How to get my headers sparkling again?

So my exhaust headers are somewhat oxidized, do you guys know of any way to get them cleaned up and shiny again?

I use neverdull in a can. Its a cotton wading with some chemical and waxs in it. Shines em right up for me.

This is a cake walk...... If you have a drill motor go out and get a powerball for it and while there, pick up some Mother's metal polish. Apply the polish to the pipes but dot let it dry. Then take the powerball and polish then out. Afterwards they will be very easy to keep clean and the maintenance on them will be far reduced. They will look like this..

Elm said:

I'm back! Here's what I discovered:

1) Why don't you wear your golden exhaust-headers with pride?
2) You STILL want to clean them? They will only turn brown again after a while...

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Well this is why I want to clean them... they don't look anything like the headers i've seen on the bikes on the forum.



I'll try out what you guys mentioned and see how they turn out.

schumy said:

So my exhaust headers are somewhat oxidized, do you guys know of any way to get them cleaned up and shiny again?

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They are stainless steel not chrome (so you won't rub the finish off of them).... You can use something like Honda Polish paste (not sure if it is made any longer, though). By the picture, it looks like you need to use some steel wool first...

Elm said:

I've heard of a special cream you can apply to polish them back to new again. I'll have to go and check...

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Special cream eh? The market is flooded with these types of products....

schumy said:

Well this is why I want to clean them... they don't look anything like the headers i've seen on the bikes on the forum.

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The picture is a good example of pipes that are dirty, oxidized and easily cleaned with a little help from a good bath, some extra fine Scotch-brite and a powerball. Once they have been cleaned up with something like Mother's or Semichrome they will stay clean and are very easy to care for.

You mean like this?????????????

:Flip:

schumy said:

Well this is why I want to clean them... they don't look anything like the headers i've seen on the bikes on the forum.

I'll try out what you guys mentioned and see how they turn out.

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Wow, are you sure you didn't get super-secret ceramic headers?

steveindenmark said:

You mean like this?????????????

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Yup, fresh and clean......

HavBlue said:

Yup, fresh and clean......

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Not mine, unfortunately but I got the pic from a link on the "Other Side". There is a thread of how to clean the headers.

Steve

wrightme43 said:

I use neverdull in a can. Its a cotton wading with some chemical and waxs in it. Shines em right up for me.

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+1. neverdull works awesome!!! you can get it at most autopart stores or truckstops
.

and while on the topic of clean sexy bikes, i tried washing the windscreen with soap but it still has this dirty yellowish, old plexiglass look to it. Is that permanent or can I bring the windscreen to its former transparrent glorry?

Botch said:

Wow, are you sure you didn't get super-secret ceramic headers?

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hahahahha.... unfortunately I would have no use for them.

Alloy wheel cleaner such as WonderWheels, or if you're a builder use some brick acid (may be called something else in the States). paint it on, keep dabbing any bits of it that dry out for a couple of minutes to keep them wet then wash it off with plenty of clean water.

DO NOT leave it on for too long and DO NOT get it onto any mild steel parts!

They will come up nice and shiny, but without the scouring marks that you'll get from polishes and abrasive materials like wire wool.

schumy said:

and while on the topic of clean sexy bikes, i tried washing the windscreen with soap but it still has this dirty yellowish, old plexiglass look to it. Is that permanent or can I bring the windscreen to its former transparrent glorry?

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Nope, it is etched into the plastic. What it is, is dirt that is airborne that has
etched into the plactic. There are some products out there that will help take away some of it, but not all. Every so often, i polish mine to help maintain it before it gets to that point.

:Sport:

Mine looked pretty bad once, I cleaned them by sanding them with 800 grit wet for the tough crap and then polished them with 1500 grit wet sandpaper to make them shiny. A little elbow grease is required, I would recommend removing the headers if you want to do it this way, it makes cleaning them much easier in the long run.

killernoodle said:

I would recommend removing the headers if you want to do it this way, it makes cleaning them much easier in the long run.

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And for the ones that know little about mechanics, is that easy? Removing the headers I mean