Speckled rust on header pipes.

[Athame57]

Before I enter into too much sweated labour, is the speckled rust one finds on the header pipes especially close to the cylinder head the sort of rust one can remove or is it too much from under the chrome?

[Skoti]

You could try a rag coated with solvol autosol, loop it around the pipe and tug it back and forth.

Won't completely remove the rust spots, but gives an acceptable finish I think.


Good luck

Skoti 
 

[K2-K6]

Chromium doesn't corrode (primary ingredient in stainless steel to avoid this) meaning what you see when chromed parts show rust is that you're seeing the ferrous structure corrode and poke through the chrome plate.

If it's taken off then ultimately it'll just come back again as only temporary dependent on conditions.  It'll certainly improve appearance if you polish it off but there's not much in the way of wax etc that can live with exhaust heat to prevent water getting onto it again.

The rust treatment we were looking at on another thread, that flow product does seem to convert and give some level of protection to exposed steel rather than flash corrode after treatment.
Very rudimentary test, but some of the tools my son treated (some were really really rusty) have been left outside for three weeks without showing any fresh corrosion. Maybe of some value to convert the oxide and produce an element of resistance against further corrosion.  Just an observation on that angle.

[Deano400]

This is what mine were like.

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Cleaned up with WD40 and plastic scouring pad.

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Still ok but have never seen bad weather and bike kept in a vac bag over winter.

[Athame57]

This is what mine were like.
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Cleaned up with WD40 and plastic scouring pad.

Hi Deano
So there is hope yet! If I had known what a vac bag was ( just looked on google) I'd have got one along time ago. Thanks for this! 

[Johnny4428]

Great job on that pipes Deano. What a difference, it always amazes me what a difference a little elbow grease and some light abrasives can make to tired looking chrome. I cleaned up rusty rims on my 550 with fine steel wool and solvol just gave it a polish once a year and stayed pretty much the same for 30 years. But was never out in all weathers.

[Matt_Harrington]

Deano, that is an amazing transformation. It's a lesson to all of us not to bin rusty chrome parts because they appear u/s.......

[AshimotoK0]

I tried everything on a NOS rust speckled  SS125 header/silencer assembly I got for £5 from DS (they couldn't identify it as they are so rare ...but I certainly could  ).In the end I used stainless looking scourers you get in packs of 4 from £1 shops, lubricated with pink Jizer. Transformed it and it sold for £255 when I had finished with it.
I thought it would be too harsh and scratch the chrome but amazingly with lubrication and a light touch it didn't.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I still have my original 400 front pipe in my loft - I'll see if I can shine it up a bit using WD 40 & a pan scourer.

[Spitfire]

I always use Brillo pads for that sort of work as they are not too harsh.

Cheers

Dennis