Cleaning Exhaust Cans

Post by **celticus** » Sat May 19, 2007 5:48 pm

Can someone tell me how to clean the standard cans on my R1200R?
The poo is baked on there.

Mark

andyman99 · Post by **andyman99** » Sun May 20, 2007 6:53 pm

I use NeverDull chrome polish to keep the exhaust can looking shiny. Check your local autoparts store. If it is baked on, I have had to resort to fine steel wool.

r12r-don · Post by **r12r-don** » Mon May 21, 2007 3:45 pm

I also had this question over the weekend. However, mine was more how to prevent pitting and degradation of the chrome from crud build up.

I just spoke to a Harley friend of mine who is a chrome junky. He says he started using oven cleaner last summer and it works GREAT.

He lets it sit just as if it were in the oven and then wipes it off - POOF - crud be gone.

He has also let it stand overnight for really tough spots. Such was the case when his niece's sneaker sole burnt onto the exhaust pipe.

If it is good enough for a chrome junkie, it is good enough for me to try.

Post by **celticus** » Mon May 21, 2007 5:01 pm

I don't think my can is chrome. Will the suggested product still work?
Mark

Post by **ka5ysy** » Mon May 21, 2007 6:10 pm

Scotchbright pads used in the correct direction match the matt finish on the pipes (they are stainless steel, not chrome)

Stainless steel = BMW

Chrome=Harley !

Post by **Karamazov** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:25 pm

I hope mine are chrome, I paid for chrome.

For burnt on shoe gunk and other baked on crap, I've used wd-40 and a razor blade with good results. The oven cleaner idea sounds interesting though, gonna have to try that next time.

Post by **deilenberger** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:45 pm

ka5ysy wrote:Scotchbright pads used in the correct direction match the matt finish on the pipes (they are stainless steel, not chrome)

Stainless steel = BMW

Chrome=Harley !

Chrome is an option. Haven't seen one - but probably looks nice for a while..

Kiwi60 · Post by **Kiwi60** » Wed May 23, 2007 8:27 am

I have a chromed can (soon gonna replace it with a BOS Oval). I keep it clean with car wash and use white spirit to get the asphalt stains of, then I polish it with a product called Autosol. Works great for me, but I don't know what kind of crud you've been driving in.

r12r-don · Post by **r12r-don** » Wed May 23, 2007 8:54 am

White spirit? What is that?

Kiwi60 · Post by **Kiwi60** » Wed May 23, 2007 9:05 am

r12r-don wrote:White spirit? What is that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_spirit

It's also called mineral turpentine i think. Or lacknafta in swedish.

Phillo · Post by **Phillo** » Thu May 24, 2007 2:25 pm

The can and pipes on my bike are stainless steel, have not thought about how to keep them clean & shiny - only took delivery yesterday but I guess I will use some stuff we have here in South Africa called Chemico which we use at home to clean our stainless steel waterless pots, works fine on them.

mechanic savant · Post by **mechanic savant** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:22 am

After a wknd of mucking about the Addirondak's in the rain n mud then baking it on for the next wk. i figgured I better doll up the new girlfriend!! I used napa chrome polish (in the old timey metal can) & a piece of rpoe smear some polish on n wrap the rpoe round the pipe or muff n buff away yer sins

Post by **celticus** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:19 am

Kiwi60 wrote:
r12r-don wrote:White spirit? What is that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_spirit

It's also called mineral turpentine i think. Or lacknafta in swedish.

Perhaps Mineral Spirits here in the USA

Mark

Post by **ShinySideUp** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:12 pm

celticus wrote:
Kiwi60 wrote:
r12r-don wrote:White spirit? What is that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_spirit

It's also called mineral turpentine i think. Or lacknafta in swedish.
Perhaps Mineral Spirits here in the USA

Mark

Indeed. From Wikipedia:

"Mineral Spirits also called Stoddard solvent [CAS 8052-41-3][1], is a petroleum distilate commonly used as a paint thinner and mild solvent. In Europe, it is referred to as white spirit."

I too have the chrome can and pretty much any solvent will clean crud off. I've used said white spirits, brake parts cleaner, turpentine, kerosene, & gasoline at various times over the years, ensuring I'm always outdoors and far away from any ignition source. Fine steel wool for stubborn cases.

Oven cleaner sounds dandy. Where DID I put those heavy rubber gloves?

Skippy · Post by **Skippy** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:14 am

Chrome should be polished as least as possible as it will wear down if you polish a lot(and some polishes are quite agressive). Just try normal soap and water first and solvents for tar and rubber spots. Only when this doesn't work anymore you should polish the endcan. Better is a carbon fiber endcan( I love my Bos oval cf endcan

) witch doesn't need polishing at all.

dirty red · Post by **dirty red** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:38 pm

I am not sure how well this will work for crome. Last Saturday morning my bike was all cleaned up, just gave her a bath the nite before. So here I am in the garage w/coffee looking at a clean bike. Clean except the can. Some of that crap don't come off to easy. I was just about to engage in chemical warfare, stink up place and put an end to my morning break. I had some ammonia on hand and though why not give it a try. This a rag and my thumb nail was all it took. The can looks new and no clean up after the clean up. It was easy, quick, no mess, no stink. I will never use anything else on my brushed stainless.

See you on the road.

Post by **Motomo** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:03 pm

I just searched the forum for this thread. I wanted to really clean the bike thoroughly after a trip to Arkansas. Check it out at http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=12237

Unfortunately, I did a really bad thing and used a ScothBrite pad on the stainless exhaust pipe just under the oil cooler. EEK!!

Before I realized, I had scratched the hell out of it! Is there any recovery from this?!?! I am so unhappy that I didn't read this thread earlier.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Post by **boxermania** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:01 pm

mkomara

I can't believe what you have done to that beatiful bike.....Arrgh....

I don't believe that the exhaust is SS, but chromed steel.....if so, anything that will polish the chrome will eventually wear the chrome out. Just let it be.....it adds character to the bike.

Since yours is a new model and to be sure I'll research the exhaust material......if it is SS it can be removed and polished out....are you ready?

Post by **Motomo** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:36 pm

Argh!! Boxermania, you are not supposed to be reading the R1200R threads. I was trying to hide that little goof-up from you. Believe me, it just about ruined my day.

I have no idea what kind of metal it is. I do know that I used the ScotchBrite pad on another part of the exhaust pipe and it was fine. This part, however, was not. Character, I do not need, for me or my pipe. I need this to go away. I greatly appreciate any info you can provide and yes, I am ready for anything!!!

Skippy · Post by **Skippy** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:11 am

If you have the chrome endcan you are screwed and there's very little you can do except for getting all the chrome off(witch is a hell of a job and then you still have to make the stainless look good again). If you have the brushed stainless can you should be able to make it look good again by getting vry fine steelwool or scotchbright and doing the whole service with that(you can also use fine sandpaper). It looks best when you do all strokes in the same direction and you could just try fine steelwool on the place you already ruined and look at the good parts in witch direction to brush.

It's quite easy to tell if it's chromes or not, if you can mirror yourself in it it's chrome and if you can't its stainless(this only goes for the r1200r endcan of course).

With crome you could try chrome polish on the ruined parts and polish and polish till ist's gone(not sure if this will work though as I don't know how deep the scrapes are).

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Cleaning Exhaust Cans

Cleaning Exhaust Cans

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