Carbon Fibre restoration tips

[M.V.]

is what I'm after!

Just picked up a set of Omrae c/f cans from ebay, bottom is smooth & shiny like carbon fibre should be, top is rough & dull, I assume from sun exposure & lack of cleaning...

Best advice I've read so far I think is to wash with soapy water, wipe down with prepsol & give it a few coats of automotive clear, sanding with 600 wet & dry between coats.

There's a bit on the top that still shiny where the sticker was, best to sand this back first too?

Anyone got any do's/don'ts on this one?

Cheers!

[fung]

eucalyptus oil works well with sticker residue.
Alex is the man to ask about paints
cheers
fung

[M.V.]

Funny thing is, don't think it's sticker residue... seems the original clear coat/resin with the sticker details faded in... bit weird.

I will await Alex's advice

[Mincehead]

is what I'm after!

Just picked up a set of Omrae c/f cans from ebay, bottom is smooth & shiny like carbon fibre should be, top is rough & dull, I assume from sun exposure & lack of cleaning...

Best advice I've read so far I think is to wash with soapy water, wipe down with prepsol & give it a few coats of automotive clear, sanding with 600 wet & dry between coats.

There's a bit on the top that still shiny where the sticker was, best to sand this back first too?

Anyone got any do's/don'ts on this one?

Cheers!

Yep sadly very common for the carbon to photodegrade M.V. remember that radiation degrades many things and exhaust cans are rarely covered to protect them from it.
Over here in the land of the rarely seen sun cans and carbon, even plastic parts get a hard time too. I have two Motrax (expensive) bike covers, the sun has bleached their supplied black colour from them and the fabric now tears really easily having lost it`s suppleness.

[alextrx850]

is what I'm after!

Just picked up a set of Omrae c/f cans from ebay, bottom is smooth & shiny like carbon fibre should be, top is rough & dull, I assume from sun exposure & lack of cleaning...

Best advice I've read so far I think is to wash with soapy water, wipe down with prepsol & give it a few coats of automotive clear, sanding with 600 wet & dry between coats.

There's a bit on the top that still shiny where the sticker was, best to sand this back first too?

Anyone got any do's/don'ts on this one?

Cheers!

You will need to sand the whole thing back evenly if you are going to use a clear over it, as the clear will just be a shiney protecting over coat...where the sticker was will stil be a nice black colour from the un-bleached base material,...to fade that out and still keep the carbon look...add a small amount of black colour..[like a good cup of tea]..to the clear..[or if you are using shake cans..apply a mist of black first and then the clear]...
The temperature of the exhaust can wouldnt worry a quality paint either so long as youve got a sound deadener in there.
Yep, 800 grit is a good grade....try and use a two pack paint if you can...use just enough paint to cover..
throw a photo up if you can..
OH.. if the finish is showing some carbon loose fibres in the paint finish..just wait for the paint to dry and then 800 sand over it all and apply one last coat..not too wet mind if you are useing cans.

[M.V.]

Here's a couple of pics, the underside, which is good, the the top, not so good, I can actually feel the weave of the carbon fibre, it's like the clear is completely gone...

Bottom:

IMG_0603.jpg

& top, with the sticker for reference:

IMG_0604.jpg

[pbear62]

Hey MV, Just for my info - can you please post a couple more pics - of the end cap fastening & the mounting
bracket & how it goes onto the cans etc - my cans have no markings but someone suggested they may be
Omraes - I've never seen any others so I don't know but would like to compare with yours.
Cheers, Andy

[M.V.]

Hey MV, Just for my info - can you please post a couple more pics - of the end cap fastening & the mounting
bracket & how it goes onto the cans etc - my cans have no markings but someone suggested they may be
Omraes - I've never seen any others so I don't know but would like to compare with yours.
Cheers, Andy

No worries Andy, can do tonight.

Post a pic here in the meantime if you've got one handy.

[pbear62]

Hi MV, There's a couple of pics of my bike in the members bikes section (14th most recent post!) - should be able to compare from them?

[M.V.]

Hi MV, There's a couple of pics of my bike in the members bikes section (14th most recent post!) - should be able to compare from them?

Found it!

Apparently I said this:

Nice bike mate, very clean

Nice cans, what are they?

Serendipity?

The link pipes & cans look similar, but the end caps & brackets look different... That's neither here nor there though.

I'll post some pics tonight & you can see for yourself.

[M.V.]

Here are some closeup pics for pbear.

[M.V.]

Some progress:

IMG_0613.jpg

Oh yeah, they'll also be cut down by about a third I reckon!

Only downside is, there's damage at the bottom, so I'll need to cut down from that end, which would be fine, except the hanger mounts are embedded, I think, into the carbon fibre

I'll either need to work out how to remount them, or use a strap. I'd rather avoid the strap...

[Mincehead]

Cutting those down will give you problems.........................
The absorption / perforated tube is swaged in diameter to fit the end plates. You`ll need to cut a length from the middle of it then weld it back together if you`re shortening them. The carbon needs to be cut with a very fine toothed sharp saw too or it`ll `rag` at it`s edges.
A fine craft bandsaw would be ideal, maybe if you`re very careful a junior hacksaw blade but cut through marked strips of tape wrapped around the carbon, it`ll stop the blade skipping.

[M.V.]

Cutting those down will give you problems.........................
The absorption / perforated tube is swaged in diameter to fit the end plates. You`ll need to cut a length from the middle of it then weld it back together if you`re shortening them. The carbon needs to be cut with a very fine toothed sharp saw too or it`ll `rag` at it`s edges.
A fine craft bandsaw would be ideal, maybe if you`re very careful a junior hacksaw blade but cut through marked strips of tape wrapped around the carbon, it`ll stop the blade skipping.

Cheers Mince, I had run through those problems, & my solution is the same, great minds hey!

I'll start with an angle grinder with a 1mm cutting blade, plenty of meat for some practice cuts

[fung]

so . . . . remove both alloy ends, and turn the carbon tube end for end or over and under etc.
you could trim both ends and redrill for both caps;)
trim the baffle tube to suit
cheers
fung

woo hoo.