Paint on muffler, best adhesion method (stock painted style)?

markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
Time has come for me to do a few engines where the exhaust really does need to be painted same as the engine for the most "stock" appearance. I am starting on a white side exhaust for a customer for a Barris that uses the big flat round muffler and I have 4 1967-1969 (2 H35 and 2 HS40's) that I am just about ready to do probably for resale. The 4 all use the little round 7 hole mufflers since the headers did not exist until after 1970.

The paint will burn off thats inevitable, it did it on the originals so I am sure its gonna eventually burn on a hard run engine. but I want to try and give the best shot at not turning into a bubbly crispy flakey mess right off. I know there is not too many people on this board that actually use an automotive grade mix and spray single stage paint so I may not get much help here but if you have I am wondering what your thoughts and findings on this are.

I always run the engines in before paint, at that point the longblock is usually bare and the tins and shrouding in most cases are just in as thin coat of etching primer as I can get just to keep the moisture away, til I am ready to paint. I am thinking that burning in the muffler at break in raw finish and then re prepping and leaving raw before the color goes down may be the best shot at keeping the most paint on the exhaust when being run? Kinda bake out any preservatives that were applied to the Mufflers when new etc..? I get no discoloration from the Single stage around the exhaust unlike spraybomb and Clearcoat (the CC makes it worse!!) but I honestly have not tried any direct muffler parts painted on/with the engine yet :shrug:
 
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P

PAP

Member
#4
#4
Bake them first @400 for 20 min, to get rid of any residual oil, them blast them with a fine abrasive or glass beads. Typically high heat paints are matte finish because they have more pigment to hold color, and less binder to burn off.
This is the method I use for powder coating and it has worked well.
 
H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#5
#5
Markus, not sure if I am reading you right, but from what I gather, you are attempting to duplicate the original paint jobs where the muffler was painted along with everything else, and post initial run.

What I have done with single stage paint, (I have only used Nason's Black like this) is to use high temp rattle can "inside" the muffler. It "seems" to allow the paint to last longer than if I do not paint it. I've been using rattle can that says it has ceramic stuff in it, (yeah, right) but it seems to work good if I use it inside the muffler, and the paint seems to last longer.

Never tried it with the Arctic White.

As you said, you're looking at the inevitability of it burning off eventually.
 
Raskin

Raskin

#6
#6
Home depot rust-oleum high heat 1200° I used silver...the have a few other colors....sprayed on..put pipe on bike let run until I see paint offgassing then engine shut off and let cool..ran again one minute shut off let cool..then again a few minutes..one more coat..repeat process....looks good..last a while ...touch up from time to time
 
bikebudy

bikebudy

Banned - Must pay $500
#7
#7
Black, I use Wood Stove paint. BBQ paint as well works better than High heat paint, when it comes to spray bombs.

White, I can't say I have ever tried, As someone said. I'd try Fridge paint, its near Artic White and has Ceramic in it.
 
creia

creia

#8
#8
My son and I have always used either Rustoleum High Heat 2000 degree or VHT Flame Proof 2000 degree "rattlecan" exhaust/header paints with very good results (Read: no peeling or discoloration EVER). You MUST prep the metal properly, use the compatible high heat primer from the same paint manufacturer, and properly (heat) cure the paint as per the manufacturer instructions, which means running the engine for prescribed periods of time within a specified time frame after painting. That being said Marcus, we have never tried WHITE, only black and silver/gray.
Michael
 
Chain Linkin

Chain Linkin

Member
#11
#11
I used the VHT Flame Proof 2000 degree "rattlecan" for my header. Did a similar process as Raskin and I had great results. I also used header wrap later so the paint is stained now but still in good condition. If I remember, I will post a picture later tonight after work... I also painted a stock clone muffler white. I didn't prime it first so it started rusting after a year or so but never flaked.
 
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markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
thanks everyone.....H-Dave, yes I was interested in the best prepping methods when using single stage automotive finish on the muffs, I usually use the Nason line as well.
 
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