Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Exhaust header piper turning brown??

Any ideal why the header pipe would turn brown?

Removed A/I and 1st baffle from stock pipe. installed 125 main.

Did you reset the air/fuel screws on the bottom of each carb? If not, your bike is running super lean, which makes the pipes blue/brown. They are set impossibly lean from the factory, with the stock pipes. Opening up the pipes without adjusting the mixture screws would make the lean condition considerably worse.

SS,
Having a hard time getting the tamper proof caps off. or I am messing with the wrong part of the carb. carbs are still on the bike. I have a 130 main I could throw in .

I wouldn't change anything until you reset those fuel mixture screws, your bike is WAY TOO LEAN. The brown will be hard to remove unless the carbs are adjusted fast. I used a small, black dry-wall screw. Run it up into the tiny hole already there and the plug will twist right out. I bought a small, straight blade screwdrive (cheapo @ Lowes) and cut the handle part off halfway. This fit nicely under the carb. I find it easiest to adjust both carbs from the right side of the bike.

Once you have adjusted the fuel-air mixture the brown can be removed with Blue Away. I found that after using Blue Away the header pipe was not a shiny as it used to be. So I started using Brasso on the pipes and boy do they shine now. I used a lot of Brasso from 1959 to 1971 in the Navy. It's available in any hardware store.
Dave

Dave:
My dad is a retired Army SGM. We always had numerous cans of Brasso close at hand. I either polished brass on Friday evening or shoes on Saturday morning, alternated with my brother. My dad still checks out my shoes when we meet! (he's now 86) Fortunately, no brass to polish!

If I add more air to an already lean mix wont it get even leaner?

If you remove AI wont it stop the "Blueing" or will I still need to "Brassco" my pipes?

Yes if you add more Air it will get even more lean.

After I removed the AI I used Blue Job to remove the Blue and it never cam back.

WHat size main jet are you running ?

If you remove the AI the brown and blue will stop. I was just meaning that Blue Away and Blue Job are abrasive and will remove the shine from the pipe. I used the Brasso to bring back the shine. It is not as abrasive as the other products, but enough to polish the pipe.
Al, I have fond memories of polishing brass. I was in the California Cadet Corps from the 8th grade thru the 12th. We wore uniforms to school every friday and the other kids had great fun messing with my brass. They did away with that program in California after I left school.
Dave

You are right about the blue job, live and learn. I never used brasso. I put in 130 mains and turned the air screws out 2 turns. pipes are not browning.

As an ex sailor surely you remember Never Dull. Brasso is a sight safer to use but Never Dull would shine almost anything.

Never Dull was great stuff to, but if we brought aboard ship it was off to Captain's Mast. I believe it was a fire hazard. Do they still make it?

Marko: I have my fuel/air mixture screws out three turns. I believe others are even a bit more.

Dave