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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.
It comes in small 2.5oz bottles. The product itself is not cheap,
but obviously worth the cost. The best pricing is $11.95 from Sierra
BMW (scroll down to Blue Away):
http://www.sierrabmwonline.com/blue-away-cleaner-p-905.html
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The results speak for themselves...
(click pics for larger view)
The dotted-line circle shows the area that cleaned with the original gold
discoloration all around it:
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:
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