Polishing FMF?

[yamaha28]

Alrighty, if I were to get a crappy looking FMF pipe with chipping black paint for cheap. How would I go about restoring it? I thought of a couple options, any more input would be nice!

1) Sandblast it then polish it up. It would only rust then because it is steel. Is there any clear coat paint that can handle the heat?

2) Send it out to be nickel plated. I have no idea how much it cost's though.

3) Just paint it black? I really like the idea of polishing it but maybe it just won't work? Just as a last resort painting it black.

Throw around ideas!

 

[Larry's Shee]

Very few places will plate a used pipe. If it needs to be blasted it wouldn't look very good once plated. If it's that rough I suggest either soda, glass, or walnut shell blasting, sand might be to abrasive for such thin metal (JMO). Consider ceramic or high heat PC. I do think there is high heat clear. All depends on your budget.

 

[blasty 95]

my dynoport is ceramic coated keeps it cooler an can be cleaned up an look good

 

[4cfed]

Sand the rust off make it smooth... spray it with vht "flame proof" header paint.. holds up great and.looks.bad ass!..... this ks the flame proof on my old lt250r fmf pipe

IMG00675-20110310-1646.jpg picture by 4cfed88 - Photobucket

 

[4cfed]

IMG00661-20110308-1724.jpg picture by 4cfed88 - Photobucket


This is what it looked like when i got it

IMG00648-20110307-1459.jpg picture by 4cfed88 - Photobucket

 

[yamaha28]

all good ideas! Really looking for that shiny look though.

What if I polish it, then PC it clear?

 

[yamaha28]

IMG00661-20110308-1724.jpg picture by 4cfed88 - Photobucket


This is what it looked like when i got it

IMG00648-20110307-1459.jpg picture by 4cfed88 - Photobucket

I like that idea, might roll with that if nothing else.

Blasty 95: Link to where you got it done and how much?

 

[4cfed]

Could have it pc'd clear..... i polished the one on my 01 blaster.. it was rusty .. after the initual sand and polish i would just clean it with 0000 steel wool and some mothers now.amd then

 

[yamaha28]

did it ever rust up badly?

 

[4cfed]

Nope.. the deep pits in it would flash rust but thats it... i think the film the polish leaves helped protect it once it got hot an baked on

 

[yamaha28]

So tell me what you did exactly to polish yours? I will send ya some green to motivate ya

 

[blaster547]

well with no bigger than it is try to sand it down, wipe it with tack cloth and take it to a chrome shop to be dipped. And after riding a while you'll get that sweet blue look right at the head kinda like a harley pipe would look. And with no bigger than an FMF is it shouldnt cost much to have done. Just an idea, thats what i think i would do. by the way i think you could but them already blued at the head for more than what you would pay for a solid polished one

 

[yamaha28]

I don't think there is a chrome shop around me, and it seems like that would be expensive!

 

[Larry's Shee]

I am only aware of one BHQ sponser that had a shop on the westcoast that would do used pipes. Problem is that the oil and carbon fouls the plating tanks, and if it has pits, it still won't look good. IIRC, the cost was about half of the cost of a new pipe.

 

[yamaha28]

So that wouldn't be a great option. Sounds like I just have to do a paint job

 

[mud runner]

power coat the exaust

 

[yamaha28]

can the PC stand the heat?

 

[mud runner]

yup impretty sure it can

 

[blasty 95]

Ceramic will do alot better..jmo

 

[Euphoria717]

i polished mine up this weekend....I just sanded it like four time stepping up each time up to 2000 grit, then I used some metal polish, almost made it look like chrome. Ill put up pictures after I get it cleaned up because I took it out after I did that and got it all muddy again. But I'll clean it up again and get you the exact name of the polish I used, it pretty amazing sh*t.