cleaning stainless exhaust

Post by **dalebrignall** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:53 pm

i thaught i would try and clean up my exhaust.the tail section has come up fairly well,but the frount section not so it looks a bit mankey.i used autosolve.

Post by **alex_holden** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:57 pm

It's heat discolouration rather than dirt. Usually you would pickle it in acid to clean it up. You can buy something called pickling paste that rubs on (I think Frosts may sell it). Not sure I would want to risk getting it on the non-stainless parts of the car though.

Post by **les** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:50 pm

Not sure when a stainless exhaust is a stainless exhaust, some seem to go rusty and are magnetic!

Post by **aupickup** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:13 pm

and cuts and files very easy
perhaps they should be called MILDLY STAINLESS EXHAUSTS

Post by **les** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:19 pm

-----or do you think the exhausts are made by a company called Stainless?

Post by **aupickup** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:23 pm

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:52 am

Polishing the exhaust system! Well - i've heard it all now. You must have too much time on your hands.

Post by **ASL642** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:01 pm

Post by **leyther8008** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:07 pm

I questioned a metalurgist about stainless steel exhausts being magnetic and he told me its a form of stainless developed in the 80s especially for the motor trade I cant remember the code he quoted now but full on stainless is to brittle to form easily and stress cracks after a while, he added that early actual stainless exhaust systems had a special downpipe to eleviate the problem.
I also served my time in the Nuclear industry and the number of Austenitic stainless steel exhausts I used to have to make had to be seen to be believed, untill one day there was an internal audit! apparently the local canal still gives up one of my creations occasionally!.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:20 pm

Probably 304 - it's magnetic. Much better than rotten old mild steel!

Post by dp » Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:34 am

So this magnetic stainless steel - could it be used for chassis, body panels etc? Or is the brittleness still there?

Post by **leyther8008** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:45 am

I think delorean pushed it to its limits back when thats why it panels tended to be flatish with not to tight curves in them, thats one theory I,ve heard, but saying that I dont recall ever seeing the grade of stainless used described, Anybody on here got one and a magnet?

Post by **paulhumphries** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:55 am

dp wrote:So this magnetic stainless steel - could it be used for chassis, body panels etc? Or is the brittleness still there?

Go around your kitchen with a fridge magent.
You might be surprised how much magnetic stainless there is - not always cheap items either.

Paul Humphries

Post by dp » Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:55 pm

I was about to say, the Ikea stainless steel stuff is magnetic but I'm not sure that I can deduce chassisworthiness from that. That said those Ikea stainless cutlery holders make good camping braziers.