best way to clean your exhaust tip from the black residue

plarkin · 04-28-2012, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kid Red

I bought a rough, medium, and fine 3 pack of steel wool today at Autozone. Is the fine equal or close enough to 0000? Or is that a specialty grade that will need to be purchased online?

I picked up 0000 at Home Depot. I'm not sure how close fine is to 0000.

M.Etreby · 04-29-2012, 03:29 AM

i tried car shampoo (SONAX) on another car that i have with supersprint muffler box it did good, then i coated it with the wheel wax, i drove for 3 hrs straight, stopped and with a bottle of water and tissue i had it cleaned again (no effort).
Point is: WAX IT regularly .

Route 16 · 04-29-2012, 04:12 AM

I wanna see pictures of how clean you guys claim it gets. Inside and out.

gary88 · 04-29-2012, 05:13 PM

Mothers mag & aluminum polish for me. Leaves them looking like new every time.

Route 16 · 04-29-2012, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary88

Mothers mag & aluminum polish for me. Leaves them looking like new every time.

Is this after you had a very dirty inside pipe? I'm talking years of soot that's never been removed.

Dr.GumbyM.D. · 04-30-2012, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yo-Hi.Red.Devil

Is this after you had a very dirty inside pipe? I'm talking years of soot that's never been removed.

FWIW, I recently tried cleaning out my exhaust tips on my 328i. CPO with 37,000 miles. Looked like it was never cleaned. I got Mother's Mag /aluminum polish, took out the dremel with the polishing white fabric tips, and went at it. 30 minutes later.... any shiny spot on the exhaust looked great, but it couldn't lift the "years of soot that's never been removed." I still have yet to tackle that. I'm sure steel wool or something will remove it, or if I used one of the more aggressive polishing wheels in my sanding/polishing kit. But I haven't yet. I can just say that however much you try by hand, you can't get that grunge off with the mag/alum polish (fine, you could, but it would take hours/days of vigorous rubbing. Who has time for that?).

vapore0n · 04-30-2012, 09:16 AM

Wheel cleaner + brush to remove most if not all of the carbon deposit.
Megs power ball + metal polish to remove the rest and polish it to a shine. Leaves a protectant coat too.

gary88 · 04-30-2012, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yo-Hi.Red.Devil

Is this after you had a very dirty inside pipe? I'm talking years of soot that's never been removed.

I do this weekly, so no. If you have soot caked on you'll need something to break it up first. I've used a little bit of brake cleaner on a sponge before and it worked well.

LXXV · 05-08-2014, 08:26 PM

Thanks for many good suggestions. What just worked best for me was a combination of brillo pads, brass brush, water, simple green, engine cleaner, flat top stove cleaner, and some elbow grease. Probably six years of carbon build-up on our Acura RDX.

Eat.Sleep.Race · 05-09-2014, 03:46 PM

i always use some soapy water and steel wool after i washed my car. Now i have an exhaust that i dont have to do that every wash for lol!

dhanni848 · 05-09-2014, 04:45 PM

Red scotch bright.

I do the tips last and just dip the pad in the soap bucket. Gets the black off super easy.

slimxb8 · 05-26-2015, 02:27 PM

Wire wheel on a drill... looks like a fresh honed cylinder bore :-)

SLOWER · 05-27-2015, 11:04 AM

I use WD-40 and a scotch brite pad.

B39 B58 · 05-27-2015, 04:15 PM

My favorite for exhaust tips is P21S polishing soap. 0000 steel wool or a brass brush if you really need it. Bought my car CPO and it took a handful of scrubbing sessions (made a little progress each time I washed the car) to get through the layer of buildup on the right exhaust tip, but now it's really easy to maintain. I also recommend Wolfgang metal sealant once you get it clean.

SHEEDI · 05-27-2015, 08:30 PM

jtuds · 05-28-2015, 11:34 AM

I have the M sport exhaust right now with stainless tips and I find that the soot doesn't just build up inside the pipe but also accumulates on the outside of the rim of the pipe.

I use 0000 and 000 steel wool. The 000 only on the inside and the 0000 on the outside. I use more pressure inside the pipe than outside the pipe. On the outside I find if you just press the 0000 against the build-up and keep going back and forth over it, it will eventually go away.

I am upgrading to the Dinan exhaust with black tips in a few weeks, and even though it will be black I still want to keep it clean. I am not sure I want to use steel wool at all on the black finish though because I think that if it scratched or mars it at all it'll be noticeable, so hopefully I can find a liquid cleaner that will work with a rag.

mg4734 · 05-31-2015, 10:59 AM

I used a dremel with a wire brush, then used the dremel to polish the lip of my exhaust tips. I touch it up with metal polish every few washes. Has worked great. I don't fuss with the inside of the tip much though, too much work

constantin_md · 06-02-2015, 02:29 AM

99% alcohol, lemon and salt

constantin_md · 06-02-2015, 03:47 AM

Peanut butter works wonders too

04-29-2012, 03:29 AM	#24
M.Etreby First Lieutenant 36 Rep 306 Posts Drives: 2011 Black Sapphire E90 330i Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Egypt iTrader: (0)	i tried car shampoo (SONAX) on another car that i have with supersprint muffler box it did good, then i coated it with the wheel wax, i drove for 3 hrs straight, stopped and with a bottle of water and tissue i had it cleaned again (no effort). Point is: WAX IT regularly . __________________ M.Etreby F M double Grills, 19"313, Perf.Exhaust with dimisatips, RPI red scoops, K&N filter, LUX-H8 160, Aluminum strut bar, PBX, Perf. Suspension, F30 M-Perf. Brakes
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04-29-2012, 04:12 AM	#25
Route 16 I got lei'd 844 Rep 7,593 Posts Drives: '10 E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Dark Side of the Moon iTrader: (62)	I wanna see pictures of how clean you guys claim it gets. Inside and out.
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04-29-2012, 05:13 PM	#26
gary88 Ikea enthusiast 334 Rep 8,140 Posts Drives: '07 E92 335i Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (3) Garage List 2007 E92 335i [7.96]	Mothers mag & aluminum polish for me. Leaves them looking like new every time. __________________ garyhebdingjr.com \| flickr \| Instagram
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04-30-2012, 09:16 AM	#29
vapore0n Captain 40 Rep 669 Posts Drives: 2010 335i Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: MA iTrader: (0)	Wheel cleaner + brush to remove most if not all of the carbon deposit. Megs power ball + metal polish to remove the rest and polish it to a shine. Leaves a protectant coat too.
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05-08-2014, 08:26 PM	#31
LXXV Private 2 Rep 55 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 xdrive35i Join Date: May 2011 Location: CO iTrader: (1)	Thanks for many good suggestions. What just worked best for me was a combination of brillo pads, brass brush, water, simple green, engine cleaner, flat top stove cleaner, and some elbow grease. Probably six years of carbon build-up on our Acura RDX.
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05-09-2014, 03:46 PM	#32
Eat.Sleep.Race Out Boosting... 242 Rep 3,987 Posts Drives: F30 335i M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Northern VA iTrader: (7)	i always use some soapy water and steel wool after i washed my car. Now i have an exhaust that i dont have to do that every wash for lol! __________________ Alpine White M-Sport F30
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05-09-2014, 04:45 PM	#33
dhanni848 Lieutenant 38 Rep 475 Posts Drives: 06 330i Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (0)	Red scotch bright. I do the tips last and just dip the pad in the soap bucket. Gets the black off super easy.
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05-26-2015, 02:27 PM	#34
slimxb8 First Lieutenant 51 Rep 308 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 BMW 328i [0.00]	Wire wheel on a drill... looks like a fresh honed cylinder bore :-)
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05-27-2015, 11:04 AM	#35
SLOWER Lieutenant Colonel 309 Rep 1,733 Posts Drives: 2003 M3 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: MA iTrader: (8) Garage List 2024 BMW X5 M60i [0.00] 2003 M3 Convertible [0.00]	I use WD-40 and a scotch brite pad.
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05-27-2015, 04:15 PM	#36
B39 B58 Private First Class 15 Rep 110 Posts Drives: 2016 340i / M Sport / 6MT Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (0)	My favorite for exhaust tips is P21S polishing soap. 0000 steel wool or a brass brush if you really need it. Bought my car CPO and it took a handful of scrubbing sessions (made a little progress each time I washed the car) to get through the layer of buildup on the right exhaust tip, but now it's really easy to maintain. I also recommend Wolfgang metal sealant once you get it clean. __________________ 2016 340i M Sport \| 6MT
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05-27-2015, 08:30 PM	#37
SHEEDI Banned 601 Rep 2,703 Posts Drives: 2009 335i - Sport PKG Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NY iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 335i [8.50]
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05-28-2015, 11:34 AM	#38
jtuds Major 71 Rep 1,111 Posts Drives: 335rwd Dinan S2 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: London, ON iTrader: (0)	I have the M sport exhaust right now with stainless tips and I find that the soot doesn't just build up inside the pipe but also accumulates on the outside of the rim of the pipe. I use 0000 and 000 steel wool. The 000 only on the inside and the 0000 on the outside. I use more pressure inside the pipe than outside the pipe. On the outside I find if you just press the 0000 against the build-up and keep going back and forth over it, it will eventually go away. I am upgrading to the Dinan exhaust with black tips in a few weeks, and even though it will be black I still want to keep it clean. I am not sure I want to use steel wool at all on the black finish though because I think that if it scratched or mars it at all it'll be noticeable, so hopefully I can find a liquid cleaner that will work with a rag.
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05-31-2015, 10:59 AM	#39
mg4734 Lieutenant 28 Rep 409 Posts Drives: 2009 335i M-Sport Coupe Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Illinois iTrader: (2)	I used a dremel with a wire brush, then used the dremel to polish the lip of my exhaust tips. I touch it up with metal polish every few washes. Has worked great. I don't fuss with the inside of the tip much though, too much work __________________ 2009 E92 335i M-Sport - MHD Stage One - BMW Performance Exhaust - BMS Oil Catch Can - CDV Delete - K&N Panel Filter - Arc Angel H8 bulbs - Gloss Black Kidney Grills - Painted Reflectors - VRSF Charge Pipe
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06-02-2015, 02:29 AM	#40
constantin_md Second Lieutenant 58 Rep 241 Posts Drives: 2014 F15 X5 sDrive35i Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (0)	99% alcohol, lemon and salt
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06-02-2015, 03:47 AM	#41
constantin_md Second Lieutenant 58 Rep 241 Posts Drives: 2014 F15 X5 sDrive35i Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (0)	Peanut butter works wonders too Last edited by constantin_md; 06-02-2015 at 03:55 AM..
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