Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Cleaning stainless exhaust system ?

Any good ideas for maintaining the lustre on the exhaust system.

If MMC had cleaned the exhaust with solvent immediately after fitting and before starting the engine we wouldn't have the blue finger prints permenantly etched into the head pipes forever.

I polished mine with blue away (£20 odd wasted), this removed the blue and left them reasonably shiny. However, as soon as I ran the engine the blue finger prints came back in a few miles.

I have also had my heat shields gloss black powder coated locally, after I saw pictures on here with this option. I think this looks better. I wasn't offered black when I was specing my car, but I see it on the latest price list from 1/4/12.

I have looked at having the exhaust black ceramic coated, but it's very expensive at £20 a foot.

If I have them chromed, the chrome will blue at the exhaust ports, but it would look better than finger prints.

It sounds like you'll soon be off down to malvern link to take all their dabs. It's true that ceramic coating is expensive, but it looks great & will have the added benefit of reducing under bonnet temperature.

It's the M3W, there is no under bonnet temperature, they just look very unsightly where they come out of the exhaust ports.

Ah, sorry. I thought you were talking about +4 . I'll try & pay attention next time.

I would have thought the surface damage from the finger prints can't be very deep, a few microns at most, so would it be possible to whip the headers off and take them to a local metal polishing outfit?

A few minutes on a decent-sized polishing mop should be able to get rid of them, maybe?

I had that done on the pipes of a motor-bike I used to own; the result was fantastic and made future cleaning a doddle.

Bud

__________
2003 - 4/4

If I take them off I will probably need new exhaust port gaskets.
I can see this turing into another cost incurring correction that could so easily have been avoided.

Could you get in there with Dremel?

According to E-HOW:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6331663_clean-stainless-steel-exhaust.html

Things You'll Need
Dish soap
1,500- or 2,000-grit sandpaper
Water
Metal polish
Cotton rags

Instructions

1
Degrease the exhaust by washing it with warm, soapy water. Dish soap works well for degreasing. Fill a bucket with warm water, add soap and swish it around with your hand. Wet a soft cotton rag and scrub the exhaust until all the grease is gone. Rinse your rag in clear tap water and wipe all traces of soap off the exhaust.

2
Soak your sandpaper in water for half an hour. Rub the wet sandpaper on the exhaust using a back and forth motion, going with the grain. Sanding the exhaust helps to get rid of tiny particles that have become embedded in the metal over time. Take your time with this step, and thoroughly sand all over the exhaust, using moderate pressure and dipping your sandpaper in water whenever it seems to get dry.

3
Use a dry cotton rag to thoroughly dry the exhaust after sanding it with the wet sandpaper. Look for any dull areas that might need a little more attention.

4
Use a clean cotton rag to apply metal polish. Apply the metal polish to the exhaust and vigorously rub it into the stainless steel. The more vigorously you rub the polish in, the greater the shine will be. In addition to helping the stainless steel look its best, metal polish acts as a barrier between the stainless steel and the environmental factors that dull its appearance and eventually corrode it.

5
Wipe any excess metal polish from the exhaust with a clean cotton rag.

Tips & Warnings

When rubbing the stainless steel to clean or polish it, try to rub with the grain instead of in circular motions or against the grain.

Avoid using cleaning products that contain hydrochloric acid because they will damage stainless steel. Bleach is the most common cleaning product that contains hydrochloric acid.

Don't use steel wool because the small steel fibers can get lodged in the stainless steel and eventually rust.

Hot Rodders in North America used to use a product called "Blue Away". It works very well but I don't know if it is still available and if it is shipped to Europe. Any comments from across the pond?