# Painting muffler



## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

I noticed a few of you guys have mentioned painting your mufflers. Is this worthwhile as does it last or does it just then burn off. If it does last, what paint are you using


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## td5771 (Feb 21, 2011)

I used rustoleum bbq black. the spray works ok but the brush on lasts longer. I have used it on the headers for my car,

The blower in my gallery has a painted muffler.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Get high temp exhaust paint an auto parts store. Should do the trick. Might also be called header paint. Mfd by many different companies. Withstands temps from 1000-2000 degrees. Heck. Wally World might have it as well.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

micah68kj said:


> Get high temp exhaust paint an auto parts store. Should do the trick. Might also be called header paint.


I buy header paint at Fleet Farm. One to watch is silver, seems to need to cook a while before it's set. Till then it will rub off on your hands.

Paul


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## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

Thank you guys. Header paint never hit my thick head.


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## browncliff25 (11 mo ago)

cdestuck said:


> I noticed a few of you guys have mentioned painting your mufflers. Is this worthwhile as does it last or does it just then burn off. If it does last, what paint are you using


it burns off ,


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

FYI 500 degree high heat paint burns off a Honda muffler. I use 2000 degree Rustoleum high heat paint on dozens of mufflers with success.

Half the stuff I learn from homework.
Another half by experience.
Another half by trial and error. 
And the rest from speaking to mechanics that know 10 times more than me. 

so that makes 200% good


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## Chils (May 13, 2021)

It will stay on if you use the right paint and paint it over bare steel. You have to take the time to get all the old paint and rust off then clean the steel with paint thinner before painting. Follow the directions on the can. Here is a garden tractor muffler I did last year. The paint has 50 or so hours on it and it's not coming off. I've done the same on car headers and had it last years. You gotta get it to bare metal though.

Prepped









The paint









Fresh paint









50hrs later. I didn't paint the pipes


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Chils said:


> It will stay on if you use the right paint and paint it over bare steel. You have to take the time to get all the old paint and rust off then clean the steel with paint thinner before painting. Follow the directions on the can. Here is a garden tractor muffler I did last year. The paint has 50 or so hours on it and it's not coming off. I've done the same on car headers and had it last years. You gotta get it to bare metal though.
> 
> Prepped
> View attachment 194128
> ...


Interesting. I have never taken off the stock paint with no problems. But I have only been doing this 5-6 years. All my mufflers are holding up well paint wise.
I use that 2000 degree paint also.


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## Chils (May 13, 2021)

orangputeh said:


> Interesting. I have never taken off the stock paint with no problems. But I have only been doing this 5-6 years. All my mufflers are holding up well paint wise.
> I use that 2000 degree paint also.


Back in the 80s header manufacturers would paint headers with non heat resistant paint to keep them from rusting. People painted over them with high temp paint and then it would fall off after they got hot. I stripped them and then painted the bare steel with ceramic paint and it would stay on.

If the base isn't stable the paint won't stay on. I take em down to the bare steel so I don't have to worry about the possibly compromised base. If painting over the base paint works for you--rock on with it.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Chils said:


> Back in the 80s header manufacturers would paint headers with non heat resistant paint to keep them from rusting. People painted over them with high temp paint and then it would fall off after they got hot. I stripped them and then painted the bare steel with ceramic paint and it would stay on.
> 
> If the base isn't stable the paint won't stay on. I take em down to the bare steel so I don't have to worry about the possibly compromised base. If painting over the base paint works for you--rock on with it.


okay. that explains it. all i have painted is stock Honda mufflers. i doubt thye were undercoated with non heat resistant paint at any time.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

The last muffler I painted was the one on the Shibaura... Briggs Vanguard 16, low-tone can. Stripped it to bare metal, cleaned thoroughly before spraying (silver high-temp). Several light coats, sun-dried.

Didn't really work. After some time the paint started to peel off in chunks.

So I dunno... maybe black would work better. All ears on this one.


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## Chils (May 13, 2021)

Yanmar Ronin said:


> The last muffler I painted was the one on the Shibaura... Briggs Vanguard 16, low-tone can. Stripped it to bare metal, cleaned thoroughly before spraying (silver high-temp). Several light coats, sun-dried.
> 
> Didn't really work. After some time the paint started to peel off in chunks.
> 
> So I dunno... maybe black would work better. All ears on this one.


Scott, what was the paint you used? I did the same on the old rusty headers on my Vette (think I used VHT) and they were still silver years after painting.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Chils said:


> Scott, what was the paint you used?


I'll have to dig it up... some JDM stuff which I've used before and seemed to work OK... on what I don't remember.


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

Here's a Model A exhaust manifold I painted using what was called cast iron paint. I think was called flame proof by VHT.It was meant to look like raw cast iron but not rust. I baked it in an oven before actually using it.

As far as I know it's still holding up 13 years later.


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## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

Whenever painting anything, prep is everything. If the foundation is no good, whatever is built on top of it is going to fail. As already said, you have to go down to bare metal, thoroughly degrease it, then, and only then, apply the paint. If you don't do this, and it lasts, you were lucky, and had a good base upon which to add your new paint.


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## MechFIX (7 mo ago)

As above, prep is key. Gradually increasing the length and temperature of heat cycling the paint also plays a role in properly setting the paint.

Have had good luck on an old motorcycle exhaust with a leftover can of Stove Bright high temp paint.

Good adhesion and durability even on the hottest bends right by the head, and even scraping over some obstacles out in the trails.

Wire brushed the rough rusty pipe to blackish-grey old bare steel. Then coated with the paint and followed the directions as closely as I could with the heat cycling (considering the bike isn't a woodstove!) Instructions are available on the Forrest coatings page for Stove Bright paint; should apply similarly to other high temp paints.

The woodstove paints may be more available in smaller traditional hardware stores and come in some nicer colours than the usual highest temp; black, gray, silver.

And I usually find silver/aluminum or any metallic flake paint that doesn't get clear coated to have pretty poor durability, likely due to the finished structure and surface of the binder and large pigment pieces. So probably best to stick to a solid colour.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Chils said:


> Scott, what was the paint you used? I did the same on the old rusty headers on my Vette (think I used VHT) and they were still silver years after painting.


Ya... the paint's long gone so I dunno, could have been Holts or any one of a number of JDM brands... but the more I think about it I'm thinking I may have used the wrong primer.

Got revenge doing the baffle on Suzi's new tailpipe muffler. Correct primer ( VHT SP118 Flame Proof Coating Flat White) and flat black (Okitsumo One-Touch Spray Heat Resistant Paint, Matte, Black, 1322°F (650°C) and it's stuck on real good. 

Now I just need to redo the muffler on the Shibaura... gotta pull it anyhow to change the front axle pivot bushings and bolt.

🍻


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