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Hi guys! I'm looking to heat wrap my '09 Nightster's stock pipes in black. Having read through a few of the threads i think i have a good idea.
Take the pipes off and take the heat shields off. Do i need to put these shilds back on? Won't it look silly them being crome?
Soak the wrap and start from the back to the front.
Over lap and use ties, use jubilee clips at end to secure it.
Overlap 1/4 inch ish.
Burn ends to stop fraying
Spray with a heat protecting spray and leave to dry! (Black is preferable!)
My question however, if i take off the pipes, someone mentioned that i should buy new manifolds to replace the ones taken out as they'll be in a bad state. Is this true?
Im excited to try but dont want to f*** up! Cheers guys!
Don't worry about manifolds, and no need to burn the ends, just tuck them well and tie the ties tight on each end. Everything else there is spot on.
You don't need to put the shields back on. The wrap now does what they did.
You will get a ton of smoke and an awful smell out from the wrap for the first few rides, but that is normal and nothing to worry about.
I found that two stainless steel cable ties on each end finished the wrap off nicely. An extra pair or hands to hold the pipes while you wrap is a good idea.
also, buy the best quality wrap you can afford. There is quite a difference in the quality of products available.
If it costs more for black than the normal grey/white save your money and buy the grey and paint it black. My brother bought black wrap from K&N and paid alot for it and half of the black came off in the water as it soaked and after about a month it was all grey white. So he had to spray it with high temp black paint anyway.
Everything you said sounds right. I used 2 stainless pipe clamps on each end instead of the crappy ties they provided in the kit. I went with DEI and got the black kit with the high temp silicone spray. About 1000 miles on em and still nice and black. Just coat them well, I did 3 or 4 pretty heavy coats.
Another tip is to tie the end of the wrap to a post (garage door tracks work perfect) and pull it as tight as you can while wrapping. I did mine with no help, and it wasn't bad at all. Just take your time. Also helps to end the wrap on the inside edge of the pipe so it's not visible. Good luck, and don't forget to post up some pics!
Also, don't forget to start your wrap at the end of the exhaust. that way the edges won't catch dirt, bugs and crap. Forum member skinless and me have done 2 sets.
Last edited by Robbie13; Jun 11, 2012 at 05:27 PM.
Well I think U did as a lot of NEWBIEs do U didn't re-read Ur post..
did U mean manifold GASKETS... Yes U need to replace them.....and from what I've read in here for Yr U need to overlap 1/2 of the previous wrap to look good..
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