Hitchcocks Forum

I have accidently touched the top part of the exhaust with a micro fibre cloth , which has melted on it. I have been rubbing all afternoon , auto sol , petrol , oven cleaner which has got a bit it off , any ideas as it's driving me NUTS

The first job is to scrape off as much as possible with the exhaust hot - ie go for a ride and have a go at it with a wooden scraper as soon as you get back. Then, while it's still hot, try cellulose thinners on a non-plastic, eg linen, cloth. Finally, Solvol Autosol should shift the remains.

Hi Reds, as already mentioned, get the exhaust pipe hot again, to soften the melted on material. I would then use wire wool and WD40 to shift the mess. Be careful not to burn yourself with that hot pipe, too ! Regards, Paul.

Hot exhaust and cellulose thinners are best kept apart the flash point of the thinners is probably lower than the exhaust temperature, be careful whatever you use and do it outside.

Plus one for fine wire wool, works a treat.

I left the best part of the right leg of my Goretex rain suit on my exhaust. Did as rog just said, got the exhaust nice and hot and 'chiselled' it off with a pice of sharpened wood. Then went to work with the Solvol and its back to 'as new'. Personally I wouldn't use wire wool as the hardness is more than that of Indian chroming and you'll leave finely etched scratches all over the exhaust.

'Personally I wouldn't use wire wool as the hardness is more than that of Indian chroming and you'll leave finely etched scratches all over the exhaust' - that is where the WD40 comes in, I don't use dry wire wool ... Regards, Paul.

Rim Wax to polish (better than Solvol Autosol:) Try washing with strong detergent and a stiff brush, not the brillo pad or the scourer. Big no to wet 'n dry. If that fails try a tar and bug remover, after that the brake pad or carb cleaner. White spirits or petrol. What else might be to hand, naphtha (zippo lighter fuel), acetone/nail polish remover, cellulose thinners.



But note those micro fibre cloths are polyester which is a protein-like stuff so the bio detergent should eat it.

Treat it like stuff burn onto a saucepan, use kitchen cleaners, no abrasives (not the powdered pumice Vim which will shift the chrome). Spray bleach/detergent (Flash spray) may work.

Other thought - you've now got a burnt (with the t) black blob of thermo-plastic. Try doing it like removing candle wax from cloth, use heat (paint stripper gun) to soften it and wipe it off with kitchen towel. Autosol is an abrasive polish, imo it leaves micro-scratches, Rim Wax seems to lift and remove stubborn marks and discolouration without all the eblow grease.