Painting Headers
 

Just bought a set of black Screamin Eagle slip on's for my Fat Bob. The headers and Shields are still chrome. Whats the best way to blacken them? High heat paint, powder coat, other method?????

ceramic coating is the only thing thatll be long term effective.

I've never used a BLACK ceramic but I've had good experience with Jet Hot as a coating company. Really durable and looks pretty good. I had the bright silver.

The hard part is gonna be getting the head pipes and mufflers to match. Probably have to have them all recoated at the same time. Maybe contact HD CVO and see if they will coat the headpipes and shields to match their SE mufflers.

+1 on Jet Hot coating. Others will tell you stories about paint and powder coating, long term Jet Hot is the only thing that will stay on the pipes and will not discolor.

http://www.jet-hot.com/

That requires removing the parts and sending them away. I would be off the bike for a few weeks. Not gonna happen.

How about a high heat paint like a BBQ paint? We have a paint shop at work. What product would you buy to have my guy paint them?

Jet hot, high temp powder, cerakote

Mine get dinged/scraped too often to mess with fancy ceramics or PC. I've been using the Rustoleum BBQ high temp paint. The flat dries fast and lasts pretty well. The gloss has to bake in a few rides before it quits getting sticky when hot.

I don't know how well any paint will do on straight chrome. I roughed mine with a sand blaster before painting. You'll need some way of roughing the pipe for any paint to stick.

Definitely need to thouroughly clean and rough up the chrome.

Any paint recommended for headers would work OK. Dupli-color and VHT are widely available at most local auto parts stores. BBQ/stove paint would also work but probably only available in flat black.
Cerakote is awesome but has to be baked. Unless you've got a damn big oven that's out.

The heat shields wouldn't need the really high temp stuff. Regular engine paint or caliper paint would be OK on those. I think...

What ever you do the pipes are coming off the bike, that is a given. Check their website and find a local guy. I have a guy that is sort of on my way home from work. He did the entire exhaust system on my Road Glide, dropped it off on a Tuesday and picked it up Friday. He also did the pipe on my Flathead, same turnaround time. Anything else you do, you will be taking the pipes off once a year to re-coat or touch up. I have done the BBQ paint on old chrome pipes, roughed up the chrome etc. You are constantly chasing it as it peels and flakes. This is my wisdom for the morning that I pass along.