Removing the gold discoloration from stainless
steel exhaust tips
Through the years, a
number of people have asked us
about their aftermarket exhaust tips turning a goldish color.
Good-quality stainless steel normally turns this
color when exposed to repeated heat cycles, and will even turn blue if
it gets hot enough. The "golding" should be considered normal and not a
defect.
The gold color can be very difficult to get off as
it is actually a molecular change in the steel. Using an abrasive gets
it off, but often leaves scratches.
We recently tried something that was recommended to
me by some of our motorcycle-riding friends, where steel or chrome
exhaust pipes are a lot more visible and get a lot hotter. The product
is called "Blue Away" that chemically removes the gold. Application is
simple, just apply a small amount to a cloth and buff the gold away.
This
pic shows a heavily discolored motorcycle header that has turned a dark
blue. You can see the small oval that was cleaned in about 30 seconds:
|
The
dotted-line circle shows the area that cleaned with the original gold
discoloration all around it:
|
It comes in small
2.5oz bottles. The product itself
is not cheap, but obviously worth the cost. The best pricing is $16.95
from Sierra BMW:
