Replating old exhaust

[Vfxdog]

I'm thinking I might have a go at getting the original exhaust from my C Shadow replated, as the modern replacement is not a very good fit at all, and the old one is undented with relatively light pitting.

Two questions- what does one do about the front exhaust nut? Obviously it's on the pipe to stay unless the flange is removed. Would the nut's presence affect the plating process at all?

The other question is really just seeking recommendations for platers in the UK. I'd like the silencer done as well as the pipes.

Thanks in advance.

 

[timetraveller]

I think that you will find that the nut has to come off. An electric charge, which is what makes plating work, likes to be on the outside of a conductor so it is just about impossible to plate the pipe with the nut in place. If you remove the flange and then reflange after the plating then you will loose no more than about three eighths of an inch of length, and if you are really careful you might get that down to a quarter inch. That might still make it a better fit than some of the replacement rubbish.

 

[davidd]

Depending on the material of the nut, they are often destroyed by platers. I agree, it should come off. You can hammer the metal back into a tube and slip the nut of and flange it again if it will take the repeated upsets. If it fails, just trim it off and weld on one of the bearing separators. I do not have a part number, but it has been mentioned in MPH. I have welded them on for other owners on newly chromed pipes with little difficulty. I hope someone here might know. Welding will also maintain the original fit.

David

 

[ClassicBiker]

Not to change the direction of the thread, but I think it might be difficult to find a plater willing to put the pipes in the plating bath because the carbon in the pipe might/would contaminate the bath. From personal experience, when my father had his original pipes re-plated in the late '70s early '80s the result looked good right up until he started the Shadow up. The chrome bubbled up in a matter of minutes. We heard various explanations as to the cause, "the carbon in the pipe contaminating the bath" and "exhaust gasses that permeated into the pipes being trapped by the new chrome and expanding". Being an engineer now I think it being a combination of the former and poor prep by the plater that was the cause. I don't think I would go the route of re-plating exhaust pipes except as a last resort. I wish you the best and I hope to eat my words if you do it as I would really like to know who did the plating if it does work out.
Steven

 

[davidd]

It is certainly true with many platers, but mine had no problem. They do lots of old exhausts and clean them prior to plating. It is certainly something to be discussed.

David

 

[Somer]

Some platers will want to wait until the end of the run to put in used pipes. You can weld on a bearing seperator. The bluing won't show under the nut.