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Black Chrome

I am a retired machine shop teacher living in Colorado. I have a 2000 Honda Valkyrie Interstate. I have made stainless exhaust manifolds for my bike. I am now interested in having the aluminium glass packs (not the exhaust manifolds)on my motorcycle black chromed. I have two questions. Would the heat turn the black chrome a different color over time? The exhaust manifolds have been ceramic coated. I have not been able to locate a vendor that is capable of doing black chroming. Where would I find a vendor that can black chrome aluminum mufflers?

Kim Herfurt
Hobbyist - Evergreen, Colorado, USA
2006

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Maybe not so good to chromium plate aluminum exhaust parts. Scratches & thermal cycling will lead to peeling. Black chrome-plated exhaust systems are usually polished 304 stainless steel.

Are the mufflers aluminum or aluminized steel? In either case, corrosion protection is from a thermally formed aluminum oxide surface.

Ken Vlach [deceased]
- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.
Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
2006

The mufflers are solid aluminum. I had them powder coated with a black chrome like finish. However, the powder coating came back looking like it was a green chrome next to the black ceramic coated stainless headers. I just does not look right. Perhaps I should just have the mufflers re powder coated gloss black. They are glass packs that have about 1 1/2 inches of fiberglass insulation all around and the outside of the muffler on gets warm and not hot.

Kim Herfurt
- Evergreen, Colorado
2006