Is there a way to repair a dent/scratched stainless exhaust shield? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Is there a way to repair a dent/scratched stainless exhaust shield?

johnnyh55

Member
I have a dent in my exhaust shield for one of the mufflers on my 2005 Honda VFR and was wondering if there is a way to repair the dent? I looked up the price of the shield from honda and it's $160. The shield can be removed from the muffler to be worked on, that is not a problem.

exhaust shield.jpg
 
Gatekeeper has it correct. Alternatively rivet some type of emblem over the dent.
 
take it off, bang it out from the other side as well as you can, buff it on a polishing wheel, and you will get as good as you can.......still might see some sort of defect, but not as bad as it is....

.

When you bang it out, do you use a hammer on the inside and dolly on the outside?
 
I've worked with magicians in the past that could probably pop that back with a torch and no hammer, but as an amateur, I would be going with a hammer & dolly. Take it easy and use a hammer with a gentle curve, a ball-peen hammer (or similar) will make a huge mess.

It's hard to tell from the picture. Is there a crease in the dent, or it is smooth? If there's a crease it in, you have your work cut out for you.
 
If you take it to someone that knows what they're doing, he or she could do a decent repair. It cannot come back to perfect, but a good metal smith could make it look "OK".

A thin piece of chromed metal is no place to learn how to beat dents.
I guarantee if you go at that you will screw it up so it is irreparable in less than 3 minutes.
The metal has stretched. To get it flat again you have to shrink the stretched metal. The easy way is with heat but that will mar the finish.

Replace it or try not to look at it. IF and thats a big IF, you could find someone that could fix it in Canada, you would pay. If you are going to Holguin, Cuba... I know a guy.
 
Last edited:
What about buying one from a wrecker? You might luck out and find one for a lot less than new.
 
Perhaps a visit to a body shop for a quote and advice?

It's not like they don't see this once in a while.

If you are going to hammer it out, might I suggest a densely filled sandbag on the opposite side? It will perform better than a piece of wood and absorb more of the applied force.
 
I have never done this or seen it done, but I was wondering, would it help if you heat up the metal before you hammer it, or would that ruin the chrome?
 
I have never done this or seen it done, but I was wondering, would it help if you heat up the metal before you hammer it, or would that ruin the chrome?

Is it chrome or polished stainless? Heat without experience is a good way to make an even bigger mess out of this. A little bit of heat (eg propane torch) will provide little value. An acetylene torch would work but you have to be careful with your temps. His best bet is a new part, then a good bodywork guy (or woman), then attempting to do it himself cold and slow (obviously decreasing in results and price as you go).
 

Back
Top Bottom