| Author | Message | ||
     Sketchy |
so i put a bike cover on my firebolt and apparently the headers were a tad bit to hot and melted some plastic shi* on my headers. Now there is residue on my headers and it smells horrible. I need to somehow remove this stuff. Any ideas? Is there a solvent of sorts that I can spray to remove this gunk? Please note I am on Guam, there is no Advance Auto Parts, PepGuys, WalMart, only Napa and Kmart and half-ass parts stores. This is a HD but Im scared to know what the cost is to clean let alone diagnose. Any helpful insightful minds with experience in this matter? | ||
| Froggy |
Just ride it, it will melt off after a few rides. I had a whole chinspoiler weld itself to my header, it went away after a good day of riding. It was slightly discolored for a little after that, but it eventually evened back out. | ||
| Sketchy |
Thanks man, I was thinking well header tape doesn't sound too bad...  | ||
| Poppinsexz |
Or you can scrape it off with a knife and sand the area | ||
| Slaughter |
I've gotten crap on the headers and used Scotch Brite pats and you can "scratch" in the same direction as the original marks on the pipe. IF it's really thick, you might want to scrape with a razor blade and finish with Scotchbrite. After one or two heat cycles, you won't be able to tell. | ||
| Sketchy |
thanks guys. | ||
| Ericz |
If you still have the 2009, the stock header finish is not the grained finish like the older models have. Scotch Brite or sanding will still remove anything on the headers but the finish in that area will be different than the stock finish. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
And that is a good opportunity to sanding the complete header  | ||
| Slaughter |
Wow - if Eric is telling the truth - that would make cleaing with Scotchbrite a little more like a first stage, you'd have to work it with finer sandpaper then. LOVED the 03 headers, super simple to cleanup with Scotchbrite. | ||
| Ourdee |
I have an 08 XT and used a scotchbrite pad with WD40 on it to clean the headers. | ||
| Arctic9r |
We use a razor blade gently to remove the bulk while using a lubricant to prevent gouging. Then use 0000 gauge steel wool to complete the fine removal of what is left of "said crud" still using a fine mist detailing spray as a lubricant. We do this daily to chrome heatshields on HD's at the dealership and it works everytime. I have removed some pretty thick melted boots from brand new pipes and made them look near perfect again. | ||
| Tiltcylinder |
Easy-off oven cleaner (yellow can) dissolves all kinds of melted and stuck on junk from chrome pipes without harming them. But BEWARE... it eats anodizing, aluminum, powder coating, paint and plastics too. Don't remember it harming steel though. A non-stick safe kitchen scotch-brite pad won't scratch anything up unless you go completely nuts with it. Rinse and dispose of afterward... fail to rinse and you may find your trash can a bit shorter the next day... DAMHIK. | ||
| Blake |
Let it bake and then it comes off too easily. | ||
| Geforce |
0000 Steel Wool will also polish/clean the headers very well. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
My friend was on our city-x and stopped for petrol. He was unfamiliar with tank bag etiquette and unsnapped the back snap, flopping the bag to the front and side instead of unsnapping the front snaps and flopping the tank bag on top of the seat. The side of the bag got scorched by the header. It was no big deal, it burned right off the header and now the tank bag has a little battle scar. |
