4-Stroke Head pipe care / maintenance

[teal_210]

My Dr.D head pipe is looking pretty rough from the constant exposure to moisture and temperature changes. It's even starting to show signs of rust, and generally looks like crap.

In the past, I've always cleaned up the imperfections with steel wool, or an sos pad and it comes out looking like new. But with a newborn at home, I just don't have the time to work on my bike.

So what is everyone else doing about this?

Has anyone tried ceramic coating the head pipe on a thumper? Any pros/cons to this?

I really don't know anything about a ceramic coating. Would the head pipe still be able to "slip" into the mid pipe / silencer?

 

[up-high]

Should be able to ceramic coat it. Seen it done to car headers. It will fit fine. The coating is thin. It won't look very good if you ride dirt also. Could get pitted.

 

[KAWGRN]

i header wrapped mine, but on the bergs its dead center behind my carbon fiber skid plate, then comes up tight to the motor and then behing the engine so with the header wrap it stays pretty protected

 

[teal_210]

i header wrapped mine, but on the bergs its dead center behind my carbon fiber skid plate, then comes up tight to the motor and then behing the engine so with the header wrap it stays pretty protected

Does the header wrap repel moisture or does it absorb it?

I've had people tell me that a wrap will absorb water / dirt / de-icer etc., and corrode the pipe... Is that not what you've found?

My pipe has the goofy little chamber on top of it, so it would be difficult to get a good tight wrap on it. And the CRF header routing is exposed to snow more than other brands.

 

[mnsnowhawk]

Does the header wrap repel moisture or does it absorb it?

I've had people tell me that a wrap will absorb water / dirt / de-icer etc., and corrode the pipe... Is that not what you've found?

My pipe has the goofy little chamber on top of it, so it would be difficult to get a good tight wrap on it. And the CRF header routing is exposed to snow more than other brands.

Read through the post ( Service Honda- 2013 KX500AF Build Project ). Use the header wrap and there is a coating to spray on to make it water repellant.

 

[KAWGRN]

Even when its wet ,, its only wet for a minute.

 

[teal_210]

Even when its wet ,, its only wet for a minute.

Thanks, I may end up going that route, even though I would like something a little more permanent.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

header wrap

I had shredded a lot of header wrap over the years on my sleds, so when I wrapped the sticking out there exposed header on my wr I knew it would last only a few trips of bush bashing cuase that pipe is right out there breaking bark.

After reading ski-doo's Service 500 build, the note about using silicone header spray seemed like a keeper. I bought a can of silver color at O'Riely's auto and gave the pipe and wrap about 4 coats.

So far three rides and lots of crashing down through some early season willows and junk wood, the silver sprayed header wrap is same as the day I installed. Really makes the wrap about like a cast. After some riding and heat curing its tough. Thanks for that post.