Thanks in part to some tips found here, I managed to get my exhaust off cleanly and intact, painted, and remounted without anything being destroyed. While by no means in good shape, there was enough metal remaining to sand down, and get a few coats of paint on. . .To return the favor of those who kept me from cutting my headers apart, I'll keep you all posted on how the paint stands up. . .
Headers:
Prep: Sanded to bare metal with 60grit.
Paint: Rust-Oleum High-Temp Flat Black (spray), no primer as recommended on can. Rated for 1200 degrees F.
Initial Finish: Very flat, almost looks more like a coating than a paint (If that makes any sense)
Mufflers:
Prep: Sanded with 80grit, loose coating and surface pitting removed.
Paint: Dupli-Color Black Semi-Gloss Engine Enamel (spray), over Dupli-Color Engine Primer (spray). Rated 500 degrees F.
Initial Finish: Very shiny for a 'semi-gloss', and looks damned good overall.
First ride summary:
About 50 degrees out, total of about 20 miles, mixed highway and city driving. Not exciting, but I had to work that day. The Rust-Oleum smoked for about 5 minutes (as warned on can). After ride impressions:
The Headers look good, no apparent change except maybe a little bit flatter. The finish on the mufflers is dulled for 3-4 inches behind the junctions, but not bubbled or peeling.
Let me know if this helps anyone, and if i should keep updating once it gets warm enough to be riding again (down in the 20s again in NJ, dammit)