Cleaning titanium exhaust

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mjk778

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Hey guys, does anyone have advice for cleaning titanium exhaust? I've tried silicon, degreaser and a few other cleaners which worked on the main body of the exhaust but not the tips which seemed to have marks from heat (possibly oxidation). From searching I seems aluminum polish may work but I'm not sure if it is ok for titanium. Of course I asked the manufacturer what to use and repeatedly get no response.

Thanks
Mike
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They may very well be. I've asked for information from the manufacturer and gotten no reply. The exhaust is listed as full titanium.
 
Probably titanium if it's stated on there. Judging by the brown spots, it's likely surface corrosion, so no cleaner will take that off, unfortunately. You could take a red scotch-brite pad but it would likely change the color from a gold/honey color to silver and leave abrasion marks with a satin finish. I'm a sheetmetal mechanic so we treat corrosion on various metals.
 
g35_coupe said:
Probably titanium if it's stated on there. Judging by the brown spots, it's likely surface corrosion, so no cleaner will take that off, unfortunately. You could take a red scotch-brite pad but it would likely change the color from a gold/honey color to silver and leave abrasion marks with a satin finish. I'm a sheetmetal mechanic so we treat corrosion on various metals.
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Titanium is very corrosion resistant. Those tips look like aluminum to me, just from the fact that they are pitted, on top of the fact of how thick they are and how expensive that would be from titanium.

Everything is wrong for them to be titanium, the color, the pitting, the shape/size.
 
The marks are completely smooth not pitted. They started to appear almost immediately after the exhaust was installed. I do a 15 minute cleanup after every ride but nothing has stopped them, although they don't seem to be getting any worse. The exhaust is out of production and parts are hard to find so I am very hesitant to use something that may make matters worse which is why I haven't tried aluminum cleaner.
 
Looks like the tips have a magnesium outer layer.


Bob
 
I have a 1500 dollar titanium carpet cleaning wand that sees water everyday. It gets pressure washed every couple of jobs. Thrown in and out of the truck. Also it is about 8 years old.

Other than the scratches it looks perfect.

Based on that I highly doubt that is titanium.

Additionally based on a Google search titanium was in quotes on a website. I believe the manufacturer is calling it the titanium series. Just like manufacturers of electronics and other companies use words like platinum titanium diamond etc as marketing terms.

Titanium is extremely expensive. For example an 1/8 inch sheet of titanium that was approx 12inch x 18inch cost me close to 300 dollars about 5 years ago.

So unless that exhaust cost several thousand dollars I doubt it is titanium.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Everything is wrong for them to be titanium, the color, the pitting, the shape/size.
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Yeah, seeing how thick they are and the shape, they would be extremely expensive, so I will retract my statement on the tips being that material. I agree on them being something lighter such as aluminum or magnesium.

However, heat can wreak havoc on a metals, even titanium. We do see titanium subjected to high temps (nacelle bleed air) with surface corrosion occurring. Nothing significant that can't be removed with abrasive pads, but still there nonetheless.

If they are aluminum, a red scotch-brite pad would give it a nice satin finish and leave a pattern directional with the grain, assuming you don't rub in a front to back motion.
 
FUNX725 said:
Looks like the tips have a magnesium outer layer.
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Magnesium would be another odd choice for that part. It looks to me like some normal aluminum pitting but the odd part is it's only on the sides and not the top. Perhaps from road spray getting kicked up on it.
 
The pics are a bit deceiving. The marks are all over the tips not just on the sides and they are not pitted despite how it looks in the photo. They are completely smooth just like they were when new.
 
Out of curiosity:
We're the outside of the tipsblack when they were initially installed? If not: There are many variations of the patterns "embossed" on exhaust tips.

This one, for example, has a teflon coating that was put over top of the thermo-injected/(or sometimes: cast)
magnesium end caps.




Bob
 
The inside edge of the exhaust tip has kinda of a blue hue to it. The kind that Ti gets when it gets hot and oxidizes.
 
So after doing some more research I found online for the same manufacter (although not for my specific model) I am 90% certain that the end caps are forged magnesium. Is there a specific cleaner for this metal?
 
FUNX725 said:
Out of curiosity:
We're the outside of the tipsblack when they were initially installed? If not: There are many variations of the patterns "embossed" on exhaust tips.

They came new with the exact color in the photo, minus the marks. There was definitely no coating on them.
Click to expand...
 
mjk778 said:
So after doing some more research I found online for the same manufacter (although not for my specific model) I am 90% certain that the end caps are forged magnesium. Is there a specific cleaner for this metal?
Click to expand...
Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish is a renowned metal polish, legendary in detailing and car collecting circles. The polish is safe on aluminum & mag

FUNX725 said:
Out of curiosity:
We're the outside of the tips black, when they were initially installed?
mjk778 said:
They came new with the exact color in the photo, minus the marks. There was definitely no coating on them.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Glad the magnesium end caps were not coated black!


Bob
 
Hey guy thanks as always for all the replies. I contacted mothers and was told that their aluminum and magnesium cleaner would most likely Polish to a shine which I do not want. Does anyone know of a product that will simply clean but leave the original matte finish for magnesium?

The only product ive found is
new mag by cyclecare but it seems to be more of a brake dust wheel cleaner than what I'm looking for
Thanks

Mike
 
mjk778 said:
Hey guy thanks as always for all the replies. I contacted mothers and was told that their aluminum and magnesium cleaner would most likely Polish to a shine which I do not want. Does anyone know of a product that will simply clean but leave the original matte finish for magnesium?
Click to expand...
Mike...

The below, or similar,imagnesium cleaner...
May work very well for your intended purpose.



Flitz Flat/Matte Finish Cleaner

If they're found to eventually to not be "cleanable":
There's always the "patina" that I see in your photos.

Bob
 
Thank you Bob. That's what I'm looking for. I'm going to give it a shot!
 
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