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Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:46 pm
by Nosillad
Wanting to see if I can restore some shine back to my oval tail pipes before forking out for some new ones, does anyone have any recommendations on something chemical that will remove what looks like a few years of blackening. Also can they be simply removed to make the whole job a little easier.

Basically I'm just twiddling my thumbs before it goes off to unit20 for all the mechanicals and I need a project. :roll:

Thanks Craig

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 10:19 pm
by Jim Haseltine
If you're not scared of using a bit of the old elbow grease, Autosol*.



*Other metal polishes are available

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 4:45 pm
by Woly64
I used a whole series of Bilt Hamer wheel cleaner/gunk/petrol all with different grades of wire wool finishing off with a fine grade and some Autosol. Plished everything up with a combination of a shaped dome polisher on my drill together with mt I ended up using a very fine grade wire wool to get everything off the outside and inside. Polished them up using a cone shaped polishing head on my drill and the Dremmel for the awkward places. Came up a treat

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 5:18 pm
by A20LEE
Try oven cleaner to break down the carbon. I wouldn't recommend autosol or wire wool unless they are in pretty bad shape as they do scratch.

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 7:30 pm
by Nosillad
Thanks guys, have you done then whilst on the car or can you remove the tail pipes on their own?

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 9:48 pm
by IanH755
OEM is part of the back box and can't be removed- aftermarket is usually bolt on and can be removed.

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:47 pm
by Nosillad
:D It's OEM so that's just saved me 1/2 an hour of swearing whilst trying to work it out thanks

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 10:19 am
by Jim Haseltine
Its an Audi - 1/2 an hour swearing is for easy jobs like topping up the washer fluid or changing wiper blades.

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 12:58 pm
by IanH755
Proper swearing is for apparently "non-essential" roadside stuff like head light bulbs etc :audibash:

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 7:20 pm
by MNK
Fine wire wool, Meguiar's NXT Metal Polish and they'll be looking brand new.

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:42 am
by gorwanvfr
Believe it or not but tin foil and water. I use it all the time for the chrome on my classic cars.

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:56 am
by Jim Haseltine
We use the same method to remove light cigarette burns from the finish on wooden furniture.

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:17 pm
by longman h
gorwanvfr wrote:Believe it or not but tin foil and water. I use it all the time for the chrome on my classic cars.
Never knew that but will definitely be giving it a go.

Thanks for the tip.

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:43 pm
by Nosillad
Well after trying most of the above I think the tinfoil and water got the best results, well worth a try if anyone else wants to take on the same task.

Thanks Gorwanvfr :thumbs:

Re: Removing / polishing tail pipes

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 6:29 pm
by Farravi
Woly, that's quite a finish you have achieved, nice