• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

GSX750ES: Chrome/Nickel coating for Exhaust manifold

  • Thread starter Thread starter GSX750ES junky
  • Start date Start date
G

GSX750ES junky

Guest
All workshops I came across will only do 2 types of coatings:
1. Nickel only (cheap).
2. Chrome on top of Nickel (expensive).
I believe that the best coating is Copper + Nickel + Chrome but unfortunately nobody does it where I live.
The "Nickel only" coating is very cheap though. Would it be enough to coat the Exhaust manifold with Nickel or will it develop oxidation or peel off ?
 
Last edited:
How cheap is "cheap" for the nickel coating? Also, How would it hold up to the elements?
 
Prices for coating the exhaust manifold:
1.Nickel coating : 60$
(I think he holds the Nickel with a sort of Electrical process in a bath)
2. Copper+Nickel+Chrome : 200$
 
Nickel plating and chroming go hand in hand. From my understanding of the process,Chrome is actually clear. It's a protective coating over nickel/nickel copper plating. Without the chrome coating, or some kind of coating to protect the Nickel,it will tarnish, oxidize, whatever rather quickly. Not suitable by itself for parts that will be exposed to the elements.
 
TheCafeKid said:
Nickel plating and chroming go hand in hand. From my understanding of the process,Chrome is actually clear. It's a protective coating over nickel/nickel copper plating. Without the chrome coating, or some kind of coating to protect the Nickel,it will tarnish, oxidize, whatever rather quickly. Not suitable by itself for parts that will be exposed to the elements.
Click to expand...

Is there a polish, similar to Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish, that you can use over the nickel plating to protect it?
 
GSX750ES junky said:
All workshops I came across will only do 2 types of coatings:
1. Nickel only (cheap).
2. Chrome on top of Nickel (expensive).
I believe that the best coating is Copper + Nickel + Chrome but unfortunately nobody does it where I live.
The "Nickel only" coating is very cheap though. Would it be enough to coat the Exhaust manifold with Nickel or will it develop oxidation or peel off ?
Click to expand...

Two other popular coatings you might find, are powder coating & ceramic. For this particular application (extreme temperature) ceramic coating is far & away the best, in terms of cosmetics & durability. Several colours are available.... low/medium/high gloss black, as well as a finish that somewhat resembles chrome, (if a shiny header is what you're after), and a few colours in between. Unfortunately, professionally applied ceramic coating is not cheap (probably > $200 for an entire exhaust system) though several cost-effective DIY type options are now available, esp. if you have facilities to bake parts.
 
Mysuzyq said:
Two other popular coatings you might find, are powder coating & ceramic. For this particular application (extreme temperature) ceramic coating is far & away the best, in terms of cosmetics & durability. Several colors are available.... low/medium/high gloss black, as well as a finish that somewhat resembles chrome, (if a shiny header is what you're after), and a few colors in between. Unfortunately, professionally applied ceramic coating is not cheap (probably > $200 for an entire exhaust system) though several cost-effective DIY type options are now available, esp. if you have facilities to bake parts.
Click to expand...
I found somebody who does Copper + Nickel + Chrome for 200$ and I think I'll go for it. Having a shiny set of 2 muffles I want the header to have a shiny homogeneous look.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/roadrider.jp/SIAyG7dlTfI/AAAAAAAAAW8/qKDQrumR4eM/1982IFMA-suzGSX750ES.jpg
Thanks for the idea though. It's good to know that this possibility exists...
 
GSX750ES junky said:
I found somebody who does Copper + Nickel + Chrome for 200$ and I think I'll go for it. Having a shiny set of 2 muffles I want the header to have a shiny homogeneous look.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/roadrider.jp/SIAyG7dlTfI/AAAAAAAAAW8/qKDQrumR4eM/1982IFMA-suzGSX750ES.jpg
Thanks for the idea though. It's good to know that this possibility exists...
Click to expand...
Wow, that's a great looking bike.....you absolutely should go for the best quality chrome, for that baby. I think the N. American models got the black chrome, unless I'm mistaken.
 
TheCafeKid said:
Nickel plating and chroming go hand in hand. From my understanding of the process,Chrome is actually clear. It's a protective coating over nickel/nickel copper plating. Without the chrome coating, or some kind of coating to protect the Nickel,it will tarnish, oxidize, whatever rather quickly. Not suitable by itself for parts that will be exposed to the elements.
Click to expand...

My buddy's nickel plated Rickman frame looks pretty good after 35 years
 
Big T said:
My buddy's nickel plated Rickman frame looks pretty good after 35 years
Click to expand...

Yeah my buddy Dave has an original Rickman. Getting ready to have his frame re plated but to be honest it didn't look that bad to me. Wasn't "shiny" like chrome but it didn't look like crap either. I dunno what they did to those to keep them nice for so long, but most stuff that I've seen that's been plated doesn't stand up well. A customer of mine also works for a plating company here in Dayton (Hohlman plating) and said that it wouldn't stay shiny without a lot of upkeep.
 
Mysuzyq said:
Wow, that's a great looking bike.....you absolutely should go for the best quality chrome, for that baby. I think the N. American models got the black chrome, unless I'm mistaken.
Click to expand...
Have another look at the picture and you'll see a big "Suzuki " sign and the people in the picture are dressed like people in the early eighties ;).
Although this is a picture I googled, it sets the standard for me and I hope my bike will look the same in a few months...
 
TheCafeKid said:
Yeah my buddy Dave has an original Rickman. Getting ready to have his frame re plated but to be honest it didn't look that bad to me. Wasn't "shiny" like chrome but it didn't look like crap either. I dunno what they did to those to keep them nice for so long, but most stuff that I've seen that's been plated doesn't stand up well. A customer of mine also works for a plating company here in Dayton (Hohlman plating) and said that it wouldn't stay shiny without a lot of upkeep.
Click to expand...

Well, there's also lots of old firearms that have held up well

But, nickel plated headers would not be a good thing
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top