Originally Posted by
Arronduke
Seems I am on a roll, time for an update.
Cleaning the chambers, OH they look so sexy after all the shit is cleaned off.
Cool thing is the manifolds to make removal easy without undoing the exhaust bolts constantly and rooting them. Planning to use bolts and not studs... coment? with antisize obviously.
Stainless steel bolts? I am thinking not but want to, stainless and aluminium not a good mix. What you say?
Not installed permantly just a test fit, thinking about exhaust wrap where the chambers go past the oil tank etc... loads of heat.. good idea?
Stainless fasteners into aluminium: two problems, galvanic corrosion and also the fact that stainless is approx 1/3 the strength of high tensile steel. Galvanic corrosion: you're setting up a shitty battery between aluminium, air, and stainless steel. Everything alloy will go powdery, albeit slowly. This will happen even at room temperature, once the engine is warmed up it'll move faster.
If you're after durability plus the ability to get it all apart again down the road then probably the best way to go is standard header studs (ie high tensile passivated) and the weird copper / bronze alloy head fastener nuts I've seen a few bikes using lately. Alternately if you want cap screw bolts then BZP high tensile will work for a while if you accept that they'll want changing every now and again for the sake of an acceptable light grey finish. The zinc coating is sacrificial, the silvery look of fresh zinc on a BZP will last about a week once they start seeing use. These bolts actually shouldn't get too hot since the header manifold attachments bolt flat to the head and so get the benefit of contact with the bike's water cooling system.
Pipe wrap: fuck no. Please? I've no direct experience with the stuff but everything I've read says it looks awesome after install but everything underneath it rots toot sweet. Something about trapping moisture, including humidity even on a dry day... plus I strongly suspect that there's something galvanic going on at high temperatures as well.
Is some kind of ceramic paint acceptable for the headers? Or is allowing oxidation OK?
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