How to Make Your 2 Stroke Exhaust Pipe Look New Again - Unbelievable Transformation

[@Steve-oHorn]

You need a sand blaster. I purchased a cheap cabinet from Harbor Freight. I have one and it works great. I used mine to freshen up some headers for my truck. Fast and easy. They came out great. Removed all rust, pitting, and factory finishes. Many options for blasting media. You will need a decent air compressor but you can use a smaller one, it just takes a bit longer. I even finisheshed them off with Cerakote's new air cure ceramic coating. Trust me, once you use the sand blaster you'll throw everything else out the door. The Cerakote is unreal, super easy application, high temp, and beautiful and many color options. My favorite is Burnt Bronze. Muratic acid, available anywhere pool supplies are sold, will strip every coating I've tried. Pour it into a plastic container, add your piece and in 10 minutes it's spotless and bare steel. Must be done outdoors. The fumes are EXTREMELY dangerous. Let me know if you try any of these and what you think.

[@markkeast6786]

Just fyi.. When you have a crack in your pipe and have no choice but to Jb weld it, you should always drill the smallest hole you possibly can at either end of the crack, if you don't the crack will eventually continue to grow. Drilling either end of the initial crack just stops it from growing larger through vibration during use once it's been repaired.

[@Scummy_shovel]

Sound advice. And should do this even if you are welding it. Like normal welding it lol

[@markkeast6786]

@Russel_russelson That's a great point!! I kind of meant that too but didn't word what I said correctly..🤷 You understood so hopefully others that are learning might too.🤙

[@topfuelteddy]

JB weld on a 2t pipe ? That's a good one . 😂

[@markkeast6786]

@topfuelteddy Nah, it really isn't..🤣 But when u gotta do what u gotta do, atleast it's an attempt at a repair...🤷🤙

[@Scummy_shovel]

@@markkeast6786 yea. Better than a hole i guess.

[@martinleblanc4898]

Thanks for going in depth on both plated and non plated pipes with multiple tools 🤘

[@livefastdiequick]

Are you Matt Leblanc

[@GregHitchko]

Not a problem! It was a trial and error process with me on a few of the techniques so hopefully everyone can pick and choose what might work best for them lol. Cheers Martin

[@justingardner3569]

The easiest and best way to make it look pretty is to sandblast it and use a fine wire wheel to smooth it back out followed by a scotch brite with wd40 for the brushed look. If you have a gold series or platinum pipe and you want the works look, sand blasting will also get rid of the nickel plating

[@zodzod9378]

Good job !As for the rust use Rust remover it brings metal back and kills all rust you paint it on ! Little john from the UK

[@GregHitchko]

Little John, my man! Thanks for that suggestion dude, seems like that could have helped with some of my situations.

[@rockman49er]

My pipe was really rusty and pited all I used was an abrasive pad and a washer to help scrape of some of the rust and it looks brand new now the pad doesn't even leave scratch marks works great

[@carlosmurgelcddr.1418]

Great work and dedication to restore the pipes. Cheers from Brasil.

[@crash86ed]

Yep, the worse the pitting is the more aggressive you will need to be, whether high grit sandpaper, a grinder or what have you. Do whatever you have to do to remove material to get rid of the pitting until the surface is consistent. At that point you can start working your way back up in terms of grit to get the finish you want. Understand that you are sanding out the scratches of the previous sanding stage. If you don't do this you will still see the scratche when you're done. I restored the FMF on my YZ and used those abrasive wheels with my dremel extensively. I didn't bother to go down far enough to get rid of the pitting, but I was able to use WD40 and steel wool and/or the finish (320 grit) abrasive wheel to clean the discoloration out of the pitting so it's not noticeable. From there I went to 500 grit wet sanding (WD40) the whole pipe, then 800, then 1500, 2000, and finished with simichrome metal polish. It's shiny now :) Doing this with 6 pipes is going to be a lot of hours lol. The initial stage of sanding/grinding out the pitting is going to be the most intensive. Each stage of sanding isn't so bad after that. The bench grinder would probably cut down on the elbow grease a ton.

[@williambaker1753]

Try to soak the pipe in white vinegar for a few hours if the pipe is really rusty you can add a little muria tic acid to the vinegar. Nice job on them pipes they was pretty much trash when you started.

[@minibikemadman]

I just ordered some boeshield T-9 to use on my smr 380 lynx trx 250r. I love the raw look and would hate to coat it.

[@JoseSanchez-iu3do]

I could be wrong but i clean my bong with alcohol and salt. the salt help add abrasive to help clean. you think if you add sand and brake clean and shake it it will clean all the gunk out then wash it out with soap. again idk if it would work just something i think might help

[@chz7512able]

You can use brazing solder to repair small cracks in the pipe

[@sonoma314]

I've used spray oven cleaner, ...bike actually ran better after cleaning also

[@GregHitchko]

That's a great idea actually! Thanks for sharing that 👍🏼

[@chadsmith9218]

You need a good set of flap wheels to smooth out the pitting and not fancy ones just plain old flap wheels but a air powered grinder will be needed. Electrolysis will be your best friend for removing your nickel finishes and removing rust... hell you can put finishes on as well. All you need is a battery charger,empty tote,baking soda and a piece of steel and you’ll open up a whole new world of possibilities

[@tsar-bomba2413]

In my opinion the best thing would be cerakote to make them look awesome. Cerakote sells just the right colors to choose from for the job

[@HooligansMx]

80-100psi I've found works the best I've been doing this about 20years pipes will not burst if you clean them first

[@richpolecat6527]

Do these pipes not rust after this kind of process?

[@chrisr.1391]

Cool video… they turned out great.

[@GregHitchko]

Thanks Chris! Overall happy with the way that they turned out compared to the before stage!

[@brettlaage9687]

I wonder if some kind of a belt sander would work faster at getting the pits out, or smoothing out the roughness left behind with the burs or grinding wheel. I’ve seen some handheld ones for bodywork. Flap wheel on the grinder like someone else stated sounds like a good idea. It seems like the more aggressive abrasives you use, the harder it is to smooth them out. The scratches are too deep.

[@brettlaage9687]

I have a new Pro Circuit pipe the platinum is peeling off in a bunch of spots. I cut it, and had It welded to fit my 02 Cr125 with a 93 engine. I can’t really return it I don’t think. Im going to strip it and blue the welds I think. It definitely looks sweet. I do have an FMF Factory Fatty for it. I think I like the looks of that even better. I really like the Bill’s cone pipes too.

[@GregHitchko]

A belt sander would actualy be a good idea! Do they make mini ones? The problem is being able to get on the insides of the curve. The flap wheels on the grinder I had still only took the rust off and didn't make a dent in the actual pitting of the metal. I need to look into that deeper!

[@johnhicks735]

I'm talking about the sanding disc flapp wheels instead of those ones though.

[@zackk695]

Great video! Really nice work and surprised that even worked. In my opinion you are smart enough to weld and these bikes with welded pipe really look tough. You just need a thin 14g metal and cover the dent and weld it up. It makes it look real nice.

[@GregHitchko]

I appreciate the feedback Matt! I would love to learn how to weld. Down the road without a doubt.

[@usairchairmanpfd2889]

Nice work mate!

[@GregHitchko]

Thank you dude!

[@michaelthomas788]

Your cure time is on the J-B weld at 6 hours to set up 24 hours to completely cure and I'm not quite sure that it's going to work on that expansion chamber I've tried to use it on radiators that only get 212 degrees and it destroys and it completely destroys JB weld in less than a day makes it from a hard steel to a soft flexible texture

[@johnhicks735]

On that process of cleaning up exhaust pipes is to do that three to four times.,or until it clears up like the rest of the pipe again. That's all you can basically do to them. And have them re -nickel plated dipped. The first thing to do before having them re- dipped is to clean them all off with acetone really good first though. To remove all pathogens and dirt and grime and oils and greasy residue film off of the pipes first.

[@leonardwashington710]

Been waiting for this video!

[@GregHitchko]

Haha heck yeah! I've been teasing it for quite some time. Took a while to make happen but we got it. Thanks dude!

[@rongill4199]

Have you thought about using high pressure water inside the pipe also have you tried sand blasting to get the worst of the ye rusted pitting off

[@GregHitchko]

I've wanted to try the water set up sometime! And yes I definitely need a sand blaster. It would help tremendously. But most of us don't lol

[@Jeff-vh2kn]

Awesome content greg keep it up man!

[@GregHitchko]

Thank you Jeff! I appreciate the kind words and feedback

[@AverageBikeGuy]

Is it worth putting it on a clear coat ?

[@GregHitchko]

I've been wondering that same thing actually. I've never done it but would love to test it out on a works pipe in the future.

[@MarcusHorwood]

Is there a way to reverse the blue on my exhaust from previous owner?

[@MartyWolf-i9l]

Killer. Video I'm going to try it on my go kart pipe bluing and all thank you what about a clear coat so it don't rust again ?

[@GregHitchko]

I've never done a clear coat on these works pipes but I'd love to try one day so you don't have to always coat it with WD-40 or something to keep it from rusting!

[@MartyWolf-i9l]

@@GregHitchko ok first off how did you not give up after the first day ? And then do a bunch more ? I'm trying to do mine I'm on day 2 but mine was pitted and rusty not real bad but bad enough to make this even harder I first used a grinder with a floppy disk then wire wheel then the 3m disk in a drill I can see some shine but I still have alot of black how do I get past the black I'm going for this like you did I want the blue lines and all do you have a email that I can send pictures too I think I need help or a big push 😁 I still can't believe you did all those pipes

[@MartyWolf-i9l]

@@GregHitchko I figured it out I soaked it in white vinegar and it came out like new now I'm going to harbor freight and get some metal polish

[@GregHitchko]

@@MartyWolf-i9l that's solid! I will have to try that on a pipe in the future

[@MartyWolf-i9l]

@@GregHitchko got it done blue and all took 2 days but well worth it thanks to your video ( I still can't believe you did all those pipes ? 😁 )

[@cr500_conversions]

Cool video! Btw, the "platinum" you speak of is Nickle plating. I've learned a handful of old ball bearings and pb blaster works great to decarbon pipes and carb cleaner (gallon can style) to rinse.

[@itsonlyjeff]

Did the JB weld hold up on that pipe?

[@ECooks]

if i had a pipe sent to you how much would you charge to do this?

[@johnhicks735]

A secret tip trick and hunt to yah for next time that could possibly happen again by accident. Use acetone to wipe off oil dirt and grease and grime away and off of it really good to first. Before applying JB weld steel reinforced putty onto it. Nead it really good before applying it onto the exhaust pipes and let it cure fully to before sanding down smooth to. The secret is to invest in A wire welder for that purpose of repairs and welding split spots with. Chip away with little hammer and wire brush.,or wire wheels to. Then use A flat disc flapp wheel to clean off the beads and wire Ball simplified. Sand disc rounded flapp wheel.

[@SteveStevenson-tg2mb]

Its not the heat JB weld can withstand that matters its how much it expands and contracts compared to the steel. If steel expands at 300 degrees but the JB weld doesnt then it will split. Its why you cant weld cast iron to mild steel, both expand differently at different temp ranges so isnt compatible

[@dubois762]

How much and where did u get the tools to put on pipes to get dents out?

[@jonpecoraro8784]

Use a tiger paw on a grinder. Works great

[@GregHitchko]

I'll have to give those a shot next time, thanks man!

[@johnhenderson3646]

Would evapo-rust work? How about Roloc discs on a die grinder?

[@GregHitchko]

Never actually tried that stuff, I'll have to give it a rip at some point!

[@jasonlawrence6209]

Instead of dremel tool(2small) use a angle grinder with either wire wheel or a flap disc with different grits and eventually into a scotch bright pad on the grinder. Worked great for my 94 RM 250

[@livefastdiequick]

No

[@GregHitchko]

I might have to give the angle grinder another go with a different wheel on it. The wheel I chose was just wayyy too agressive for the application. Need to do a little more research on that. Thanks Jason!

[@Gileser301]

Helpful thank you for your time 👍

[@GregHitchko]

Awesome! Hope it helped my man

[@danmeyer4367]

I didn’t read the comments to see if this was mentioned… Muratic acid works great to take off rust. Very toxic. Pour it on. Let it sit then wash off and dry. Dont breathe in! ;) Would cut down on the dust at the very least

[@GregHitchko]

Heck yeah! I appreciate that comment. I'll have to try it next time I encounter something with nasty rust lol. And I'll make sure to wear me face mask!

[@scottporter4871]

Can you vapour blast a nickel plated pipe? If so, how does it turn out?

[@GregHitchko]

You could if it was rusty, I'm sure it would take the rust off but the finish would be trashed. You'd have rebuff it to bring the nickel finish back to life I'd assume

[@chadbreton4951]

Congratulations! Buy fudging it with J-B Weld you passed a problem on to the buyer but thankfully he will be able to fix it properly in about 30 seconds if he has a little bit of welding experience or a friend with experience JB Weld is not a replacement for actual welding

[@GregHitchko]

Damn I should have called you up to weld it for me

[@empiresrikesfat]

Would look good on my 99 kx250

[@GregHitchko]

Haha certainly would! I have the 98 Platinum pipe still that is up for grabs. the 99 Works is already gone.

[@derzkoeradio]

31:48 i saw that use more oxygen for seams. Unfortunately i don’t know how it calls

[@knoxent.3043]

Man you need to get those bad ones sand blasted or soda blasted, and then polish 🤘

[@GregHitchko]

I really need to get a set up like that. It's make my life so much easier lol

[@JM-wy6sq]

Torches actually work better it gets hotter for those wondering

[@DirtyDiezel]

how much $ would you charge to fix my pro circuit pipe? Its nice shape but a few small dents. 1989 yz125

[@TNTMOTO]

Great job.

[@GregHitchko]

Thank you!

[@TheAllischalmerhd5]

How do you get out deep road scratches??

[@edwardhanna86]

Try soaking in vineger/water overnight first. Will save u a ton of sandpaper

[@SydStrong]

Won’t they just rust as soon as they get wet ? Any suggestions to prevent rust from forming ?

[@GregHitchko]

These works pipes do take maintenance to keep them rust free. After EVERY ride/wash, I would douse it in WD-40 to keep it well lubricated. You could hit it with a scotch brite pad quickly too with the WD if you wanted.

[@danhenderson783]

FYI, the plating on the platinum pipe is nickel.

[@christophersherratt7299]

And Lead is 330 C melting point the exhaust would not get that hot there know problem using that if unsure melt some lead in a mould strips

[@billburden9381]

I think I need to send you some!

[@GregHitchko]

Haha i love doing them

[@ClancyDoorish]

Will this work with a fmf gold series

[@GregHitchko]

You won't be able to blue the weld lines because it is a nickel plated pipe but you'll be able to use the pryme wheels to clean it up and make it look brand new and shiny again.

[@ryanphillips3916]

They look great. How many hours did you have into all of them? Or better not asking? 😂

[@GregHitchko]

It's sooo hard to say but it took me a couple of months working part time on them. Since I watch my son full time so sometimes it's hard to get complete focus and time in the garage like I'd prefer. I'd say anywhere from 3-8 hours per pipe depending on the condition. Rough guess haha

[@ryanphillips3916]

@@GregHitchko you brought some hard to find pipes back to life. I had to buy one from overseas because I couldn’t get a pro circuit for my 98 kx.

[@GregHitchko]

@@ryanphillips3916 dude i believe that! Even over seas they are hard to find these days.

[@57moto59]

You can get those 3M scotchbrite wheels for MUCH less than getting them from Pryme. Go watch my Case Restoration video and I've got a link to where I buy all the wheels.. Off the top of my head, I think it's about half the cost of Pryme.

[@RuleNumber1_productions]

Hey there. Do you have a contact number for where you got the replacement badges? I’m about to take on a restoration of a pro circuit pipe from and 89 cr250. Great work you did with your pipes!

[@GregHitchko]

Call up pro circuit directly! They should be able to send you one. Thanks my dude 🙌🏼💨

[@pc-easy]

Just sandblast them.done did that on my track bike and a hand of high temperature paint and they will remain new forever

[@GregHitchko]

I need to get a sand blast set up really bad! Save me a ton of work

[@danielsimpson8929]

I bet electrolysis would work incredibly well for pipe rust removal.

[@doncarlo5]

why does nobody use acetylene ?

[@johnhicks735]

Wear rubber gloves to no oils including fingers oils to to them off of the metal surfaces of them pipes at all cost.

[@zackk695]

A little JB WELD or a weld and your good to go

[@zackk695]

Also you protected you chest but what about your head? I was thinking a helmet would work

[@GregHitchko]

I've definitely thrown my helmet on as well just to be safe along with safety glasses lol

[@baldurivar]

Go straight to 90-100 psi, I would even go to 120 psi.

[@scottbradford4130]

I just watched the dude run it up to 150 psi and the dent popped out in a matter of 30 seconds

[@st3rg]

u know there is electromagnetic equipment that brings these out with 1/10 of the effort if you charge for those repairs consider getting it

[@HooligansMx]

That type of dent was going to Crack regardless there's nothing you could do about it with the dents side by side with the weld in the center like that they already weakened that seam

[@joenoneofyourbusiness6487]

i was interested until i saw the jb weld. You know, welders are kinda cheap now.....

[@harrybenson9983]

I can guarantee you that rupturing one of those chambers with over 50 psig of air pressure will make for a very dangerous explosion. If you fill the chamber with water then pressure it up to any of the pressures you use for this procedure a rupture will not be nearly as dangerous. Since water is an incompressible fluid it does not store any energy. Try using water instead of air then make a follow up video about it.

[@DLaing898]

Anybody could have welded that for next to nothing but you put jb weld on it😂

[@GregHitchko]

And I did it for nothing!! Haha next time i'll ask you to come over and weld it for me!

[@DLaing898]

@GregHitchko I totally would have lol If your local to utah😂

[@newenglandlife978]

Lost me at jb weld😢

[@GregHitchko]

Sorry to hear 🥲

[@ShadyAcresMotorsports]

He pulled out jb weld. I’m out of here. Ur crazy guy.

[@GregHitchko]

Pretty shady move eh? 🤣🤣

[@dylancrow7919]

Sand blasting.

[@christophersherratt7299]

I Know that this is 1yr a go and you're not a welder BUT J.B WELD COME ON BUD ALIMINUM RODS HAVE BEEN OUT FOR SOME YEARS ANYONE CAN DO THAT YOU COULD OF EVEN USED A SOLDERING IRON

[@GregHitchko]

Good thing I wasn't standing in front of you, I would have went deaf 😂😂😂

[@WeirdBikeGuy]

I was watching and enjoying myself til he said fix the crack with jb. Just get is welded. Its a literal 10 min job max. Might cost 10/20$ , im done

[@Trikk57]

My God.... Don't make an informative video if you have no idea...