Stainless Exhaust my arse!

[armynick]

Anyone know how to get the browning off my so called stainless twin exhaust? It seems to have only effected the hotter pipe of the two and looks like rust. My bike one doesn't turn like that.

Do I have to get it off and have it polished? It's less than a year old! Not willing to autosol my spare time away!

[ABBTVR]

Anyone know how to get the browning off my so called stainless twin exhaust?

Hi Nick, just wondering the same thing.
See www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=9&t=29339

I think it's a for “BANANNA MAN”

I think I saw his all shiny in one of his recent photos.
Come on bb let us into the secret!

TYIA for the answer.

Big Al.

[DanH]

Well if its only light and you keep on top of it, just use normal car shampoo. Otherwise you can use car metal polish but keep it off the bodywork. Think autoglym do some.

My SS exhaust does this too Hell even my stainless cutlery forms some kind of oxide layer when I leave it in the dishwasher too long, think its humidity related.

[armynick]

It's not a surface thing it looks like the metal has changed colour!

[All Terrain]

when you heat stainless to REALLY hot temperatures it goes a brown/gold colour with somtimes a blue edge. Not Sure why.

[armynick]

Bugger!

[ABBTVR]

Not Sure why.

Oxidation!

Big Al.

[tvrmark]

Depending on the grade, s/steel can rust and in some causes as bad as mild steel.

Mark

[jmorgan]

Put a magnet on it. If it sticks its not high grade SS. At least that's what me old metal work teacher used o say.

[Bodo]

DanH said:
My SS exhaust does this too

My SS exhaust does this too; from the time it was six moths old. Now it's six years old, but still works fine

[DanH]

Anyway its not how it looks, its how it sounds. Just glad my car is a bit gruntier sounding than a sewing machine now

[Bodo]

DanH said:
Anyway its not how it looks, its how it sounds. Just glad my car is a bit gruntier sounding than a sewing machine now

Dan, it makes no difference on a Landrover 2¼ diesel
but hey - it works, and it was cheap

[nevpugh308]

I can't remember the codes exactly (my dad would remember, he used to be a buyer for a steelworks) but there's different grades of SS. Frequenly SS exhaust boxes are made of higher grade metal than the pipes, the result being they stay all shiny, but the pipes will get a very light, surface covering / dusting of rust. Nothing to worry about however, it will practically NEVER actually rust through, it's just cosmetic. You can get some wire wool and "polish" the tubes up again, if you want (but they'll rust again, mind)

[mybrainhurts]

armynick, you muttered............"STAINLESS EXHAUST MY ARSE"

You, sir, have clearly not tried one of my curries.........

[pawsmcgraw]

if its 430 stainless it'll rust.If its 304 or 316 it wont rust as much.There is no such thing as stain proof stainless,just grades of resistance to different chemicals,foodstuffs,chlorine and stuffs.I find normal car wax polish stops it discolouring but it depends what is in the metal and what comes out when it gets hot.Just a good excuse to get the polishing cloth out,if you can be arsed.

[johnmckenzie]

Best thing I've found is Lemon Juice (no - this is not a wind-up). Saw wife one day in kitchen wiping out a stainless steel saucepan that was "blued" from heat with half a cut lemon. Couldn't believe my eyes - saucepans almost immediately immaculate. Apparently it's an old cooks trick. Tried it same day on the light bluing on my Cerbera sports exhaust and ... Magic. Use it now every time the car is washed to keep them looking good. Dont know how well it will work on a neglected system but if its given a really good clean with "Barkeepers Friend" first it should do the trick. In case you haven't come across it, Barkeepers Friend is a dry, very fine powder cleaning agent. Looks a bit like Vim used to with a slight bleachy smell. It's used on a damp cloth for polishing stainless, copper, brass, pewter, etc etc. Very good stuff and its fine enough that you get no scratching. Its freely available - got my last lot at Sainsburys.

Hope this helps

John

[mel]

Lemon juice is fairly close and reasonably advice if it's not serious. But you've only really got three "industrial" choices. If the blueing is really serious and similar to that caused by welding it needs either the hardcore abrasive polish ie wire wool, wet and dry and then buffing mops and soap, which is hardwork and not always practical to get into. The other option is to go to a local welding suppliers and get some weld pickling acid, this is pretty offensive stuff and needs big rubber gloves, visor, and plenty of water to rinse afterwards oh and watch paintwork and anything else not st/st, but it's cheap and easy on the elbow grease. The final option is very 21st century and means going to a company called Metatec in portsmouth and getting some Metaflux Stainless Steel Polishing Paste, it's inert to the skin and literally polishes burn marks, discolouration, and light surface oxidisation off with minimal effort and no nasty corrosive chemicals the downside is it's about £45 for a 500g pot so not cheap.
www.metatec.co.uk

[johnmckenzie]

Oh, the lemon juice trick is perfectly serious - try it. As long as its not deep bluing caused by serious overheating it will work. Metaflux paste sounds interesting - is it availablr through factors or welding suppliers or only direct from factory?

Regards

John

[victormeldrew]

The Barkeepers Friend is in the Betterware catalogue BTW, and it does work. A rare gem in the midst of a lot of dross. Oh, Sticky Stuff Remover is good stuff too - gets rid of the gooey black stuff that oozes out from under your TVR carpets onto the beading.

[RichB]

johnmckenzie said: Oh, the lemon juice trick is perfectly serious - try it. John

Are you guys talking about polishing the tail pipes or the huge tubes in th eengine bay with the cats and all that? My front Y piece is a sort of dull brown clour but I guess it'd look good polished? Rich...