Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Polishing Headers

Beautiful work.

I'm about to embark on some polishing. I agree that a bit of bluing or colour change is a nice patina, but dulling and oxidisation less so, but hey, that's just personal taste.

I have seen videos of people using fine grade sand paper (wet'n'dry) or even steel wool, and then finishing off with a buffer machine. This is the process I intend to adopt unless anyone tells me that the steel wool is a terrible idea. Using something that abrasive does feel a little counterintuitive.

I do mine on the car with grey Scotchbrite lubricated with Autosol, and then final polish with Autosol Done every time I wash the car which keeps on top of it.

I did not mind the bluing of the pipes when it got hot after driving it a few hundred miles but what upset me was the fact that the bluing was not in the normal progression starting from the hottest point and fading to stainless further back on the head pipes. This was caused by some ham handed transportation grabbing the cold pipes with dirty/oily hands and then starting the engine and baking in the weird patterns of blue; no respect at all for a nicely built little hot rod.

I tried polishing the pipes to be able to start over on the bluing process but it did not work and came out a dull finish. I would have had to remove the head pipes completely, have them professionally buffed and pray I got them back in place without touching them to then be able to start the blue process all over again. PITA. I wrapped the pipes and did not waste anymore time again.

I attempted to keep up with the stock stainless but to no avail. One of my headers cracked off at the engine end so I acquired the black headers as a replacement. I only replaced one side just to see. After a good amount of time they are now the same ugly black! These pipes get too hot! With over 55,000 miles to my name I just figured out that it was too much trouble and work to have my Blau Beastie perfect. It's a drivers car. Not a collectible. Otherwise I would be cleaning the wire wheels with a toothbrush but my life is too short for that nonsense.

The method of polishing up the headers that worked for me was a mechanised version of Rog Gs idea. The scotchbrite pad is held by hand on an orbital sander, the one that oscillates back and forth, and as RogGs lubricated with Mothers or Autosol, A minute or 2 the scotcth
brite pad is replace with a piece of carpet and another minute does it.

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I have been using Autosol Bluing Remover followed by using ordinary metal polish for several years and the pipes are bright and shiny like new. However, it is less work doing it more often than once a year. The part of the pipes (5-10cm) close to the engine must be polished using sandpaper (first 600, then 1200) followed by sandingpaste using a Dremel. I assume that is related to pollution in the steel combined with the heat. Rather time-consuming. I enjoy spending time alone in the garage doing it... If you don't enjoy it, don´t do it - too time-consuming. But it is possible, and I have not experienced any damage.

I went with ceramic coating on the headers and called it quits.
http://www.tm-img.com/image/3R1Kw

Any problems with chipping or cracks?

They certainly look good.

I have a few thousand miles on them with no issue. They really emphasized the curing process which was an hour at low heat, ie idle, but all good.