Are there any secrets

[Pseudomind]

Are there any secrets when it comes to cleaning the titanium exhaust tips? The top half’s look Ok when looking from the rear, O it is lower half. Someone mentioned to me since it is titanium they use a fine wire brush. It seems to work for them, but I am not a fan of this method. What does anyone else do? And no I am not interested in changing the exhaust, would just like to clean what I have.

Thanks

O No strike through option, eh, and anyway I was trying to show a circle with a horizontal line drawn through it to represent the exhaust tip ends, the lower portions or bottom-half.

 

[6 Shooter]

Fine steel wool . . .

 

[Pseudomind]

Thanks it works great

And did just what I was wanting to get done. I used grade 0000.

Thanks

 

[gmjunkie]

Fine steel wool . . .

I use a SOS pad!!

 

[MsSchroder]

From what I understand, they are chromed tips. I have used a chrome cleaner on them and it worked well. I have heard rumors that some people clean the inside with oven cleaner, but I haven't been that brave. Mine are currently dingy gray, so I need to do something too. I'm following this thread to see what the general consensus is. I would feel a little nervous about using steel wool... does it not scratch?

Tammy

 

[Gorgon]

Anyone try Mother's Billet Metal Polish on their titanium exhaust? I have never used a better polish than this on polishable metals.

This product totally surpassed my expectations on my stainless exhaust.

Leon

 

[Pseudomind]

I did not see any scratches, of course I purchased the 0000 fine grade at a building supply, Lowe's or Home Depot. I believe the 0000 is about the finest grade you can obtain.

I would feel a little nervous about using steel wool... does it not scratch?

I am not so much worried about the inside, just the outside and the outer ring, espeacially the lower half of the outer rings.

A question I have about the "Billets" is this; does it cause any discoloration when the tips get hot?

From what I understand, they are chromed tips

If they arer chrome, then it is a very poor quality chrome. Mine look more like stainless steel, yet they ar ethe original exhaust, so must be titanium, and now I have another question as I do not know for sure;

Does titanium look similiar to stainless steel in appearance?

For example if I had a satinless steel refrigerator and a titanium refrigerator, would they look about the same in exterior appearance?

 

[JBsC5]

chromed tips so I use a chrome polish.

Every few months...maybe 6 months and takes about 5 minutes to do...

If I remember I throw some wax on afterward just for the hell of it.

 

[DRTH VTR]

Does titanium look similiar to stainless steel in appearance?

For example if I had a satinless steel refrigerator and a titanium refrigerator, would they look about the same in exterior appearance?

The Z06 tips are titanium. It is more of a dull gray than stainless steel. You could tell the difference in appearance between the two.

 

[Pseudomind]

Maybe we can get on the same sheet of music

I have a 2003 Z06 and I thought all Z06's had the titanium exhaust, original exhaust that is, yet some who have posted here say theirs are chrome. I myself would not see much reason to remove the titanium and install chrome or stainless steel, but as I like to say, "To each, Their own."

Mine I would have to say fit your description below, and they certainly do not look chrome anywhere on the exhaust tips, They all look like this, the very ends of the tips and the complete about six inch long by four inch round end sections, (diameter) to be, (I am guessing here) titianum. The main thing I was trying to do was get the black looking soot off of the lower halfs of the end sections.

The Z06 tips are titanium. It is more of a dull gray than stainless steel. You could tell the difference in appearance between the two.

 

[JBsC5]

the shiny silver high polish tips are either chrome or stainless steel. I never paid that much attention to what the tips were made of but I can tell you for a fact the appearance portion of the tips are not titanium.

The entire unit is...but at the very end, the part people view as you smoke them is chromed or stainless steel.

 

[Pseudomind]

Thanks

Then I must have "stainless steel," because if it is chrome, it is a very dull looking chrome, which has more the appearance to it of being stainless steel.

The entire unit is...but at the very end, the part people view as you smoke them is chromed or stainless steel.

 

[mqqn]

Then I must have "stainless steel," because if it is chrome, it is a very dull looking chrome, which has more the appearance to it of being stainless steel.

Hi folks -

Sorry to revive the old thread, but I found out that the tips are indeed chrome - there is an article about the flash chroming process that they had to come up with to get a chrome finsih on the Ti tips....

I use either a wad of Nevr-Dull, or some turtle wax chrome polish.

As mentioned here , the chrome is not the highly polished kind you see on wheels....

best regards -

mqqn

 

[Pseudomind]

That must be it, as I purchased some Mothers, Billet metal polish and was able to get them clean, though as you stated it is not a high grade chrome. Mine now look clean, yet not like chrome, more like polished stainless steel in someway, yet at the same time not stainless steel. perhaps a dull chrome look better describes the overall look. They were not really looking bad as to needing cleaning, but they did look as if they could use some polishing.

Thanks

I wonder if the Nevr Dull might work better?

 

[MsSchroder]

Andy,
Where did you find the article? If it is online, do you have a link?
There has been so much discussion about the material of the exhaust tips, it would be a good reference.

Tammy

 

[Gorgon]

Keep in mind that Mother's Billet metal polish is not a chrome cleaner as I don't believe chrome is polishable. If the application towel turns black when polishing then the metal you are cleaning is polishable. As long as the application towel turned black you are safe to use the Mother's polish.

Leon

 

[Pseudomind]

I read the instruction first about the black, so I tried a small amount on the corner of a microfiber cloth. I would not say it turned black, more a like very dark gray. So I contunued, but not having used that product before, it seemed to work and stayed a dark gray on the cloth, so I wonder does that suffice for

Black?
​

 

[Gorgon]

Good question. On my stainless exhaust it turned black, almost instantly as I rubbed.

 

[Pseudomind]

So I guess my tips are "Titanium that have been flash-chromed"

I found this on another board (did I say that here?) with a picture and this is exactly what my tips look like, have a look - go to post #16 and #19 follow the link on #19

Titanium Tips

 

[mqqn]

Andy,
Where did you find the article? If it is online, do you have a link?
There has been so much discussion about the material of the exhaust tips, it would be a good reference.

Tammy

Hi Tammy -

I sent an email to the company (Arvin-Meritor) that developed the Z06 Ti exhaust system, asking several questions, including what the tips are (i.e. chrome Ti etc..)

I recieved a very nice response from Larry Antle regarding the composition of the tips - this should solve the question once and for all.....

Andy,
As an introduction, I'm Director of Engineering COA (in the old days this
was called Product Engineering). We are located in Columbus, IN and Arvin
now ArvinMeritor has been producing exhaust systems for over 85 years.
Definitely the Z06 Corvette was one of the most unique systems we ever
developed and put in production. I personally did not work on this product
but am very familiar with it because of our "Lesson Learned" reviews we have
across our business units. Many of the people that worked on this project
are now retired, but several are still here trying to be the supplier of
choice for the automotive industry. There were several things that "could
not be done" with Titanium that with Timet's (the supplier of the titanium)
help we were able to accomplish, one of those being the Chrome Flashed
titanium tail tips you asked about. One of the reasons this was used was to
please the typical Corvette owner who has a tendency to keep his or her's
vehicle in immaculate condition. The Chrome Flash tip enabled the owner to
"polish and buff" the tip and under operating temperature not change colors.
(Yellow or golden) Another point of record was the mass saving compared to
a normal system of over 40%. You might be interested to know we are still
working with Timet to help them in development of a better titanium that
when the automotive companies ask we will be able to deliver a state of the
art exhaust system again.

Best Regards,
Larry Antle

Hope this helps -

best regards -

mqqn