cleaning pipes

Anybody have a method for cleaning cooked on oil off exhaust pipes? I had a leak from my primary case and it dripped directly on the pipe. I now have ATF cooked on hard and don't want to use abrasives if I don't have to. Brakleen and lacquer thinner don't have much effect, perhaps kitchen oven cleaner?

I have been successful by, first, very carefully slicing or scraping the worst of the deposits with a razor blade, taking great care not to scratch the chrome. Then aggressive polishing with Simichrome or similar chrome polishing agent.

I just had the same and some black headers at the top bend , the best and easiest is they sell felt discs to go on your angle grinder , you can buy a pack of them, i just use that ,I used a compound called carbrax ,it's not called that any more , just a med fine compound , it will work great and get you back to chrome shinny , then finish with autosol by hand or a new disc with finishing compound . Cheers .

In the FWIW department, oven cleaner works the treat.

S.O.S. cleaning pads work pretty good.

MikeG said:

In the FWIW department, oven cleaner works the treat.

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I agree, does work excellently. I use a piece of plastic to remove the crapola that the oven cleaner removes/loosens up. Try a small patch first where it is out of sight, and try to find and over cleaner that can be brushed on; over spray is much more likely to ruin what's around the spray sight.

With semi-chrome polish you will be working deep into the night, good stuff though. With a soap fill steel wool pad, like Brillo it doesn't take much aggression to ruin the chrome.

Please ware eye protection and appropriate gloves, be sure that you do not have skin exposed to the work site oven cleaner can easily take out an eye or do extensive damage to same before you can flush; if this the first time you adventure here consider having a large bucket of water and a high volume and something like a turkey baster near by.

Best.

I have used EZ OFF oven cleaner first and then let it sit overnight then use the razor blade to loosen any deposits left on.Semi-chrome is a great product but will rub off your chrome.Brake cleaner helps
Mike

"I just had the same and some black headers at the top bend"


The discolored chrome near the head is worn like a badge of honor.
Being held WFO for ten miles will do that.

I'm feeling guilty for not cleaning off the protective coatings now......

What Mike G said, Easy Off oven cleaner. It also works in removing the anodizing from aluminum parts

Lineslinger said:

What Mike G said, Easy Off oven cleaner. It also works in removing the anodizing from aluminum parts

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It also removes aluminum from aluminum parts. It has lye in it.

I sprayed it on the worst areas and let it sit for a few minutes then gave it a wipe with a wet rag. 2 or 3 applications like that and enough of the caked on crap was gone that the wet rag alone took the rest off.

zotz said:

It also removes aluminum from aluminum parts. It has lye in it.

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Thus prudence is required in its use.
I have cleaned hundreds of AN fittings without any material loss due the "lye" as you call it rupturing or dissolving the actual metal.