Removing rust from 350x head pipe, can it be done?

[Tri-Z Pilot]

The 350x I am looking into getting has a rusted head pipe, would sandblasting take the rust off so that I can paint it, is is there another way (I just dont wanna buy a new head pipe, because I will probably buy a whole aftermarket system in the future).

[TRI-Zbrian]

usualy on old headers that are rusted bad it isnt worth trying to repaint them because the paint will eather fall off or burn off in the end your better off wating and buying a whole new one when u do the rest of the exaust

[roofinggun]

When I got my X I took a dremel with a sanding drum and took off allthe rust and then painted it with high temp. It looked great---for an hour. Tom Batts posted a link in a topic reply a while back of a place that blasts them and paints them like new.

[jdparsons1]

Good ol' trusty bench motor and a wire brush wheel. Takes pretty much all the rust off. Then prime and paint.

[Dirtcrasher]

Good ol' trusty bench motor and a wire brush wheel. Takes pretty much all the rust off. Then prime and paint.


Bench wire wheel works fine and a 4" grinder with a wire wheel on it works even better. To truly get all the divots - sandblasting works great and I have done a few 250SX headpipes and then used high heat paint and they look great. I don't have a closeup picture of my 250R pipe but it was looking real bad before I sandblasted it and now it looks super!!

[350XXX]

as stated above, use a wire wheel or bench grinder to remove the rust and use a dremel with a wire wheel to get what you can't wi the grinder, then buy some some high temp paint, POR-20 or Black Velvet is the best i have found(a friend has had it on his car headers for 8 years and they haven't rusted or turned color yet), but it is a little expensive, $16 for a 1/2 pint, but thats enough for at least 2 pipes.

[Tri-Z Pilot]

I just bought a 30 gallon craftsman air compressor, and a sandblaster attachment, I dont have any grinding tools yet, so I am going to sandblast it. Thanx for all the suggesstions though.

[ATCRYDER]

A Sandblaster will get the job done in only a few minutes.

[Dirtcrasher]

I just bought a 30 gallon craftsman air compressor, and a sandblaster attachment, I dont have any grinding tools yet, so I am going to sandblast it. Thanx for all the suggesstions though.


I have a brand new 35 gallon 6HP Craftsman and a 40lb pot pressure Blaster - It works SUPER - but only for about 45 seconds and then you are wasting sand. I truly have found that removing the bulk of junk with a 4" grinder and a wire wheel on it 1st that sandblasting works much better as you can just kiss te areas you already stripped.
Anthow, thats what works for me and I have done numerous exhausts.