Has anyone got any tips on cleaning stainless steal exhuasts

[hornetmike]

As above really, just bought a bike and the only thing letting it down is the downpipes are stained, what's the best way of cleaning them ?
____________________
87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[Paxovasa]

Autoglym metal polish
____________________
Suzuki GSF600 K3 (in the fastest colour, black).

[fiveus]

brillo pads

[hornetmike]

Probably a school boy comment, but is stainless steal, stainless all the way through or is it a coating ?
____________________
87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[Dazbo666]

I tend to use green nylon scouring pads to get the worst of the grit and muck off, then metal polish to get the shiny finish

As for stainless steel, or stainless coating, I seem to remember reading somewhere on this forum that pure stainless steel is not magnetic??
____________________
1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[0l0dom0l0]

Brick acid works well.

Spray on with a bottle, or brush on. Leave for 2 mins, rinse off with hose.

I will try to find an old thread I remember where a guy cleaned his hornet exhausts with brick acid. The difference was crazy!

Also, if its high grade stainless it wont be magnetic as above ^, but if its low grade then it will be magnetic. The stainless isn't a coating, its all the way through, so don't worry about taking a bit off!

EDIT: Here is the link, but I have stole the pics. Used Brick acid, then the autosol with scouring pads.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=200279&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=hornet+exhaust&start=25

Before:

https://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx346/ThatHornet/51a59ac0.jpg

After:

https://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx346/ThatHornet/a52fb838.jpg

https://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx346/ThatHornet/12240d74.jpg

[nathandenniso...]

+1 for Brillo Pads, cheap and easy to use and do the job perfectly (if you put in the elbow grease)

[Rowey]

Stainless steel is not actually un-stainable, it's called stainless as it will not easily oxidise in air. Stainless steel will discolour and dirt will burn onto it.

It's steel typically with chromium and nickel added. Other metals can be added to change it's properties. It resists rusting by forming a layer of chromium oxide over the metal.

Proper stainless is almost completely non-magnetic.
____________________
ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Rowey]

Oops, and OT. I use those coiled flat steel type brillo pads with a bit of oven cleaner at first then move onto a finer scourer and metal polish.
____________________
ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Scotsman37]

For removing stubborn burnt on stains I found using extremely fine wet/dry finishing paper does an excellent job of finishing of pipes to make them shine again!

[flange]

[clancy]

autoglym metal polish i use auto glym almost everything, brilliant stuff
____________________
KLX 300r

[Teflon-Mike]

Yes, 'Stainless' steel is a bit of a mis-noma.
Its a high Nickel/Tin steel alloy, which is rust resistant, due to the electro-pottentials and a galvanic self healing effect, like zinc plating, as in 'galvanised' after the clever chap that noted the effect of different electro-pottentials between metals.....
Given the right circumstances 'Stainless' will tarnish and even rust, its just not as inclined as mild steel.
And 'bluing' due to heat is one of the things that will discolour it.
Think thats actually the chrome content, becouse single skin chrome plated headers do the same thing when exposed to severe heat...
As do 'stainless' butter knives stuck in a gas-fire in student digs... when used for particular purposes you would NOT expect your mother to recognise, when she turns up with a care package and decides to do the washing up!
You can remove some of the tarnish off them with a brillo-pad and polish, because it is in the surface layer.. its not a coating, but the oxide layer that forms a skin on the exposed surface of the metal, and some of the tarnish is 'crud' coloring the oxide like anodizing is colouring in aluminium oxide surface layer....
The bluing though, you wont remove, because thats actually in the metal.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[clancy]

i dont get where people get the idea stainless cant stain. if it couldnt stain it would be could stainproof stell.

its stainless, because it stain-LESS than normal steel
____________________
KLX 300r

[pits]

#00 gauge wire wool and Autosol metal polish, scouring pads will just scratch it all up and leave scratches

[kestrel]

[ms51ves3]

[warped one]

If your trying to get rid of 'Bluing' then try this:
https://www.elmerwallace.co.uk/Antox-Pickling-products/46.htm

It basically burn the crud off.

All you do it paste it on with a paint brush, leave it for 15minutes then wash it off with a hose. Got to be the most lazy way of making an exhaust shine.
____________________
amnesia - Never in the history of usernames has one been more accurate. Warped indeed. You sir are a fecking oddball.

[woodyfjr]

Brick acid... I'll give that a try. Cheers
____________________
If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

If you have to rev it! Don't Buy it!

[CarlosCBR]

Autosol and wire wool.
____________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OPv5mDPQ14

https://www.facebook.com/carl.simmonds.7

[killa]

If you use a type of scourer pad at first, with some metal polish, what type of cloth or whatever, would you use to finish the job?
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[owl10]

Hmmm,

Cleaning up stains you've left behind whilst stealing someones exhaust - depends on the stains you've left I suppose.

Cleaning up stainless steel is another matter....
____________________
DanceLikeAMonkey says: "An infinte amount of web pages available
Yet I still end up reading crap like that"

[clancy]