painting an exhaust can????

hey i just bought a used d&d slip on and right now it has some blemishes and is somewhat polished. i want to paint it black. can this be done with regular high heat paint. trying to keep cost low so just wondering what you guys think. THANKS

Ummm...thats a good ? I know that the headers and mid pipes get really hot, and from the mid pipe back it gets a little bit cooler. By the time your at the canister the heat is not too intense ((packing helps contain heat inside)) Thats why your can grab your can in the cold for a warm up :) BUT with the heat that is there + all the exhaust from combustion being around the outlet you will get discoloration after a while. You may also get paint peel, and other stuff like that.  Honestly you would be better off just getting it powdercoated for durability, and also it may look better too. Yea i know i know that name brands arn't powder coated but they do use special paint and the can is USUALLY painted then baked for heat conditioning, then clear coated. IMO i don't think you want to go through that...i woudn't.  Ask your local auto body shop...They will most likely tell you that its not a good idea. Also find a place that powdercoats...It is not that expensive and would be worth your while in the long run.  -Good Luck!

I wouldnt use engine paint.  But high heat header paint will work fine.  It says its good up to 1500 degrees.  I dont know if it comes in gloss but i used the satin black on my headers on my camaro and had good luck with it.  They still look like the day I sprayed them which was 3 years ago.  So try it and see how it works.  Its cheaper that way and if that doesnt hold up go with the powdercoating. 

Don't do it. Leave it the way it is and don't make it look worse. Save your money and get a pipe that isn't all banged up some day down the road.

I wonder if D&D can send you out another cover?  The PO of my bike had this installed:
 

That way you could just slip on the new cover instead of trying to paint itl.

What exhaust do you have on your bike currently before this D&D?  Stock or an aftermarket?  Thinking of selling whatever it is?

i just bought some high heat black spray paint, sprayed my clutch covers, holds up to 1200+ heat, looks great

The average engine enamel is good for 500°F. If the outside of your can doesn't exceed that, you can use it. None of the high temp exhaust paints come in gloss colors, but the engine enamels do. Thanks to the packing and air passing over the shell, it usually stays cooler than you might think. I have a Yoshi can on my XR600 with a tip that I painted-in the logo on with engine enamel and it's still there after 3 years. The tip gets a lot hotter than the can does. In fact, the fender next to it melted, but the paint is still bright red.