Ceramic Coated Headers Question

edmonds007 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-23-2006, 02:19 PM

Help! I need to get some melted plastic/rubber (waterproof car cover) off of my side pipes. They're ceramic coated so I'm sure they're durable but I want to be careful not to damage them in the process. I scraped most of the stuff off while they were hot but there's a LOT more to get off and it doesn't want to budge.

Thanks for any help/ideas you have.

MaSnaka · #2 (**permalink**) 10-23-2006, 08:10 PM

I melted a timing light wire on my shiny clean header pipes...To say the least it was a rookie mistake but a lesson learned. I thought I would just have to live with the black stains. It wasn't long before they burned off and disapeared. Kinda like a self cleaning oven. I share this with you in hopes that maybe your sidepipes will clean themselves after some good rides. How much torture can a little plastic or rubber take? Good luck.

Excaliber · #3 (**permalink**) 10-23-2006, 09:18 PM

I used a 3M pad to scrub the remainder of the nasty melted car cover stain on the sidepipes off. Looks like brand new again.

Oh wait, mine are painted with Very High Temperature paint, thats easy to clean up.

Hmmm, not sure what to do with the ceramic coated stuff...

Not being mean, just pointing out that sometimes VHT paint has it's advantages over a permanent coating. Might help folks make a decision on which is best for them.

G.R. · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2006, 10:12 PM

Warm the pipes up to where you can just touch them before having to pull your hand away. Then scrub Gently! with white 3m scrubbies pads with a solution of water and simple green. rinse and dry off residue. This may take two or more times. After a bit of time the stain will eventually disappear. Coated sidepipes are pretty resistant to most plastics that melt on them.
Like Masnaka said " like a self-cleaning oven".

Don't feel too bad you are in good company many of us have done the same bone-headed thing or worse to our sidepipes

edmonds007 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-25-2006, 06:15 AM

Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a try. I also was considering using an oven cleaner but thought it may be too harsh. I'll let you know how your technique works for me.

DonC · #6 (**permalink**) 10-25-2006, 07:54 AM

After I added the "ventilation ports" to my car cover after not giving the pipes enough time to cool I tried several methods to clean them. I ended up using 0000 (4-0) steel wool and a liquid metal/chrome cleaner. My side pipes are bright silver cereamic coated.
Since then I've tried several other methods/cleaners but have always returned to the steel wool and liquid combination for stains. Especially effective after a run in the rain when every bit of road gunk that gets splashed on them gets instantly cooked onto the pipes. After 14000 miles in two seasons the pipes still shine after cleaning. The cereamic coating is extremely hard and durable.
Conventional polish for shining them but for stains and baked on stuff the wool comes out.
DonC

edmonds007 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-25-2006, 05:19 PM

Don,

I laughed when I read your "ventilation ports" description because that's exactly what happened. I'll give the 0000 wool a try and I'm sure it'll work. That ceramic coating has to be really tough to damage. Now if I can only figure out why my electric fuel pump wants to intermittently shut off?!?!?!

Burnd · #8 (**permalink**) 10-25-2006, 07:55 PM

Check the connection on the relay to the fuel pump and make sure it's not "jiggling". I had that problem under vibration and it would intermittly shut down. Any loose connection in the electrical sequence will do that too. Clogged fuel filter will give you the same perception in driving but not if you can hear the electric pump shutting down.

Secondly; what color is your ceramic? I use VHT OVER the ceramics on mine which includes headers, collectors and side pipes. My ceramic was egg shell white but I overcoated with 2 coats of a VHT Header paint in black followed by a VHT clear. Any spot damage during the driving season just gets a 5 second respray and it looks like new and blends right in. It's so easy and simple, I can't stand it. I think my ceramic is .018 thick and with a sand paper texture so there's no sheen. You're going to have to go some to damage the ceramic unless you chip it. If they are not VHT header paint coated, the color should come right through from the original ceramic coating process. The only damage I have done to mine was scraping the underside of the sidepipes on a lift, which I immediatly recoated with the VHT color stuff. You wouldn't know it was there unless I told you. Probably the biggest nuisance is getting the melted goo off the headers. I was told by my manufacturer; nothing liquid is going to hurt the ceramics so try an adhesive cutter of some nature and see if it rubs up like chewing gum. Ain't gonna hurt it.

rblong · #9 (**permalink**) 10-25-2006, 08:43 PM

I have a bag stain on mine right now also!!! I also did the timing light wire thing - all last weekend!!!

trularin · #10 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 05:50 AM

Ceramic coated?

Mine are cermaic coated. I use 3M polish compound. It may take a hair longer than the rougher methods, but it doesn't appear to do more than remove the black stain.

edmonds007 · #11 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 10:30 AM

Well, I've removed about 2/3 of the area by using a foaming spray cleaner from TurtleWax and some serious scrubbing with an abrasive green kitchen scrubbing pad. I have some of the adhesive cutter at work and I bet that'll work for the really hard to remove stuff.

To answer Burnd's question about the color, mine are silver.

tmareina · #12 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 10:34 AM

I melted my car cover on the pipes twice. after you scrape off what you can, when the pipes cool down use 00 steel wool and the rest will come off, with a little work. Didn't damage my pipes. use a little mother's polish and the're good as new. Forgot to say mine are stainless ceramic coated.
Tom