[Boog]

Well, many of you know that Brahma had a heart transplant this January. The Viking exhaust system I put on awhile back has unprotected headers and I have burned quite a few holes in my pants. Well, since my old tune was lean and discolored the chrome horribly, and my mistreatment of the bike in general by keeping it outside all its life, the headers are also now rusting. So, to cover my lack of care and to protect my pants, I wrapped the headers today.

Disclaimer: this is my first attempt and I believe I will redo this wrap later with a titanium wrap vice this painful fiberglass wrap. The Hi-Temp Silicone coating that came with the kit is white, not the color I want.
Also, I did not take the pipes off the bike before wrapping. This would make for an easier wrap but added wrench time.

The outside temp is around 45°F, Pretty Pillion was going to help but I told her to stay inside for the temp and because I didn't want her to handle the fiberglass wrap. Even using gloves, I got fiber stuck in my hands, no fun.

To start with, the three bikes in the front of the house.

The close up shows the corrosion on the ceramic coated chrome.

I started as low on the back pipe as I could go.

I had six inches left over after the first wrap.

The metal bands are a bit fiddly.

The middle pipe is done but I should have started by overlapping the back tube first. By doing it as in the photo, I found I had a gap later on.

For the long wrap, I started just above the O2 sensor on the collector. I thought I could keep the long wrap tidy by looping it this way. That did not last long.

Keeping the wrap tight is a constant battle. Each turn needs to be a quarter inch overlap.

 

[Boog]

Nearing the hard part.

The long wrap had no waste. The two pieces here are cut of the first two pipes.

I see the top bend on the forward pipe is not correctly overlapped, must have slipped.

Bringing the pipes up to temperature to cure the wrap.

It smoked and stunk for about ten minutes.

After the smelled wore off, I rode down by the river. The pipes indeed are less hot with the wrap.

I may not keep this wrap on. I did order the correct color of coating, but I may reorder a titanium wrap or one that does not require a coating. If I do the coating, i will need to take the header off of the bike to do it right.

Let me know of any thing I can do better next time.

 

[lesblank]

Wrap is challenging to get on tight and look right. Overall you did a pretty good job and if cooler on leg it's doing it's job. All the exhaust wrap I've done was on automotive headers and off the car was really about the only way to do it.

 

[GARider]

@Boog the last picture in front of the water look good.

 

[Boog]

The temperature was above 60°F when I got home yesterday so I decided to coat the wrappings. This nut was a bear to get to and take off.

Time was against me as the sun was setting. I thought I could simply loosen the lower collector band that hold the crossover pipe and then rotate the headers away from the engine. The rotation did not happen. That means the backside of the wraps are not getting coated.

Evidently one has to use a little muscle to realign the holes witht he studs on reassymbly.

All buttoned up

After the burn off.