work on rust or pitted chrome. If you use any heavier grade of steel wool, or those new synthetic pads, you will scratch your pipes badly.
To keep your pipes looking good a long time, remove them and coat the inside of the header pipes with several coats of heat proof paint, it will reduce the amount of heat getting to the chrome finish and prevent blueing. Or if you have a better budget coat them with a ceramic coating, same effect, lasts longer.
The best results will come from making sure the bike is tuned correctly and has the right jets and proper idle mixture adjustment.
Just my 2 cents, happy labor day to all
Ike

[Easy Rider]

The best results will come from making sure the bike is tuned correctly and has the right jets and proper idle mixture adjustment.


True, however.......single wall pipes tend to blue or gold no matter what you do. It's just the nature of the beast over time.
The time you spend trying to solve that non-problem would be much better spent riding.......or doing almost anything else, for that matter. ;)

[theikeman]

I disagree strongly
My 1996 Savage LS650 has a single wall header pipe, after 10000 miles NO blue whatsoever and it is jetted and has a K&N cone filter with a performance muffler. I do agree that time riding is important but, (been doin that for 30 plus years) who wants to ride a nasty lookin' bike? :roll:
Ike

[Easy Rider]

I disagree strongly
who wants to ride a nasty lookin' bike?

To each his own.

Is this a subject that merits a "strong" disagreement ?? :??:

I don't happen to think that the discoloration looks "bad".

Most riders (GZ riders especially) don't spend the time or money to "fix" the lean factory tune so many get blue/gold pipes near the header. I don't think it is a big deal. Obviously some DO.

If yours WAS turning blue, would you spend a lot of time trying to correct it?
I certainly won't but I won't think less of you if you DO. :)