Monday I'm taking nine pipes (4 sets of T5s and 1 P.T. lt500) into Modesto Plating to get them nickeled. Vince, the manager, said I'll probably want chroming, because that's what all the ATVers do. I'm sure many of those ATVers knew the difference and wanted chrome (and that's great), but I'm sure some didn't know about the nickel option (that's why I'm writing).

Polished nickel looks like a new quarter or piece of stainless steel, so it's not as bright as chrome. The advantages are that nickel dissipates heat better and wont discolor as bad as chrome, and nickel doesn't rust. Example: 8 1/2 years ago I bought and nickeled some toomeys at the same time my buddy bought and chromed a blaster pipe. We kept both the pipes looking good until about '93 and haven't touched them since. Today the toomeys are purple near the motor (easily buffed out) and the blaster pipe has more rust than chrome (both bikes saw identical pismo usage and storage).

I just wanted to give some people the "heads up" on this so they would know that there's a difference.

Jeff

 

Jeff:

Thanx for the info... I have been thinking about having my T5's Nickle plated for some time.... My first idea was to have them HPC(powdercoated) but they wanted $75.00 a pipe... I hear that Nickle plating is fairly inexpensive... What should I be looking at to have my pipes and stingers plated??

Thanx for the info

walt

 

Just as a little further info re nickel plating.. on pipes, since it does dissipate heat more efficiently as Jeff explained, in doing so nickel tends not to discolor or turn blue from heat as chrome does.
By the way I run a Curtis Sparks pipe & he has all his pipes nickel plated before shipping them.

------------------
THE AZ HARD PACKER, calmiller@kachina.net

save the public land FOR you, not FROM you..join the Blue Ribbon Coalition online @ www.sharetrails.org



[This message has been edited by hot_shoe_cv (edited 11-26-1999).]

 

I would look into the ceramic coating jethot puts on automotive headers and other components. I was told by someone else on here that it isn't as bright as chrome, but lasts forever and requires no maintenance. I hate the nickel coating on my fmf fattys. It rusts and blued quite a bit. I went on jethots website at www.jet-hot.com and they sent me a video and a bunch of info on the coating. I plan on getting it done when I get some cash. I believe it was Dune-it that has it on his, so he could give you more info. I would rather have a dull finish that stays dull instead of a shiny one that rusts all the time.

 

I agree with Tegan. I have fmf's also. They havn't rusted yet, but they blue just like chrome does. They are nickel plated.

 

Maybe FMF has cheap nickel??? The place I go to wants $100 for a pipe and stinger, but they do a beautiful job and it last.

Jeff

 

CT chromed my pipe for $20 and it hasn't rusted or discolored yet.

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Garrett Lowman; CT240 Blaster, YZ490

 

I used the Ceramic coating on the Headers for my truck, and it works great. The heat in the engine compartment was reduced dramatically. It is a grey color, but it never discolors at all. I have a stainless steel pipe on my Quad, and it discolored within the first week.

 

Jeff,
The reason your pipes aren't rusting and only slightly discoloring is because you're forking out $100/per pipe. These guys are right about FMF and these cheap jobs rusting quickly. It's false advertising to even call it nickel.

Fish

 

Jet Hot Jet Hot Jet Hot........

Need I say more? I got the satin silver Jet-Hot coating done to the stock head pipe and super-Trapp exhaust on my Wicked Warrior during its 400cc hi-compression bore stroked crank ported polished head cammed clutched extensive build-up. WOW is right.

The finish is great, its a satin silver, but other colors are available too. Its not discolored at all except slightly just the 1-2" from the head. Mud doesn't stain it, and the motor is suppose to run cooler as heat is exhausted out the back.

Not bad at all for the $65 they charged for a single pipe and all clamps. They even included return shipping and it was done in about a week.

Heapster in Seattle
400cc Wicked Warrior