| Author | Message | ||
     Mikef5000 |
So I'm thinking.... I want to take my Uly off the beaten path, which means the potential for bottoming out exists. Touratech makes (made?) a bash plate... but is that really necessary, since the muffler is actually a jack point? I say no. BUT, the stupid factory muffler rusts. I can paint it / POR15 it / Powder Coat it, but any coating is only good if it's in tact, and any one of those is going to scratch right through to the metal if I drag the muffler over a rock or curb. So here's my thought... in my ever going search to be cheap, I've decided that I could: 1) Sand and POR15 the factory muffler, for rust elimination and prevention. Then 2) Wrap the muffler in a sheet of Stainless Steel! To prevent scratching and rusting! Something like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Stainless-Steel-Sheet-Metal-CU STOM-KITCHEN-BACKSPLASH_W0QQitemZ190377419402QQcmd ZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c5360e2 8a or this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Mirror-Finished-Stainless-Stee l-Sheet-029-x-20-x-25_W0QQitemZ360201863075QQcmdZV iewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53ddb43fa3 Is there enough play in the muffler straps to add .029" all the way around? If not, isn't there some sort of marine clamp that will work? I would run it all the way to the front, with a cutout for the header, and then most likely end it at the rear of the back clamp. Thoughts? | ||
| Hughlysses |
I think it's certainly worth trying, and I'd bet there's enough play in the clamps to accommodate it. I'd also apply a bead of high temp red silicone RTV at each end of the muffler and at the seam in your stainless wrapper to try to keep moisture out. If moisture gets in between the wrapper and the muffler, you may make things MUCH worse. (Message edited by Hughlysses on March 09, 2010) | ||
| Towpro |
Will The 2 different types of metal in contact with each other start an electrolysis processes and rot out the inner piece of steel? | ||
| Od_cleaver |
Maybe you need to add a sacrificial anode to your design. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrificial_anode | ||
| Jphish |
and drill some holes in the botom of the SS 'wrap' so when water does get in...it can drain out. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Good thinking! I was considering sealing it so water couldn't get in, but wasn't sure what to use... red RTV it is! I didn't think the two metals would have an effect on each other if I applied a liberal coat of pain to the inner metal. Heck, I could even apply a coat to the inner side of the sleeve as well if it may help anything. And the holes are a good idea too! Not big enough for anything to scratch the muffler, just big enough to let water out! | ||
| Ghostrider |
You definitely don't need a bash plate. When the Uly was introduced, Erik came and gave a generous talk on it at the Riding The Rockies event and he said that they specifically designed the Uly muffler to be the bash plate. You don't need anything else. Now, cosmetically, if you aren't keen on it getting scratched up, that's another matter. I'd say, bash it up, then later clean it up and repaint it. Then, maybe bash it up some more. Repeat. Paint is cheap. | ||
| Motorbike |
Mike, I was thinking of doing something very similar with my XT even though I will never drive it off road, maybe never even on gravel. Great minds think alike! I was only planning to wrap the stainless sheet around the bottom and stop about half way up the sides. I then considered the fact that a little water will always get between the muffler and the protective sheet, even with drain holes. I opted to just paint my muffler every 2 years or so for now. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Now, cosmetically, if you aren't keen on it getting scratched up, that's another matter. I'd say, bash it up, then later clean it up and repaint it. I don't care about getting it scratched up, as long as that scratch doesn't turn into a big rust spot in a matter of days, which it would with the factory metal. It'd be a once or twice a year thing to clean it up and repaint it, and I have better things to do with my time. | ||
| Paralegalpete |
I don't think it's possible to keep the moisture from getting in between the two metals and when it does, it will accelerate the corrosion. You may be able to seal it with silicone for a while but sooner or later water will get in. | ||
| Ghostrider |
It's things like this that make me happy to live in a dry climate. | ||
| Ulynut |
Since the muffler gets hot, any water that gets between the sheet metal and muffler will just evaporate and steam off wouldn't it?  Besides, that sheet rubbing against the vibrating muffler would most likely rub through the paint and expose bare metal anyway. (Message edited by ulynut on March 09, 2010) | ||
| Blake |
You are wanting to protect pain on the bottom of your muffler? I'd just repaint as needed. | ||
| Buewulf |
Water will get in, even if it is sealed. The plating will cool faster than the rest of the muffler causing issues with condensation as well between the metals. I wouldn't do it. | ||
| Buewulf |
Plus if the rate of expansion varies too much between the two metals, it will break the seal anyway. | ||
| Blk_uly |
dissimilar metal electrolysis shouldn't be a problem. They are both iron based materials. Besides, the factory mounting straps are stainless anyway. The heat will dry up any wetness in short order for sure! | ||
| Xbeau12s |
The Buell OEM Race muffler wasn't prone to as much rust as the stocker. I agree with just painting it. What about powder coating? There has got to be some different paint that sticks better and is kind of like an armor for the external surface of your muffler. It's just a high maintenance part of the bike. | ||
| Motorbike |
Mike, if you do wrap your muffler with stainless, please post some pics. Judging by the pics of other mods you have done, it will be done right. Thanks. | ||
| Ulynut |
I wonder if brush-on pickup truck bedliner would work on the bottom of the muffler. | ||
| Pnw_uly |
I wonder if brush-on pickup truck bedliner would work on the bottom of the muffler. Wondered the same thing back last summer when I picked up my Uly - - consensus is that the Herculiner / Rhino / Line-X not up to task with the heat produced... I can tell you that I put a coat of Line-X on the header cover from the Rider Comfort Kit and it "melted" off within a hundred miles. Granted the muffler is farther from the heat source, but it would probably need to be a high-temp variant (which would be kind of hard to do since the particulates are rubber...) Paul | ||
| Oldwesterncowboy |
could you just paint it with paint made for wood burning stoves.  | ||
| Hootowl |
apply jasco metal primer to the rusty spots and repaint. It'll never rust in those spots again. | ||
| Buewulf |
Hootowl, can you apply the jasco right over the rust like POR15, or do you need to strip and prep the pipe first? | ||
| Mikef5000 |
What about powder coating? There has got to be some different paint that sticks better and is kind of like an armor for the external surface of your muffler. and... could you just paint it with paint made for wood burning stoves. Finding a paint or coating that works isn't the problem... the problem is no paint or coating is going to hold up to hitting rocks/curbs/whatever else I go over. |
