Removing cooked oil from pipes

Dkt26 · Jan 28, 2013

Any tips, got some chrome headers that have some cooked oil on em. Don't want to kill the chroming as it is new. Oil leak from primary prior to the maney belt going in.
Cheers
Dkt

Nortiboy · Jan 28, 2013

Dkt26 said:
Any tips, got some chrome headers that have some cooked oil on em. Cheers
Dkt

Mothers metal polish. gently applied. Let it dry to a white film and buff to a bright finish.

Dkt26 · Jan 28, 2013

Cheers norti

batrider · Jan 28, 2013

If really baked on thick - like at the front of my primary chaincase and under the kickstarter shaft - I have never been able to get it off without mechanically abrading it and scratching the pipes somewhat. Would be better to dissolve it chemically and not hurt the chrome but haven't found a solvent that will do that.

JRD · Jan 28, 2013

try trichloroethylene , if you can buy some , it's now banned in the European Union .

travelerjerry · Jan 28, 2013

Turtle Wax. Bug & Tar Remover

Dkt26 · Jan 28, 2013

Will acetone work or ruin the chrome?

gory · Jan 28, 2013

might try gasoline first

DogT · Jan 28, 2013

I doubt if acetone would do anything to chrome, but it might to you.

Dave
69S

RoadScholar · Jan 28, 2013

Oven cleaner, test a small patch, like the muffler end of the pipe first.

Hobot · Jan 28, 2013

Boot rubber can do this too, so acetone, wd40 or Oven cleaner but realize last one can whitish stain chrome finish some and be careful with rubbing compounds like Mothers or Blue Job on top side, as leaves a fine sand papered finish that is almost as distracting as the darkness being removed.

Bernhard · Jan 28, 2013

JRD said:
try trichloroethylene , if you can buy some , it's now banned in the European Union .

Is it really?
You might want to try a sporting gun shop in the UK they have a thing called gun barrel cleaner.
You could try and warm the chrome pipe up first, use a BRASS brush, NOTE; I said brass, and use elbow grease first before using an household cleaner containing bleach but wash of thoroughly.

Bill G · Jan 28, 2013

When this happens to me I use steel wool soaked in penetrating oil. Works well for small rust spots too.
Bill G

blacklav · Jan 28, 2013

Not sure about oil on pipes but with boot rubber i use 0000 wire wool, takes it straight off and does`nt scratch the chrome.

Hobot · Jan 28, 2013

I've had to use razor blades to remove boot sole melts. Steel wire brush can dull the chrome but not nearly as easy or dulled as the Blue Job or Mothers

Dkt26 · Jan 28, 2013

Thanks all for the tips.
Will give it a go starting with the mildest solution and go from there.
Cheers
Dkt

gripper · Jan 28, 2013

If you can't get acetone, use nail varnish remover. (we've all got some hidden secrets somwhere) smells great as well.

Rohan · Jan 28, 2013

Oven cleaner (caustic soda) and well used stainless steel wool are your best bet.
As someone said, try on somewhere discrete first, no telling the quality of some chrome.

(well used, so it doesn't scratch)(and stainless, so it doesn't leave any rusty bits).

pete.v · Jan 28, 2013

Two other things to use is the non abrasive 3m scrubby thing and GooGone. Grafitti remover is also very good and quite safe.

cmessenk · Jan 28, 2013

pvisseriii said:
Two other things to use is the non abrasive 3m scrubby thing and GooGone. Grafitti remover is also very good and quite safe.

I've had this problem after 200+ mile weekend rides...baked on dark brown oil deposits on the undersides of my headers / mufflers. Turtle Wax Chrome Cleaner...a couple of applications and elbow grease with microfiber cloth gets rid of the worst of it.

Removing cooked oil from pipes

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