Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Exhaust headers

It would appear as if the headers on my '70 4/4 Kent Crossflow engine were at one time chrome plated. They appear to be a 300 series stainless of some sort since they are not magnetic. They are completely discolored. I'd like to blast clean them and then paint them a satin black of some sort using hi temp paint. They will certainly look better than they do now. If in fact they were chromed originally I might just bite the bullet and try to find a shop to re-chrome if the price was right although they would discolor again I suppose. Can anyone verify if these were usually chrome or were they black?

I can't imagine Mr Morgan flashing the cash for chrome.

I very much doubt if it's chome applied on to stainless steel.

Stainless manifolds stain, particularly in the area closest to the cylinder head where the exhaust gasses are hottest.

You could try polishing it out or simply admire life's chemistry and metallurgy at work! If it works, why worry?

Thanks for the input. I think I'll just clean them and let it go at that.
Mark

I just use rattle can exhaust paint. When they get unsightly, wire brush them and paint them again. Not sure but these headers are hard to find. Try to keep them from rusting.

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Seattle

If they are stainless, why not try using a fine abrasive paper on a small section and see what happens. I recently had some s/s manifold pipes to clean up, and tried this, which worked fine, but I wanted a highly polished finish, as they are on show, so took them to a local exhaust fabricator who polished them on his wheel, they looked a treat too, but a couple of thousand miles down the road, they are right back to where they were before. I've come to the conclusion that you either just leave them or wrap them.

The heat they have to cope with means they will keep on becoming blue/straw coloured.
When tempering steel these are the colours blacksmiths etc used to look for before quenching, indicating the correct temperature.
Some high temp paint might work but I am not sure of its durability.