Spray painting headers

I'm in the process of spray painting my headers with hi-temp satin paint. Any suggestions for pre painting cleaning?

R.

i'd think it would be cheaper/better performance/last longer by using the coatings offered by http://www.hpcoatings.com, http://www.jet-hot.com, etc...

i just got my system back from performancecoatings.com great service very reasonable prices. but cheaper than spraypaint? no way. ceramic-coating a set of headers is about $100 depending on how far you are (for shipping). you can get a small tin of acetone (for prep/degreasing), a scotchbright pad (for scuffing/sanding/prep), a rattle can of 500 degree engine enamel primer and a rattle can of 500 degree engine enamel paint for a total of $20 TOPS. this is all you need...

use the scotchbright pad (or steel wool if you have some handy) to scuff down the headers and give them some surface texture for the primer to mate with...
then use a soft cloth (old towel or t-shirt) and the acetone to wipe down all surfaces of the header. wearing a pair of latex or vinyl gloves is a good idea here to avoid getting greasy finger prints on the clean surface.
then... hang the headers and spraybomb them with the primer... 2-3 light coats shoudl give decent coverage.
let set...
spraybomb with the paint with 4-5 LIGHT coats and you should be good to go. for the enamel to cure. i find that satin colors apply much more smoothly/evenly with fewer runs than the gloss colors.

the enamel will want to sit for a day or two to set well enough to be handled. for it to really cure, it wants some HEAT but i doubt you've got an oven to cure them in so... install them with GREAT CARE and get your mufflers on. then start the bike and let it warm up for a minute or two. kill the motor and let the headers cool off. repeat after a couple hours and that should be enough to ride!

Ru,
get them ceramic coated. there is a place in Sheboygan, WI. that does it for like $75.00 inside and out. i'll do some checking on the name/address but i think it's classic coatings. found it: http://www.classiccoatings.com/

if you paint them it;s a good idea to heat them up before you spray them. sort of bakes the paint on. i put a heat gun down the tube to get them hot, or you can use an oxy.