We have been re-chroming exhaust systems for over 32 years and in those early days, we were able to restore most. Over the past 3 decades, we have seen a decline in the quality of these ageing parts and we are finding more and more are less suitable for restoration.
Looking at the outside condition of silencers is no indication of the condition on the inside! Trapped moisture particularly with four strokes can lead to corrosion from the inside out. However, we are seeing more and more two strokes suffering from the same problem due to their age! Most header pipes are normally fine, and this problem is normally within the silencer.
Due to these problems, we can look at them in two stages. Firstly we need to investigate the suitability by cleaning and removing carbonaceous deposits from the inside. Then we need to remove all the old plating and rust from the outside. Only at this point, we will know the suitability of the silencer for restoration. As you can appreciate, if we cannot proceed due to the condition, you will be liable for the cost up to that point!
The following may help you understand what we can do :
Four Stroke
We can only chrome silencers that are more or less straight-through without internal baffle systems.
We can chrome single header pipes, not manifolds (two or more pipes joined together).
We can chrome balance pipes.
We can chrome exhaust rings, collars, and joiners.
Two Stroke
We can chrome silencers with removable baffles (not expansion chambers or cans).
We can chrome single headers.
We can chrome balance pipes.
We can chrome exhaust rings, collars, and joiners.
This is just a general guide and set out to help you decide if we can help with your project.
Whether we can plate exhaust systems is the question of drainage. Provided fluid runs freely out of the system we should be able to clean them. Cleaning is an important part of the process and removes contaminants such as oil and carbon to reduce the risk of cross-contamination with the plating solutions.
Disclaimer
Exhaust pipes are restored at the owner’s risk and can yield disappointing results. Which may include plating defects such as pits, stains, and unplated areas. Dents that can’t be practically removed may show more prominently with the new chrome. The whole process of plating exhausts is never straightforward and can be a lottery.
We will always try our best to help customers who provide us with the whole job, not just the exhaust pipes their local plater won’t or can’t do!
