How to polish/clean titanium?

[M34u2NV]

Hey guys, I have a quick question(and yes i did do a brief search)



I recently bought a titanium muffler, and would like to know if there is any product or technique I should use to polish it. . .as i did purchase this second hand and am going to want to give it a good going over before mounting.



Here is a pic:

http://www.dropshots.com/photos/76825/20060423/162411.jpg

notice the blue tips. . . i would like to keep them that way, so please let me know how to go about this



thanks in advance! :)

[imported_cj99si]

I would think anything you put on would burn off. My guess is your best bet would be to always keep them clean dont let anything build up.

[aaron33]

I`d use NXT metal polish. It`s not very abrasive but is a good cleaner. So it won`t damage the existing look. Plus it leaves behind a layer that protects. Even though the tips get hot, there has not been much carbon buildup after 6 months.

[R1000ccRider]

I polished the Titanium Pipes on my bike when they turned brownish/gray... Its a 2004 R1 with Akropovic Ti/CF cans...I have found that Maas metal polish works well as long as you throw a coat of wax on them after. I am sure my exhaust sees higher temps than a car exhaust as it is only 2-2.5 feet from the motor so if this works for mine I am sure it would hold up pretty well for you.

[Setec Astronomy]

Keep in mind that titanium doesn`t polish up to a high shine, it is by nature a dull metal. It really looks pretty good in the picture, except for some of the welds that haven`t been cleaned. Those will take a bit more than a polishing to make them look like the pipes, they will need to be ground/sanded. I wouldn`t worry too much about taking the blue off the end of the tips, it will likely come back from use--that`s how it got there in the first place.

[M34u2NV]

I actually have that NXT "Polysh" so i`ll give that a whirl and see!



Setec Astronomy - i def understand it`s not gonna be really shiny, i just want to clean it up is all



thanks for that advice guys!

[exile]

I drive a Z06 Corvette with TT catback. My understanding is once the tips change color (from high temps) they stay that way and you`d have to grind off a layer of metal to turn them back to the original color. The tips on the vette are clean and in good shape, haven`t turned colors low milage vette). I clean with "NEVR-DULL" when I wash the car. The TT tips aren`t as bright as chrome, but have a nice patina to them. CLASSY.........Tom

[the other pc]

Keep in mind that titanium doesn`t polish up to a high shine, it is by nature a dull metal....Don’t tell that to the guy that buffed this Titanium stem to a high gloss.



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/theotherpc/gooseneck.jpg





PC.

[Setec Astronomy]

Don’t tell that to the guy that buffed this Titanium stem to a high gloss.







OK...now you`re taking what I said and acting like it`s what I meant :o ...I guess what I meant is that the color of titanium is different than aluminum, chrome, or stainless steel (which are similar, the SS being a little darker). The color is dull, which means...it just looks different, darker...less clean...I dunno.

[the other pc]

Yeah, even in the high polish it does seem a little darker than other shiny metals.



It`s unusual to see polished Ti anyway. It`s a pain to work with so it`s usually left in rough cast, forged or tooled (machined or extruded) finish. Plus, it`s mostly used for hard-core technical reasons where appearance is irrelevant.



In this case the builder found that, besides looking nicer, polishing out the welds improved fatigue performance.





PC.

[Diesel1]

Just as a heads up that on most exhaust with Ti tips, the blue color is from heat treating at the factory (via torch I believe). I don`t think the exhaust temps get hot enough to change the Ti to that rich of a blue on their own. For example, an aftermarket manufacturer recently came out with Ti Radiator plates for the G35`s and they offer them in various "treatments". Depending on how they heat it will determine the effects on the color.

[M34u2NV]

thats what i thought, with respect to the tips and the color. . .just wanted to be sure that i wouldnt accidentally use a wrong product to change that, cuz i like the tips



thanks for all the help guys, really appreciate it!

[Setec Astronomy]

Just as a heads up that on most exhaust with Ti tips, the blue color is from heat treating at the factory (via torch I believe). I don`t think the exhaust temps get hot enough to change the Ti to that rich of a blue on their own.



Yeah, you`re likely right about that...the color looked familiar to me...but that`s probably from me seeing it in the heat-affected zone around welds.

[Diesel1]

In this link you can see the different treatments of Ti on the radiator covers



http://www.unlimitedtuning.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=87



I am pretty sure they just hit the areas they want witha torch to get the "design" or pattern they want. Not positive, but I think that`s how they do it

[Setec Astronomy]

It`s unusual to see polished Ti anyway. It`s a pain to work with so it`s usually left in rough cast, forged or tooled (machined or extruded) finish. Plus, it`s mostly used for hard-core technical reasons where appearance is irrelevant.






In this link you can see the different treatments of Ti on the radiator covers



http://www.unlimitedtuning.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=87



I am pretty sure they just hit the areas they want witha torch to get the "design" or pattern they want. Not positive, but I think that`s how they do it



I dunno, to me that random discoloration just looks sloppy. When I use something for hardcore technical reasons, I like it to have a uniform (finished) appearance.