Paint New Muffler?

[MarkN72]

Hi All,

Have this new muffler from CIP advertised as Dansk OE Ernst Style muffler.

Looks to me like the paint will probably burn off as soon as it is on the car.

I would like to paint it in advance, before installation without having the paint burn off. I know a good paint but guess it can’t be put over the grey that is on it now.

Do I have to try to remove all the grey paint first?

Thanks

[mikeonthebike]

You're right about the paint burning off. I bought the same muffler back in November and it is almost gone now on my daily driver.
I would try and remove the paint with a paint remover then paint with a high temp engine paint.

[OldSchoolVW's]

Yes, unfortunately that paint will likely burn off over time ... it doesn't seem that they are using a high-temp coating.

If the base coat is the weak link, you can expect it, and anything you cover it with, to lift.

You'd want to get down to bare metal and coat with the proper base coat and top coat for a high temp application. Not sure of the best way to remove the existing gray paint. Media blast may damage the muffler and chemical stripping would require that the stripping solution be completely removed before recoating.

Is your concern about appearance our just protection?
_________________
Tom

"Following distance is proportional to IQ."

'63 Beetle Sedan
'69 Beetle Sunroof
'70 Beetle Sedan
'73 Type 3 Fastback

[KTPhil]

I painted one that had some kind of thick grey paint on it. Most of it burned off. What was left looked like some sort of galvanic coating, though it was very mottled:

Last time I removed it I dusted it lightly with a high temp primer (2000F), a few coats but not so thick it would trap heat.

Too new to know if it, too, will burn off. And primer can be water porous, so this may do nothing to protect it. The galv coating seemed to stop rust, but looked like leprosy. The grey primer was just to make it look more even and oem. Time will tell.
_________________
Current Fleet:
'71 Fastback
'69 Westfalia
Retired:
'67 Beetle
'65 Beetle (x2)
'65 Bus
'71 Squareback

[bsairhead]

I would scotch-brite scuff it and use BBQ flat black.

[MarkN72]

[TDCTDI]

Let the engine do the work for you…


Install the muffler, drive it for a few weeks, brush the charred paint off with a wire brush, shoot it with the high temp paint of your choice. Repeat every 6 months to a year.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[baldessariclan]

[birddog1]

The only thing I've ever found that will keep a muffler looking nice for any period of time is getting it ceramic coated. Other than that you'll likely spend a lot time / money and a year from now wonder why you did.

[MarkN72]

That’s good advice to check the fit first. And at that point probably easiest to let the paint burn off and then do whatever with it.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Cheers!

[MarkN72]

Seems to fit OK.

I am trying to figure out what is supposed to go between the heater box and the exhaust.

Should this be a short piece of hose and 2 clamps?

Thanks

[mg50]

you need 2 of these exhaust clamps to close that gap.
about 3 bucks each at jbugs.com

_________________
1971 Super Beetle & 1971 Karmann Ghia

engine rebuild: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=775424&highlight=

[MarkN72]

Perfect. One wide clamp on each side. Thanks!

[MarcVoss]

What I did - 30 years ago to my beetle - first sandblasting the muffler, painting first with zink color, then ofen color, which is resistant up to 690°C.
And 3 years ago, the same, but to my Typ 4 - the same. But the heat exchangers were painted also with normal color, so it burned where the hot pipes are connected.
So use good (and a litle bit expensiv) color, and you will have a long time leasting result.
The pictures are made today after about 6000 km / 4500 miles later from the Typ 4.

Complete Muffler:

Where the Pipe is connected:

Normal Painture burnt:

But no problem, where the heat exchanged is connected to the muffler.

So, my opinion is, clean and paint it first, before you mount it, so you will have more fun, when you work on it later. Nothing is more boaring then rusty mufflers, rust breakes, rusty steering parts.
_________________
Best Regards from Germany, the origin country of Volkswagen.

Marc

[Starbucket]

Before you do anything fit the muffler to your motor, you may need to heat the bends to line it up then remove it and repaint it.

[alikatcraig]

After making sure it will fit, have it blasted and then get yourself a tester bottle of Cerakote and paint it. They have air and over cure paints in a range of hues, and some good up to 1800'F. The tester bottles are around $35 and would be enough for a lot more than one muffler, but they don't have a long shelf life once open.
_________________
1967 Ghia
1971 Deluxe Microbus
1974 Convertible Bug
1973 Standard Bug
1998 Mexican Bug

[KTPhil]