DC Sports Stainless steel Header problems

blueaccord19 · #1 01-09-2005, 02:54 PM

ok, i just bought a DC Sports stainless steel header and put it on yesterday. i went a few places and only have a couple hours on the header so far. I popped the hood to clean my engine out today and noticed that my $500 header had turned a gold color, im guesing obviously from the heat. I wanted to know if there is anything i can do to prevent this or to get it back stainless silver? Would a stainless steel cleaner work? I appreciate any help anyone can give me who has had the same problem. Thanks.

goinbig · #2 01-09-2005, 03:33 PM

There's some stuff (can't remmeber the name) that will take it off. There's really no way to prevent it though, without buying one with a different finish...just don't get chrome...it will be worse.

Go to a Harley dealership (or any motorcycle shop) and ask if they have anything. They do for chrome, but I'm not sure about stainless.

goinbig · #3 01-09-2005, 03:34 PM

Oh, one more thing. Cleaning it will work, until it gets hot again. Then it will change colors again right away.

I would just leave it alone. It's perfectly normal

95RSV · #4 01-09-2005, 03:56 PM

woosh!! I actually thought I was the only one with this problem.

Blue Accord.. Did you change your header gasket or kept your stock one on?

knorwj · #5 01-09-2005, 06:15 PM

umm thats exactly what a stainless steel header is supposed to do. it gets the golden/bluish tint from heat. I think it looks nice. if you didn't want it to happen you should have gotten a ceramic coated header instead.

blueaccord19 · #6 01-10-2005, 12:27 PM

well i gotta say the silver stainless color it has when u first get it looks a lot better than gold and really i just wanted to get it back to color for shows and stuff. its no big deal, its still a dc sports stainless header, and i got stainless steel cuz ceramic cracks and rusts. But ill keep lookin for something to clean it, thanks for the help.

Civic_D16Y5 · #7 01-11-2005, 12:07 AM

i was watching a video where this guys truck was on the dyno and his headers turn redhot while in the high rpms, im like holy shit

knorwj · #8 01-11-2005, 01:57 PM

problem with the stainless is that every time you even start your engine it will turn back to that color, thats what stainless does. It is gonna take an assload of work to make them and keep them shiny. You will probly have to use an abrasive to get down to fresh metal and then use a polish to get them to shine again. for practical applications stainless is great because it won't rust or anything like a normal steel header will, but in my honest opinion it does not suit show cars unless they are trailer queens. unless of course you like the coloration that appears which alot of people do.

As far as the ceramic coated ones well you are correct companies usually skimp on that end of the process, so unless you get a really good namebrand or take some time to ensure they are quality yourself they will probly do just as you said. When i put headers on my friends 72 ford we just bought the cheapest ones possible and sanded them down and re-ceramiccoated them ourselves then baked them in a kiln used for pottery and stuff. (could also use a higher temperature setting on an oven) Anyway those have been on for 2 years and still look as good as the day we installed them.

something i might try is polish the header without getting rid of the tint. just get some shine and i bet it looks pretty bad ass with the bluish gold coloration.

goinbig · #9 01-11-2005, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knorwj

(could also use a higher temperature setting on an oven) Anyway those have been on for 2 years and still look as good as the day we installed them

Oven probably would not work. A kiln gets up to something like 3000* or more. An oven might hit 550 if your lucky. That is a very good idea though.

knorwj · #10 01-11-2005, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goinbig

Oven probably would not work. A kiln gets up to something like 3000* or more. An oven might hit 550 if your lucky. That is a very good idea though.

I think most kiln's only go up to about 1800 degrees. My family used to make ceramics a long time ago. and we still have a few kilns kicking around my folk's place.

Some oven's have a self cleaning setting. usually it locks the door and you select clean or whatever, I think it gets much hotter than 550 when in this mode because it burns off all the crap inside, I can't remember for sure but 1500 degrees rings a bell for my kenmore when its doing the cleaning thing..... however even if it did get hot enough I doubt most people have a oven big enough for a header... well maybe if you do the Y-pipe seperately.

hontoy · #11 01-12-2005, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueaccord19

ok, i just bought a DC Sports stainless steel header and put it on yesterday. i went a few places and only have a couple hours on the header so far. I popped the hood to clean my engine out today and noticed that my $500 header had turned a gold color, im guesing obviously from the heat. I wanted to know if there is anything i can do to prevent this or to get it back stainless silver? Would a stainless steel cleaner work? I appreciate any help anyone can give me who has had the same problem. Thanks.

DUDE..THEY ALREADY SAID IN PRELUDE FORUM..THATS NORMAL AND THERES NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

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