Tips on cleaning my tips?

[Egon Spengler]

I have the OEM exhaust tips on my MM and the car has almost 90k on it. The tips look like the car has 90k on it and I am wondering what options I have if any of products or secrets to get these tips spruced up a bit!

Thanks guys!

[CBT]

Say what? Clean them? I havn't vacuumed the interior in probably a year, ( I almost did for the Louisville trip )the dash has never been armoralled, I think I waxed the car twice. Cleaning exhaust pipes is something I cannot give advice on.

[Blk Mamba]

I've used "Never dull" in the past, or Brasso, they both remove road tar, and give a nice shine. I'm thinking of switching to Black Magic, and their new polishing attachment.

[freakstatus]

I asked the same thing about a year ago. Alot of guys swear by Nevr-Dull metal polish. I tried it and it worked wonders. I think its available at most Auto parts stores. Heres a link:

http://www.nevrdull.com/

[freakstatus]

I've used "Never dull" in the past, or Brasso, they both remove road tar, and give a nice shine. I'm thinking of switching to Black Magic, and their new polishing attachment.

....beat me to it.:)

[Embassy]

Once you've got a perfectly clean surface, you might want to apply a sealant/polish to protect the tips.

I use Klasse's All In One (AIO) on the tips and on the the wheels. It really helps cut down on the debris and makes wiping it off easier.

[mossiehorn]

I've used Nevr-Dull for horse tack, car parts and jewellery, works great!!!

[Dragcity]

Well, because you said you have 90,000 miles of crud on there, it will take you a week and two containers to get it clean.

Start with either Lacquer Thinner or plain old gasoline. Use an old rag that you will throw away, you'll probably go through a few of them. . Go over it until they are clean, and then polish them. I prefer fast evaporating lacquer thinner, does a nice job of getting anything and everything off them, gum, tar, paint.

No green scrubby pads, unless you want the brushed stainless vs polished stainless..

[Egon Spengler]

Thanks for the advice guys... if there are more tips... keep 'em coming!

[ckadiddle]

After you get them clean:

After car washes, I use windex impregnated towelettes to make the tips sparkle. This keeps the crud from getting built back up. Be carefull of the tips being hot.

I use Turtle Wax Ice on the wheels on those rare occaisions when we polish the cars, but I didn't know how it would react to the extreme heat of the exhaust tips so I don't use it there. It really does a nice job making the wheels reflective.

[erainsford]

Try 0000 steel wool and bug and tar remover. then polish whit chrome polish.
This works for me

[frdwrnch]

Good old fashioned Turtle Wax chrome polish works great and it's one of the least expensive products out there.

[Got_1]

SOS pads work great!! once clean, use a sealant like some have recommended

[Jolly Roger]

Whatever you do,
DON'T use Brillo or SOS pads.
Ask me how I know.:(

[RF Overlord]

^^^what Dragcity said^^^

When we got Phoebe, I don't think the tips had ever been given more than a cursory wipe with a sponge. There was some really hard black "tar" on the undersides and the bottoms of the outlets. When I say "hard", I mean that stuff was like diamond. I tried everything in my garage and some stuff from under the kitchen sink and it still took a LOT of elbow grease to finally get them clean. I used gasoline, lacquer thinner, isopropyl alcohol, Nevr-Dull, tar & bug remover, and 4/0 steel wool. I wish the car's PAINT was as tough as this stuff was... :shake:

Anywho, now that they're done, I clean them properly every time I wash the car, and use Nevr-Dull a few times a year, too, to keep them purty.

[a_d_a_m]

Gas on a rag for the hard stuff, followed immediately with a sudsy green scrubby thing (NOT BRILLO - the plastic fabric type stuff), then WAX.

[TiTo35]

I clean my tips as followed

Light spray of water...Citrus Degreaser...Stainless Steel Cleaner...let it work itself in...wash with soap and water...rinse...let air dry...wax wit 3m wax...remove then polish.


Sadly I do this everytime I wash the car...

[n3fvg]

I have the OEM exhaust tips on my MM and the car has almost 90k on it. The tips look like the car has 90k on it and I am wondering what options I have if any of products or secrets to get these tips spruced up a bit!

Thanks guys!
I use Eagle One Chrome Wheel cleaner. Recommended by Magnaflow for cleaning their tips on their cat-back system and it really does work. Spray on a cool tip, let sit for a few minutes and spray off with cold water. For really stubborn stains, a little elbow grease is required, but the stuff is amazing!

[GordonB]

OK, start with an oil-based Paint thinner. Less caustic and flammable than plain gasoline. Work on one, let sit, move to other side, and then go back and do it again UNTIL all tar and raod stuff is off. Then I use Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and go over each tip TWICE. Let dry and wipe off, then use your choice of car wax and do again.

For the partially rusted pipes uder the car, forward of the tips, use an SOS pad and scrub liberally and do it again until all rust is GONE! If they are really in bad shape, use Naval Jelly (aka weak phosphoric acid in a jell form no, not from your belly button!!!) on the rust spots and let sit then go back and use the SOS pads again. Without jacking up the car, you should be able to get all the way to the differential vicinity. I did mine on the RED MM when I was changing snow tires a week ago.

I wash the pipes and tips each time I wash the car. I use Chrome Polish as the detailing step when I am done.

GordonB

[Lowell]

I use a clay bar with WD-40 as the lubricant.
Best solution that I have found. Pulls the tar gobs off with a minimum of elbow grease.

[Georges93LX]

I have the OEM exhaust tips on my MM and the car has almost 90k on it. The tips look like the car has 90k on it and I am wondering what options I have if any of products or secrets to get these tips spruced up a bit!

Thanks guys!

I'm just thinking out loud here. If it was my car and the tips are that bad I would cut off those nasty looking OEM tips and buy a set of NEW resonator delete tips from that guy that has them listed in the for sale section. Just thinking out loud.;)

[tjg442]

"Flitz" polish, Made in Germany. Take the road tar, and (rubber) ;) off with kerosene.

[Marauderjack]

OK, start with an oil-based Paint thinner. Less caustic and flammable than plain gasoline. Work on one, let sit, move to other side, and then go back and do it again UNTIL all tar and raod stuff is off. Then I use Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and go over each tip TWICE. Let dry and wipe off, then use your choice of car wax and do again.

For the partially rusted pipes uder the car, forward of the tips, use an SOS pad and scrub liberally and do it again until all rust is GONE! If they are really in bad shape, use Naval Jelly (aka weak phosphoric acid in a jell form no, not from your belly button!!!) on the rust spots and let sit then go back and use the SOS pads again. Without jacking up the car, you should be able to get all the way to the differential vicinity. I did mine on the RED MM when I was changing snow tires a week ago.

I wash the pipes and tips each time I wash the car. I use Chrome Polish as the detailing step when I am done.

GordonB

Diesel fuel works very well too....DO NOT USE GASOLINE folks!!:shake:

[Egon Spengler]

I'm just thinking out loud here. If it was my car and the tips are that bad I would cut off those nasty looking OEM tips and buy a set of NEW resonator delete tips from that guy that has them listed in the for sale section. Just thinking out loud.;)MONEY! I want the deletes, but my money needs to go to other things!


"Flitz" polish, Made in Germany. Take the road tar, and (rubber) ;) off with kerosene.I don't know what you are talking about with the rubber comment!:P My friends and family don't call me "The Burnout Kid" or anything!;)

Thanks guys... all great information!

[Hack Goby]

I use a clay bar with WD-40 as the lubricant.
Best solution that I have found. Pulls the tar gobs off with a minimum of elbow grease. Lowell,Good to see you posting here again.

[NavySeabee]

Try 0000 steel wool and bug and tar remover. then polish whit chrome polish.
This works for me

Would the 0000 steel wool get rid of tiny micro-scratches on the tips? I use NevrDull and Mother's Metal polish, but I know my tips could get better.

Thanks.