Non uniform header blueing?

#1 & #3 headers have blued quite considerably but #2 & #4 are only faintly blue, more amberish.

Any thoughts as to why this might happen? Why do they blue? Are they getting too hot? #1 & #3 too lean? Does the blueing happen at speed or at idle?

Chromed steel turns color when exposed to heat. It will start out yellow-brown, then brown-blue, then blue.
The higher the temp, the quicker it will turn blue. From your description, 1 & 3 might be running a tad hotter than 2 & 4. But the temp difference may not be much.
Is it too hot? Well, too hot for the chrome, but maybe not too hot for the engine. How do your plugs look?

I've been told that a product called Blue Job will remove the blue, and bring back the chrome. Never tried it myself, so I don't know for sure. But the pipes would probably just turn blue again anyway.

del

It does look like 1&3 would be running hotter than 2&4, which might indicate those cylinders are running leaner.
Blueing can occur at any speed, low, mid or WOT. Unless you are riding flat out all the time or your main jets ar WAY too small I would say it's more likely the blueing occors at low or midrange.

I would first check if all airscrews are set the same, and check for airleaks around the intake boots as well. How are the carburettors jetted, are you sure they all have the same size jets and the needles are set the same? Are you running pods or the stock airbox?

Oh, and like ltdrider suggested, check your plugs!

Post edited by: dutchz, at: 2006/05/31 16:44

You can paint the inside of the pipes with a high temp paint and it will stop the blueing. Just make sure it is all covered. You can't paint all the way down but you can get the paint to run at least halfway down. This is just a problem coverup though, not a fix.