Guys,

It's been awhile since I cleaned up "polished stainless" exhaust tips. My punishment for waiting so long is there are a few spots of thick (carbon?) build-up/residue that isn't coming off using a metal polish and a soft rag. How can I safely remove this residue without scratching the polished metal finish?

Are these OEm tips you are referring to or what kind of exhuast tips?

I would try a cleaner (maybe something like KAIO than ramping it up accordingly to a an APC). I would still be a bit weary as strong APCs can still leave hazes on exhaust tips. Sure way would be steel wool #0000 and monitoring your work. Should be no match. GL.

WD-40, elbow grease, and an old t-shirt / rag. Finish up with some blue magic polish & a microfiber.

These are aftermarket tips (Velocity, I believe), that were welded onto a Stillen cat-back true-dual exhaust system. I went with these tips because they closely resembled the stock tips. So to try your suggestions I should do this:

1. Kaio
2. APC
3. Steel wool #0000 with close monitoring

I assume #1 and #2 are compounds that are somewhat abrasive and will "urge" the residue off the tips? Where can I get these items? Please tell me a local store, and not online...

Thanks again,
B

WD-40, huh? Can't I use my Mother's Billet Metal polish after I elbow that s**t off?

A little bit, the APC (all purpose cleaner) is not abbrasive but it can lead to hazing/staining depending on the exhaust tips (i.e. if they are anodized, etc.) and the strength of the cleaner.

Klasse AIO has a very small cutting ability but is an excellent cleaner (doubles as a sealant afterwards to make sure future removal is easy as a wipe). It might have potential but if you are mentioning a metal polish had difficulties, I would say go to steel wool or the APC.

Steel Wool #0000 is abbrasive but many people have done it with excellent and safe results.

I live in Winnipeg, Canada, so unfortunately I have no idea what local stores are in MD (Maryland?).

George from detailed image can give you a better idea on an APC, I bought locally so I cannot recommend a particular brand as I haven't used one used widely.

Klasse AIO might be available from local detailing shops and same with Steel Wool. I also wetsanded my exhaust tips and made a DIY for it (Steel Wool would be alot easier):

https://g35driver.com/forums/care-de...-polished.html

Great, I'll try the steel wool approach, looks like I'm heading to Lowe's/Home Depot tomorrow!

yeah, spray it on, let it soak in for a minute or two, and the soot will come off pretty quickly. do it a few times, scrub away the tougher spots, then finish up with whatever polish you want.

as for the steel wool, i was hesitant to go that route so i got one of those abbrasive green pads and put it behind the rag i used for scrubbing. gave me just enough grit for tough spots, but didn't add any new scratches.

Nice guess I'll try this before steel wooling my shinies!

are your exhaust tips THAT bad? i've got mothers metal polish and it will take about 30 mins to really clean those up. a little dawn beforehand to let it soak would be the least-aggressive way to prep it before you put on the mother's polish. and it's only like $7 at the auto parts store.

Actually I first soaked the residue in some WD-40 for a few minutes and used a mildly abrasive clear-coat safe "sandpaper-grade" polish pad. That removes some. Next I used some 3M rubbing compound along with the same polishing pad. Now 95% of the residue is gone!

However it does seem that the parts of the exhaust tip (underneath, where the exhaust moisture drips over the edge of the bottoms of the tips) where I removed the black build-up have now lost a bit of their "luster" vs the rest of the polished tips. They shine is less silvery and starting to turn a bit darker. It still shines but is noticeably less bright up on close inspection. Is this expected as the tips age?

I use 0000 steel wool, M105(still testing) followed by Poorboys wheel sealant. The scratches it leaves are so miniscule that they are only noticeable when you are 2 feet away looks at them in direct sun.

Try ChemTool B-12. Not the spray, the gallon can that you soak a carb in. They are not the same. It should work and I KNOW it will not hurt the finish.

0000 steel wool is the way to go. I've done it several times on the G and FX without holding back and both look great. Freaked me out at first to think of using steel to clean chrome, but 0000 is amazing stuff that leaves no damage.