Cleaning tarnished stainless exhausts
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flatlander
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randomsquid
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GregD-UK
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Cleaning...
Hi all,
My mate who makes exhausts, uses a 4 inch buffing wheel and some kinda animal fat block that he rubs on the wheel before giving the exhaust a damn good cleaning
My mate who makes exhausts, uses a 4 inch buffing wheel and some kinda animal fat block that he rubs on the wheel before giving the exhaust a damn good cleaning
My warranty is the clear/smoked tail lights around the corner!!
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mangocrazy
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randomsquid
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There's always the bollocks to that route. Works for some.
Autosol and wire wool does work and gets the pipes nice and clean but you will be doing them again within months and it can be bloody hard work if they're not good to start with. Washing them after every ride once clean - whichever method you finally decide on - is as good a way of keeping them reasonably shiny but won't stop them blueing. And exhaust wrap is a good way of hiding them so that you don't need to clean them again. But that might upset a few purists too.
Autosol and wire wool does work and gets the pipes nice and clean but you will be doing them again within months and it can be bloody hard work if they're not good to start with. Washing them after every ride once clean - whichever method you finally decide on - is as good a way of keeping them reasonably shiny but won't stop them blueing. And exhaust wrap is a good way of hiding them so that you don't need to clean them again. But that might upset a few purists too.
I'm right 98% of the time so why worry about the other 3%?
The only way the metals in an alloy can separate is if it's re-melted and even then it's extremely difficult to do :-/
Wonderwheels will do the trick of cleaning them. Don't let it dry on though, and keep washing them down with plenty of water.
Never use an abrasive paste or pad, scouring leaves microscopic scratches in the metal's surface, increasing it's surface area dramatically which means more metal exposed to the elements which means... more tarnishing or corrosion in the future.
And never ever use wire wool on stainless! The mild steel wool embeds into the stainless steel and rusts, and stainless doesn't mean completely stainless, rather corrosion resistant ie. not corrosion proof. So if rusting steel is embedded in it, that will lead to the stainless steel corroding as well.
Wonderwheels will do the trick of cleaning them. Don't let it dry on though, and keep washing them down with plenty of water.
Never use an abrasive paste or pad, scouring leaves microscopic scratches in the metal's surface, increasing it's surface area dramatically which means more metal exposed to the elements which means... more tarnishing or corrosion in the future.
And never ever use wire wool on stainless! The mild steel wool embeds into the stainless steel and rusts, and stainless doesn't mean completely stainless, rather corrosion resistant ie. not corrosion proof. So if rusting steel is embedded in it, that will lead to the stainless steel corroding as well.
SHINY BIKE SYNDROME Motorcycle valeting and paint protection specialist.
Aladinsaneuk wrote:andy is having a VERY heavy period
thats what i was going to sayNooj wrote:The only way the metals in an alloy can separate is if it's re-melted and even then it's extremely difficult to do :-/
Wonderwheels will do the trick of cleaning them. Don't let it dry on though, and keep washing them down with plenty of water.
Never use an abrasive paste or pad, scouring leaves microscopic scratches in the metal's surface, increasing it's surface area dramatically which means more metal exposed to the elements which means... more tarnishing or corrosion in the future.
And never ever use wire wool on stainless! The mild steel wool embeds into the stainless steel and rusts, and stainless doesn't mean completely stainless, rather corrosion resistant ie. not corrosion proof. So if rusting steel is embedded in it, that will lead to the stainless steel corroding as well.
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mangocrazy
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And which is what I believe I said a page ago...
mangocrazy wrote:Whatever you do, I'd steer clear of wire wool, unless it's stainless wire wool. The best bet is Scotchbrite (or an equivalent), which is available in 3 grades that I'm aware of. With ordinary wire wool, all you are doing is to leave minute fragments of mild steel embedded in the stainless, which will rust at first contact with water and leach all over your handiwork.
Good advice then 
SHINY BIKE SYNDROME Motorcycle valeting and paint protection specialist.
Aladinsaneuk wrote:andy is having a VERY heavy period