Cleaning that nasty carbon out of the inside of your exhaust pipes

[spudslatte]

I just got a pre-owned Lexus RCF in ultra white which had quad exhaust pipes that were somewhat clean on the exterior but very dirty on the interior. And it was really annoying because the car looks really good when clean or a little dirty, but from the back it looked horrible from the back because of the black marks inside the pipes and a blackening blemish on the outside. So I consulted with one of my good friends, who suggested using "All Wheel Cleaner" from Duragloss.com and then putting the front wheels up on ramps so that solution and rinse will drain easily. I happened to have a bottle of that since I use Duragloss products among others, and I sprayed liberally inside the pipes and outside where the black spots were. I let it sit for about 30 mins and then put my hose sprayer on "Jet" and fired away carefully, only because I wanted to get all the carbon I could see. you can certainly use a brush but I did not. The chemicals did the work! I am so so pleased with the results. Thanks to my buddy Mike and to my friend Jerry, owner and chemist of Duragloss. His products I swear by and I have expensive cars. If you do this, be sure to get the All Wheel Cleaner as the other options are for different wheel types and would not be good for this application. Good luck and PM me if you have any questions! Thanks!

Link to Retail Site Removed

[Lonnie]

I would NEVER spray water directly into my exhaust pipe, even if the vehicle is at an angle. Granted water is the main by-product of an internal combustion gasoline engine and mufflers do have small drain holes in them just in case you ever drive through flooded roads, it is still not a good reason to flush out an exhaust system for a thorough cleaning.

I use Optimum`s Power Clean, 3M`s 000 synthetic steel wool, and elbow grease to remove sever carbon built-up inside exhaust tips. I can "rinse" them out with a E-Z Detail mini-brush dipped in water flush out the excess. I might need to do this several times with the brush. Then I use Optimum`s All Metal Cleaner to finish polishing the chrome or metal tips. and wipe with an older cotton cloth or low-nap suede-type microfiber. I am sure any type of chrome cleaner will do or even using Meg`s M101 compound would work as well.

The best chemical to get rid of carbon build-up? Carbon tetra-chloride. I have a can of no-longer-available, pre-VOC days, Ford`s Carburetor and Combustion Chamber Cleaner (Part No. D9AZ-19579-A) used for de-carbonizing engine heads by spraying this into a running engine through the carburetor (engine fuel-air delivery device before the days of fuel injection). I have used this on exhaust tips to clean them, but only "when-all-else-fails", and that is rare!

Someone here suggested using Easy-Off oven cleaner for exhaust tips. Never tried it. If it cleans burnt-on carbon from food in a hot oven, it might work on combustion engine carbon. And it is available over-the-counter and inexpensive!

[spudslatte]

Thank you for your information. I have yet to have one problem yet with the exhaust or function of the car since doing it this way, and I got the information from a very reliable source that has been detailing high end cars for years. Otherwise, I would totally agree with you.

[wannafbody]

I think brake cleaner is the fastest way to clean exhaust tips. Just be careful to not get it on paint and allow it to evaporate before starting the car.

[John U]

I use a Mother’s Power Ball cone model with a water based Meguiars 105. Easy to clean in a bucket of water when done.

[The Driver]

A heavy carb cleaner/brake cleaner, then abrade with steel wool + metal polish, rinse with apc and then coat with a sealant like hydro.