Painted Exhuast - CEG Archives

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I searched the forums, and can't believe that I can't find anything about painted exhuast. I know they sell high heat (500 degrees) engine spray paint, and I was wondering if it would be okay to paint my exhuast. Are there any pros or cons to doing so? I bought a 1999 SVT exhaust with around 75,000 miles and it has almost like a dusting of surface rust. I would like to sand off the rust and hit it with a can or two of gray or gunmetal color spray paint. I know that exhuast systems rust from the inside out... so it may not help that aspect of it, but for looks... if someone ever crawled under my car!

I cleaned up part of my exhaust and painted when I removed my resonator on my stock exhaust. I used the 1200 degree header spray paint. It worked decently well on the clamps I used when I put the pipe in. It all remained fairly rust free through one winter. Then I got my Trubendz kit. lol. I used the same paint on the trubendz welds though.

If the pipe is already rusted you probably can't do much for it. If you paint on the rust, it will come off. You would have to scuff to bare metal then paint.

If you do go for it, I would apply a few layers. I think I did ~3-4. I left my exhaust behind our coal stove to cure.

EDIT:

Found my pic floating around online of the end of the exhaust.

I don't think I have any pictures of it pulled off. But I know 2 years later there is still paint on it. Some of the rust came back from underneath because as I mentioned you would have to competely strip to bare metal and I didn't.

I have a container of POR 20 exhaust paint. Good for 1400. Should last longer than that other junk.

https://harleysporhouse.com/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=06bc7da1f618662e89f0f902729170a9

The SVT exhaust I bought has very very little rust... just a tiny bit of surface rust dust. I definently would sand it off to bare metal. Just was making sure it wouldn't hurt anything to paint it!

...it would take so long to grind down the rust on an exhaust system it wouldent be worth it, not to mention if the exhaust is already rusting then you might go right through the pipe.

Originally posted by Tourige:
...it would take so long to grind down the rust on an exhaust system it wouldent be worth it, not to mention if the exhaust is already rusting then you might go right through the pipe.

Thanks for the advice. I probally won't paint it because I just want to put it on my car.

Originally posted by JReebs96sport:

Originally posted by Tourige:
...it would take so long to grind down the rust on an exhaust system it wouldent be worth it, not to mention if the exhaust is already rusting then you might go right through the pipe.

Thanks for the advice. I probally won't paint it because I just want to put it on my car.

good idea.

Originally posted by Tourige:

Originally posted by JReebs96sport:

Originally posted by Tourige:
...it would take so long to grind down the rust on an exhaust system it wouldent be worth it, not to mention if the exhaust is already rusting then you might go right through the pipe.

Thanks for the advice. I probally won't paint it because I just want to put it on my car.

good idea.

Funny, I was under the impression that the SVT exhaust was stainless steel. In which case, rust should not be a problem.

Originally posted by Phil Rohtla:
Funny, I was under the impression that the SVT exhaust was stainless steel. In which case, rust should not be a problem.

I think the inside is stainless, or something, i dunno, mine rusted too..

I coated my y-pipe after I wrapped it. I used 2000 deg Thermo-Tec coating... from Summit. I wasn't concerned about rust.. only heat, so I stopped there. I didn't do any of the cat pipe because I was concerned that the cat would overheat.

I painted my exhaust about 3 years ago. It has held up well. It has about 15% surface rust showing currently. Mainly on the tail section.
I wrapped from the collectors to the flex-pipe and that has held up very well.

Here is a picture from 3+ years ago.

Originally posted by Phil Rohtla:
Funny, I was under the impression that the SVT exhaust was stainless steel. In which case, rust should not be a problem.

It is stainless, but there are several grades of stainless. It is one of the lesser grades. Even so it holds up much better than aluminized steel.

Originally posted by Tourige:
...it would take so long to grind down the rust on an exhaust system it wouldent be worth it, not to mention if the exhaust is already rusting then you might go right through the pipe.

Or you could use this stuff and just paint over the rust: Rust Bullet

I'm not sure of the safe temperature range though... How hot does an exhaust get?

I heard it was about 800-600 at the manifold and then about 500-400 throughout. Those numbers seem a bit high though. I would think towards the tailend of things the exhaust would have dissipated heat a little quicker then that. Not sure about the manifolds isn't the combustion chamber at like 1200 degrees F or higher?

Painted more exhaust systems than I can remember, as long as you prep it, and use an appropriate heat level you'll be fine. I found the 500 degree engine enamel worked ok near the tail pipes, use the higher temp stuff (as someone already suggested) nearer the engine. Unless you're in rustville and the system is ancient you can prep/sand it without going through the pipes.....