| Author | Message | ||
     Ducbsa |
I got my 12S new in 2007 and have rattlecan painted the muffler twice since then. The recent "what did we do today" post shows an aftermarket muffler rusting through and it makes me wonder how long I can keep my muffler going. I searched in the KV and here for "muffler life" without success. I assume some of you hi-mile guys have stock mufflers, what maintenance steps are you taking? No short trips and repainting should help. | ||
| Mmcn49 |
In the “Good Old Days” when we had real leaded gasoline mufflers tended to rust out both internally and externally. For whatever reason internal muffler corrosion has diminished greatly with todays’ so called gasoline. I own two Buell TT’s. Every winter I cleaned and “brush” painted both mufflers. A couple years ago I had one of the mufflers ceramic coated. The other muffler I continue to paint. NAPA Auto Parts markets and sells an excellent heat resistant muffler and header paint. I can’t think of its name but that is the stuff to paint your muffler with. | ||
| Froggy |
45k miles on my 08 Ulysses, the stock muffler looks like it was stolen from the Titanic, I've never painted it or done anything do it. It still works fine, I'll deal with it should it ever eventually rust out. | ||
| Mmcn49 |
I live in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. I ride year round and commute daily into Seattle via Ferry. It does get down to freezing and sometimes snows but not often. On cold days when the roads are frosty they spray with deicer. I’ve found that the top of the muffler where the header pipe goes in rusts up pretty good. Also any rock chips on the bottom of the muffler also rust. Since using the paint I mentioned earlier the amount of rust has decreased. | ||
| Jstav2012 |
I used this, has stayed pretty good for about 3 years, but could use a touch up: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/VHT-P aints-Flat-black-FlameProof-extreme-high-temperatu re-coating/_/N-25gw?itemIdentifier=509746_0_0_ | ||
| Griffmeister |
22K on my 08 and repainted twice. Still it has rust through around the edge of the outlet pipe. Probably a victim of the liquid salt they use around here as a pretreatment when the weather approaches freezing temps. That's okay, I'm almost finished modifying another stock muffler that I'm going to have powder coated. Won't work on headers but I've seen it done on mufflers before. They run just cool enough to survive. | ||
| Ducbsa |
BMW /5 mufflers had a low point where a 1/8" drill hole would let the condensed water drain and not rust out from the inside. I did that on my second set.  I wonder if an XB muffler has a similar spot? I don't mind painting the outside every couple of years, but would like to also fight off internal rusting. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I think the stock cans are pretty thick. If you run it enough so that the condensation evaporates, I doubt that the inside would be a ticking timebomb. | ||
| Ducbsa |
Probably right. The exhaust in my 215k mile Venture van is original with no maintenance at all. | ||
| Fotoguzzi |
is anything wrong with not painting it? I'm OK with the ratty look..  | ||
| Ducbsa |
The ladies are always impressed after I have painted mine.  | ||
| Mmcn49 |
>>>is anything wrong with not painting it? I'm OK with the ratty look.. Depends on how heavy the rust is. Heavy rusting with pitting will rust through sooner or later. Mine got/gets heavily rusted on top where the header goes in. |
