DP Cleanse-All to clean, followed by a metal polish, 000 & 0000 wool? I have some of the Menzerna Polishing Cream which is for fine polishing, but what polish would be appropriate for stronger cleaning duty? It's for the exhaust tip on my aunt's car. Not sure what kind of metal it is.
Best way to clean and polish exhaust tips?
- Thread starter mcpp66
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HeavyMetal
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- Dec 29, 2010
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If the tips are brushed stainless, you can use #0000 steel wool and any soap or car wash to clean. Follow up with a commercial polish like Simichrome. For chrome or polished SS, I'd just go with a commercial polish. A Brillo pad works great on the inside of both.
C. Charles Hahn
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- Aug 27, 2007
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P21S TAW or S100 TCC (same difference) to lubricate #0000 steel wool for cleaning, then polish with whatever metal polish I grab out of the bin. Usually Meg's NXT Metal Polysh.
HeavyMetal
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Generally by the color and surface texture. Chrome has a bluish tint and tends to be highly polished. SS is silver colored and is typically a brushed finish for exhaust tips. If it's post-90s OEM, it's probably SS.
You could also do a magnet test. Chrome is typically over regular steel which is magnetic. The 300 series SS used for car trim is generally non-magnetic. However, some SS's like 304 phase shift from non-magnetic to magnetic if they were heavily formed and not annealed. They will be magnetic (and rust) in the areas of heaviest deformation. So, the magnet test is not always perfect. OTOH, since I've never seen rusting SS on a car, so I think the auto boys are aware of this.
