How do I keep chrome looking good?

[Magruder13]

So I got a newer bike, and the pipes still look amazing, I was wondering how I make sure they stay looking good. Right now they are a little dirty, was gonna power wash them with some soap and water, then is there any products I should apply to help keep the chrome shiny and protect it?

thanks!

[the wind]

not a fan of power washing.just keep it clean with mild soap and only clean when pipes are cold.

[92xjunker]

a trick that a custom chopper owner told me was to prevent the header and pipes from turning colors, mostly blue, is to soak the pipes in used motor oil over night, don't remove it from the inside of the pipes, leave the residue, and install, burn it of in cycles. don't really know if it works but, his pipes were all chrome, not a blemish on them.

[ygolohcysp]

a trick that a custom chopper owner told me was to prevent the header and pipes from turning colors, mostly blue, is to soak the pipes in used motor oil over night, don't remove it from the inside of the pipes, leave the residue, and install, burn it of in cycles. don't really know if it works but, his pipes were all chrome, not a blemish on them.

Okay, first off, I've been drinking, so don't quote me on anything. From what I know of metalworking, those colors that show up is due to metal being hardened, and then tempered. Usually, it's stainless steel that does the whole "blueing" thing, as far as shiny metals go. With typical carbon steel, when you harden it, it's brittle. It's super hard, but will break or shatter easily. When you start tempering it, the steel will turn first blue, and eventually go to brown and tan. Files, super hard for shaving other steel, but able to shatter, are typically tempered to blue. Knife blades, needing to not shatter, are tempered to brown/tan.

On the other hand, hardening is typically done by quenching steel in cool water. When it's done instead with oil, typically something like lindseed oil, then you can produce more of a spring temper. I am unsure if that's due to the cooling properties of oil .vs water (it definitely is, at least to a degree), or the chemical makeup of the oil. So, soaking in used motor oil could provide a degree of either chemical makeup and or cooling properties (steel is more porous than you'd think, the oil will soak in) that would prevent a complete hardening, much like hardening a spring that does not get tempered later.

Just for extra useless info, to harden typical metal, you quench in cool water, until the steel is cool. To harden a spring in oil, you quench in the oil, bringing the hot metal up to the air to test the temp. If it's hot enough that the oil bursts into flames, you quench it more. When it finally doesn't burst into flames, you let it air cool more slowly the rest of the way.

So, I neither confirm, nor deny this myth, based off of not knowing if chrome actually turns colors, and from drinking.

Ha ha, you read all this!

:-p

[92xjunker]

we got it...so It might work based on what your saying

[Kreylyn]

Okay, first off, I've been drinking, so don't quote me on anything. From what I know of metalworking, those colors that show up is due to metal being hardened, and then tempered. Usually, it's stainless steel that does the whole "blueing" thing, as far as shiny metals go. With typical carbon steel, when you harden it, it's brittle. It's super hard, but will break or shatter easily. When you start tempering it, the steel will turn first blue, and eventually go to brown and tan. Files, super hard for shaving other steel, but able to shatter, are typically tempered to blue. Knife blades, needing to not shatter, are tempered to brown/tan.

On the other hand, hardening is typically done by quenching steel in cool water. When it's done instead with oil, typically something like lindseed oil, then you can produce more of a spring temper. I am unsure if that's due to the cooling properties of oil .vs water (it definitely is, at least to a degree), or the chemical makeup of the oil. So, soaking in used motor oil could provide a degree of either chemical makeup and or cooling properties (steel is more porous than you'd think, the oil will soak in) that would prevent a complete hardening, much like hardening a spring that does not get tempered later.

Just for extra useless info, to harden typical metal, you quench in cool water, until the steel is cool. To harden a spring in oil, you quench in the oil, bringing the hot metal up to the air to test the temp. If it's hot enough that the oil bursts into flames, you quench it more. When it finally doesn't burst into flames, you let it air cool more slowly the rest of the way.

So, I neither confirm, nor deny this myth, based off of not knowing if chrome actually turns colors, and from drinking.

Ha ha, you read all this!

:-p

we got it...so It might work based on what your saying

Chrome is used because it does not form oxidization on it hardly at all. This is needed for it to turn colors from heat. When exposed to heat, it takes a lot of heat before the oxidization layer starts to form and discolor it. Aprox. in the 900 degree F. range. Except in extreme circumstances, motorcycle exhaust headers do not get that hot.

The color is very specific to the process of heat forming oxide layers, on steel carbon has to be present for this to occur and it happens at a much lower temp. The layer thickness of the oxide is what determines the color you see. It disperses the light differently based upon that thickness and thus, you see a specific reflected spectrum of light.

In other words... it's the same thing that makes the sky blue. Wave lengths of light reflected at a certain spectrum for you to see that color.

All you have to do with chrome is keep it clean. Stainless steel pipes which are commonly used will very quickly and easily take on color at the headers. Temps on the pipes reach the variant temps easily.




Krey

[steves]

Also never power wash your bike. It'll force water into places it doesn't belong.

[ZukiFred]

I use purple polish myself.

http://www.californiacustom.com/purple_metal_polish.html

[Magruder13]

Wow thanks for all of the replies, but I think you guys either lost focus, or missed my question.
What I wanted to know, is how do I keep the chrome from pitting or rusting. I was told that chrome will react with oxygen and there needs to be a type of "clear coat" over it to protect the chrome. The guy loves to talk out his @$$ so I wanted to verify if that is indeed true. The discoloration I think adds character to the exhaust.

I did learn today that I will not power wash my bike, only use soap and water.

[91_gsx600F katana]

What u need is a sealant that will hold up to the heat. Chrome will rust without a doubt and the best u can do is prevent it. There are some polish's and sealers out there for the car industry that seal polished aluminum and such for lengths of 2 years or more with no oxidation (which aluminum does very fast esp polished aluminum)

I've used "shark hide" to some degree of
Success on engine intakes and heads that don't get above 230*F but its not
Rated to much higher than that like exhaust temps. Another product is "zoops seal" that can be used on engine and wheels, again not sure of exhaust. Also look into ceramic coating polish from Borla and other companies.

You could just get the exhaust coated in ceramic coating and polish it with the above polish and be good as ceramic coating does not rust or oxide.

Before u all say chrome doesn't rust I know! I'm referring to the mild steel below it that rusts causing the chrome plating to fail. Just throwing that out there.

Seems like using an oil I some kind is the general thing to
Do for storage.

[Kreylyn]

Wow thanks for all of the replies, but I think you guys either lost focus, or missed my question.
What I wanted to know, is how do I keep the chrome from pitting or rusting.

The answer was there...

Chrome is used because it does not form oxidization on it hardly at all. ...

All you have to do with chrome is keep it clean. ...

Most any chrome polish will include a water proofing/beading product that will help water to roll off and not stay/spot on the chrome. This also helps to keep it clean.

Clean chrome won't pit/rust exposed to air. Acids from road grime, skin oils, and so on are what will cause the chrome layer to break down and allow the oxidization process to occur under it... causing the pitting your wanting to avoid.

There are hundreds of products out there that will claim to work better... almost all of them include the step that really works. Cleaning it.

Krey

[Mrclean81]

Look up a product called Opti Coat 2.0. Its a semi permenant coating for most exterior surfaces, including exhaust. Its very popular in the professional detailing world, and its exactly what your looking for. It will withstand the temps of your exhaust, and will protect it like nothing else on the market. Look it up and read the reviews. The stuff is awesome.