Keeping stainless beautiful?

[Bailey28]

Hey,

I put on a full Muzzy system back in June. I love it, but after going from silver to blue/purple at the head area to a gold color everywhere else, I've noticed small rust "dots" on it, just where the headpipe bends by the water pump and also by the shock area. What can I use to reverse this, and keep it from happening? I like the colors, ? but don't want the pipe to rust away. I was thinking along the lines of never dull, or brasso, but dont want to eat the metal. Brasso seems especially harsh.

[Sundog]

I have not seen it done on exhaust pipes, but in the water industry SS pipes need to be routinely passivated. This is achieved mostly by acid (nitric I believe), some use chelating agents but that is nasty crap.

[aspencop129]

Use the never dulll or another type of wadding polish. It's just light surface rust that you'll lightly polish off. ?

[slide]

In another forum, I read some folks saying that non-abrasive cleanser such as 'Bar Tenders Friend' or 'Bon Ami' are perfect for this as they won't dull the SS. I've not tried either.

[10yeareer]

My Big Gun stainless pipe came with instructions to use Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish.

[tom slick]

it looks best covered in mud. stop polishing and try riding, it's much more fun, and you look better riding the bike then you do hunched over beside it with a towel ?

just a friendly flame, don't take it personal ?

[prairiedawg]

I've had SS on a lot of street machines they all come out weird looking for a bike that's used in the dirt I'd leave it a bit muddy looking and not worry about it. It's a dirtbike not a showdog. prairiedawg ?

[Bailey28]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll try the never dull or the Mothers. yeah, its a dirt bike and gets ridden hard, but it gets washed after every ride and goes in the garage "sparkly clean". I was more concerned about preventing the rust on the pipe than preserving the looks (color) of it. ?

[Hill_Pig]

I asked this same question a while ago. Burned said to use WD-40 and brillo type sponge on it. I did this and it cleaned up very well. I had a couple of really tough spots to get off (one where my glove fell on it while hot, leaving a nasty burn mark) and I used an extremely fine steel wool with the WD-40. It really came out nice, all of the spots are gone and it did not lose much color.

I wiped it down really well as it was pointed out that the steel wool residual will cause rusting if left behind. Re-installed it, wiped it with a little rubbing alcohol / rag afterwards and it looks hot. Its been about two months now and the finish still looks like new.

[sahkomies]

This is achieved mostly by acid (nitric I believe), some use chelating agents but that is nasty crap.

I used to work in stainless steel melt shop and I remember my collagues from cold rolling mill were talking about mix with nitric and phosphorous acid. They called that process "pickling", "peittaus" in Finnish.