Stripping original paint from headers- anyone seen this?

[Indian 1]

So I'm getting ready to paint my headers. I previously ran them for just a couple of minutes on my engine last fall on the engine stand. I used paint stripper on them twice and the ends of the tubes nearest the mounting flanges has been extremely difficult to remove. I used a wire brush on them the second time around and they didn't change much except where the paint was already thin. Part of me wonders if these actually had high temp paint on them from the start because where they got hottest, they seem to have cured. Have any of you had this experience? I don't mean to rock the boat, and I respect your collective opinions, but this makes me scratch my head. Thanks!

 

[melsg5]

They make all sorts of paint stripper these days due to environmental factors. Have you tried a stronger chemical? The other thing is if the paint is that difficult to remove, just spray over it.