Stopping down pipe rot!!

[monkeyman]

Hi guys. I'm trying to make my original downpipes last the winter and need to know the best way to go about it.. I've stripped all the rust in the past and sprayed them with high temperature paint but discovered they were rusting again; so I've now stripped them again, treated them with a rust converting chemical and have started to spray them up again (very thoroughly) with lots of thin coats. Does anyone know if there's anything else that can be done to save the pipes (I haven't got money to buy a nice stainless system atm)?

Thanks

[zimm]

i know this isnt what you want to hear, but im afraid its true nonetheless.,,

they will rot, buy a stainless system.

second hand systems can be had for around 150 quid, sometimes cheaper.. just keep an eye on ebay.

[monkeyman]

Bugger.. OK, thanks for letting me know. I think i'm gonna see if they last the winter and then look for some when my bank account's not feeling the strain of uni.
Cheers Zimm

[masterofinsanity]

as zimm says forget it, i've tried Hight temp paint and it rusts through, for longer lasting use plasticote stove enamel, but it rusts through as well, you can get it shot blasted and stove enamelled professionally but nothing beats stainless.

[zimm]

I chemically cleaned one system till it looked like stainless then primed it, and painted it with high temp paint, then cured it all evenly with a blowtorch

lasted 3 weeks till it looked shite again.

[masterofinsanity]

same here mate, used a wire brush on a drill and angle grinder. got it down to shiny metal, high temp paint then stove enamel and 3 weeks later it looks shite.

[tippgod]

have the same problem with my down pipes. was going to spray them but am now wondering is it worth the hassel at all. does anyone know where you can get a cheep set of stainless steel pipes. i looket on ebay but they were around 200 quid. would pipes off any other bike work.?

[masterofinsanity]

there are some cheap ones onebay around £190, you aint gonna get any cheaper for stainless, unless you get secondhand but then your looking around £150 mark.

[tippgod]

ya that seams to be the going rate on the web. was trying to measure the pipe to see if any other exhaust would fit. load of second hand pipes out on ebay but none for the zxr.

if anyone knows of a suitable pipe i would be glad to hear form you

[will#224]

Perhaps a ceramic coating would be more durable?

[masterofinsanity]

you could go for cermachrome you can get it in a tin but has to be baked on about 500 degrees C so best of luck and there aint many places that do it. http://www.soundrider.com/archive/servi ... atings.htm

[monkeyman]

After having gone through all the hassle of stripping the pipes right back and chemically cleaning, then priming and painting, evenly and curing properly they've lasted about the same as others have said. Rust started showing through after a couple of weeks of winter riding, now 3 months on and they look like absolute s@%t!! Mind you, any bike that's gets used regualarly in all conditions throughout the winter is going to to show signs of it pretty quickly but the pipes on the ZXR seem to be the biggest week point..

[saka_ZXR]

Get your hands on some ACF-50 mate, My zxr isnt out in the winter but my mates swear by it, its the stuff they use on planes to stop them corroding with the all the salt and toad they pick up.

Ive sprayed mine up whilst shes in the garage for the winter will see how she lasts come summer time.

Its a purple and silver can and u simply squirt it over the parts u want to protect then use a paint brush to smear it all over, it then stays on as a clear oily coat, u will see it burning off when the exhaust gets hot but it will still stay on the exhaust if u get me, only a couple of quid and its sold most of the big bike shops, i got mine at on ya byke in manchester.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/

[Jeppo]

I use scottoiler fs365, which is a similar product to acf 50. Has prevented rust on my bike this winter. Though my downpipes are stainless, realistically ure standard pipes will rust, it's only a matter of time till ure gonna have to replace them really, so start saving its worth it in the long run

[zimm]

thing is, they rot from the inside too, filling with condensation whenever the bike is switched off .. i've removed what looked like a perfectly good OE exhaust before now and had it fall apart in my hands