Exhaust rusting from the inside?

[chippi]

I'm sure this is not a new question for alot of you but....
Why does it look like my pipes are rusting/bluing from the inside?
I so loved the golden color when I got the bike and tried hard to keep the pipes clean and polished but I lost somewere.
Please take a look and tell me if there is anything I can do to stop it from getting worse. Engine or exhaust no mods.....yet

My first atempt at posting pics if this works I'll put up more of the bike  
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=rs05anz.65hsehdn&x=0&y=-40axkd
You DO NOT NEED to sign in find the view without signing in button below the username boxes.

[JV]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but these are stainless headers aren't they?

They won't rust, especially from the inside.

You're discoloration is occuring at the hot spots like you would expect.  

I love the blue color.

Does acetone remove it?

[chippi]

Yes they are Stainless.
No, I have not tried Acetone but a couple of different metal cleaners/polishers.
I wouldn't mind too much of the whole pipe was blue but as they are they just look uncared for

[terrebandit]

Hey,

My headers are doing that too.  It is doing it where the down tubes come together underneath the bike.  Not as noticable as yours, because of where it is, but its still there nonetheless.  I can tell you from experience that no amount of polishing will get that out.  I believe that it is an imperfection in the stainless that is causing this.

[chupacabra]

I've tried to get that clean too but i'ts still there.
Use some fine steel wool and some mothers and make those pipes shine so much you don't look at the stains.  

[tacoman]

Stains are a way of life.  Thats why the high-bling bikes like Harleys use a chrome sleeve that goes over the pipes.  If one pipe is a lot more blue than the others, you may want to check it out.  This could be an overly lean condition.

[chippi]

If one pipe is a lot more blue than the others, you may want to check it out.  This could be an overly lean condition.

The two outside (1&4?) more than the inside. Overly lean? What other signs should I look for to answer this? I'm pretty happy with performance and milage is exeptable to my level of childishness   Mods are forthcoming but (hobbies x toys)-(pocket depth/arm legth) = --$$$  

  But if one of the wise tells me this bluing is something that needs to fixed with XXX then it is easier to justify.

[Red01]

Do you have a slip on? Jet kit?

[chippi]

Engine or exhaust no mods.....yet

Nope nothing yet

[tacoman]

I know on my Gen 1 B6, cyl 1 and 4 are jetted leaner than 2 & 3.  This was probably for emissions and because the inner cyl. are subject to more heat they richen them slightly.  The holeshot kit has you jet cyl 1 & 4 to match 2 & 3, which you may want to do.     [/img]

[B6mick]

I got mine looking new, Removed the system from the bike and polished them up on a stitch cloth mop on my 3/4 horse bench grinder. Now after 10 thousand K's getting that golden tinge back.

[chippi]

Do you have a slip on? Jet kit?

  Going somewhere with this question Paul

I need these RIGHT  

[Red01]

Do you have a slip on? Jet kit?

  Going somewhere with this question Paul

I need these RIGHT  

Right!  

Where I was going is... a slip-on without a jet kit will make an already lean bike even leaner, so if you had a slip-on and no jet kit, I would tell you to add a jet kit. If you had a jet kit, I'd say you were a little lean and should adjust it richer.

If you haven't modified the intake or exhaust and are just suffering from the stock lean condition, you can shim the needles with some washers (#8's, IIRC). Just be sure the washers you use have an OD small enough not to hang up inside the slides. Radio Shack used to be the recommended source for these washers, but it seems their vendor has changed the specs or tolerances on their washers and they sometimes will have too large an OD. They can be filed down, but working with tiny washers and a file is a PIA. It may be easier to find ones that work wthout mods.

[chippi]

Paul, by needles you are refering to #11 here? were do I shim, on top or bottom of the clip?



Blast it what did I do wrong now?
 http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=482144526203&photoid=577333356203 sorry how bout this?

Start with one washer?
What will this do to the bike? Is it worth the trouble, I mean it looks like I'm half way to doing a jet kit.

[Red01]

Paul, by needles you are refering to #11 here? were do I shim, on top or bottom of the clip?

Yes, #11 is the needle. Shim below the E-clip and washer (#9 & 10) that's already there.

Blast it what did I do wrong now?

Your url has to end in .jpg, .tif, .bmp - the picture on that page has an address of:
http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1316/2/56/33/33/77/5/577333356203_0_ALB.jpg

Once you use the right url, the picture will show - provided the site allows it.
As you can see from the X below, Kodak doesn't allow their images to be shared offsite.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.jsp?&collid=482144526203&photoid=577333356203 sorry how bout this?

Start with one washer?
What will this do to the bike? Is it worth the trouble, I mean it looks like I'm half way to doing a jet kit.

Yes, start with one. With all the rest of the carbs left alone, you shouldn't need more than two. 2G's that are otherwise stock are usually good at one, 1G's tend to favor two - but nothing is in stone here. You can shim the needles without taking the carbs off the bike, whereas with a jet kit, you need to take the carbs out and break into the bowls and drill out the EPA plugs. If you're feeling ambitious, you can take the carbs out and remove the EPA plugs and tweak the pilot screws so they're all the same and 2.5 turns out. (It's not uncommon for them to be all over the map.)