Grubby Exhaust Pipes - Replace?

[stealthwolf]

I clean my pipes with the following:

1. Spray engine degreaser in and around the exhaust tips. Leave for a good while.
2. Agitate with brush (I use a cheapo alloy brush from halfrauds), wipe.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 several times.
4. Start the car up and gently dab the throttle to get rid of any remaining loose crap.
5. Clean using WD40 and MF cloth
6. Dry with cloth and apply polish
7. Work polish using 00-grade wirewool if necessary
8. Work polish using green side of washing up sponge if necessary
9. Work polish using MF cloth
10. Buff off with clean MF cloth

[JPC]

can i just comment on what jules said about leaving the degreaser on for 20/30 minutes.

I dont want to appear off, but i wouldnt recommend doing that at all.

It will cause as much of its own problems as the soot on the pipes.
there is no advantage in leaving degreaser on for 5-6 minutes.
 Any longer and will start to dry and you dont want that.
5-6 minutes is more than enough for the degreaser to do its thing.

I dont want to appear off but wouldnt want anyone doing any damage with miss-information.

[stealthwolf]

^^^I leave the degreaser on for a bit. Not thirty mins but longer than a few mins. I tend to do more applications and scrubbing rather than leaving it on for longer.

[Jules86]

As with most advise its usually best to alter it as you wish for the best results for yourself. For mine i left it 20 minutes as the previous owner had never cleaned them! Had to repeat it aswell 

I used autoglym engine degreaser which is pretty weak to be honest as well 

[JPC]

as stealthwolf suggested, its better to do multiple applications, as to avoid drying. Autoglym engine and machine cleaner is pretty good in my experience, just a bit pricey when you go thru it like i do

[RedRobin]

....

I'm amazed at the amount of time and effort you guys put into cleaning your zorst tips.

The stock oem tips were horrendous to keep clean and the silver Millteks were better but still needed lots of work. Now I've got Milltek's new ceramic black satin finish and just a wipe and buff with Meg's NXT Tech 2.0 wax and it's back like new both inside and out - Perfect solution for my laziness. I'd rather be driving than detailing.

[keith]

 :grin:Thats why your cars going pink

I use some wire wool and Harley Davidson crome polish a few rubs and there good, I echo JPC comments on leaving some products on to long can in effect coz more damage always read the label.

[tomhighcliffe]

Dont replace them 

My mothers GTI after some wire wool, megs metal polish and some time

Left is untouched, right one was after only 10 mins



Both done



I then polished them up a few times to add more shine and sealed them with jetseal

new member and still getting used to the whole forum thing, never used one before, my exhausts are black and wont come clean, going to try engine degreaser tomorrow, can anybody shed any light on "jetseal" i.e. where I could get some from and costs etc?

[Ifti]

Well I guess Im the saddest of all of you then?

I polished them up with 00 grade wire wool. I then used Autosol to polish them up.
I did this on the odd occasion last summer.

This is the bit that makes me a little sad I guess...............

I..................well...................I kinda..................................Ok I'll just come out with it.................
At the end of each day when the car goes back in the garage I keep a rag in my boot which I remove and give my exhaust tips a little wipe - just the rim part where the carbon bakes itself on.

There, I said it!

However, throughout the whole winter, well for the whole time Ive owned the car, my exhaust tips are always nice and shiney  lol
If i had a standard GTI with a black rear bumper, i wouldnt be so botheerd TBH. My mate has one and the black tips just blend in with the bumper. However, on an ED30, or a colour coded rear bumper, you MUST have shiney tips!!!

[Gene Hunt]

Hi.I use a piece of wire wool.Then give them a good polish with autosol.Don't rub to hard with the wire wool though.

yup wire wool is my weapon of choice too followed but autosol  it will bring those up no problems

..........what i used on the standard when i picked it up.Milltek on now is regular washed & polished so never gets to bad now.

[tomhighcliffe]

Thanks alot for the tips guys, I have followed them step by step and its starting to work, I'm a new owner to the car and I'm guessing it was never cleaned before as my tailpipes where worse than all of the above pictures

2 hrs of solid scrubbing today and ive got one shining! hooraah! however there is still 'pitting' in the tips and round the edge, should I keep polisihing with the wirewool and autosol?