Rusty manifolds/headers

[natefz6]

While giving the bike a clean over the weekend I noticed that while most of the bike is looking pretty good for a nearly 9 year old that lives outside, however, the headers look like they are getting pretty tired.

They look a bit like this but with a shiny exhaust;
https://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz201/topcat2006/Fazer%201000/20130104_144405.jpg

Every 6 months or so I give the exhaust a good clean with autosol to bring it up shiney but due to the difficulty in getting in there the tops of the headers and the nuts look pretty rusty.

Am I best to replace them now before it gets worse? Is that likely to open up a can of worms if they are an arse to get out? or am I best to get some wd40 and aluminium foil to clean them up as I have seen suggested elsewhere on the web?

Thanks
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"no I didn't steal it that's just the way I ride"

[Beehive Bedlam]

Unless the gaskets are in need of replacing I would leave them alone.

If you must though proceed with caution giving them plenty of plusgas for a week and hope one doesn't snap.

Saying that they don't look too bad.

[RhynoCZ]

Pretty much what Alison says.

On the other hand, I'd be tempted to get them off and clean and repaint them. Or replace if beyond salvageable. I mean the ''plates'' that hold the headers in the head and the nuts, maybe the ''screw in bits'' as well.

Crap, my English skills fail hard today.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[chris-red]

I'd leave it well alone.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[natefz6]

Mmm ok. I think I will just try cleaning the crap off then and see how they look.

Any recommendations for taking the surface rust off without killing the finish on the exaught?

Thanks all
____________________
"no I didn't steal it that's just the way I ride"

[RhynoCZ]

Sandpaper.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Commuter_Tim]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Is she a keeper? Otherwise the next owner might not even thank you.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[natefz6]

[Billy Balthorpe]

You thought you had problems. This was my Fazer 1000 when I bought it.

https://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x157/Billybalthorpe1/DSC_0734.jpg


I managed to get all of the studs out without shearing them off except one.
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M.O.B. Successfully taking the piss since 2014.

[Billy Balthorpe]

And after id finished with it.

https://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x157/Billybalthorpe1/28-6-15%20b.jpg
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M.O.B. Successfully taking the piss since 2014.

[pompousporcup...]

personally, know the hassle it causes when one snaps, i'd leave them alone as others have said.

that said.. there is something in me that would want to get them off now, replace the studs/nuts/plates and copper slip the shite out of them before they get worse.

[fatjames]

[ScaredyCat]

[Billy Balthorpe]

The best two comments ive heard about this pic were "It looks like its been kept at the bottom of a wet salt mine" and "Ive brought stuff up from the bottom of the North Sea in better nick than that"

The two centre exhaust flanges were rotted completely through and they are 1/4" steel.
I really should have looked more carefully at it when I bought it. I would have come home empty handed if I had. With what it cost and what I spent on it just to get it up to "a bit tatty" standard, I could have got a really nice one.
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M.O.B. Successfully taking the piss since 2014.