Any tips? My clubbie's tips, at only about 3500 miles, are really dirty and mostly on the bottom-edge, as if the crap coming out 'drips' or something.

What's a good way to get it all off and leave nothing but a shiny tip?

 

Picked up a set of used R56 Tips which were badly charred with black soot, and modded them for my R53.

I just soaked them in a container of Simple green overnight. Then sponged it off next day.

Tough stubborn stains left inside and out which were mininal, I used metal polish.....

 

Not a bad idea, a soak -- do they come off by just pulling or twisting?

 

WD-40 does a pretty good job...if you wipe the grime off on a regular basis...as a very light oil it does a great job loosesning oily residue....

 

There's some great metal cleaner calle Autosol (made in Germany). Works great!

 

There's a hole hiding an allen bolt on the under side of each exhaust tip; loosen the bolt and the tips should just slip off.

Dave -- Not a 100% solution of Simple Green, tho, right?

BTW, nice meeting you at Greasy's on Saturday; those R56 tips look great!

 

Thet do look nice...they fill in the hole in the rear bumper nicely!!

 

griot's metal polish and soft paper towel (wear disposable gloves).

if you want to use MF towels would be even better, but not necessary.

 

I've kept a black hand towel in my boot for years (literally) and that thing is used exclusively for wiping the tips on my '05 MCS... the carbon buildup occurs with a cold engine and humidity... once warmed up, if you wipe the tips again, you won't see the buildup until your next cold run.
I'm **** about having chromey tips.

 

I keep Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish in my Mini all the time. It will polish your tips to a mirror finish.

 

Was pondering this very topic over the past weekend with regard to the stock exhaust tips on my JCW Clubman. Wasn't certain what to use, as I wasn't certain what finish/metals they were (polished or chromed, aluminum or stainless steel, etc.).

By the way, does anyone know what the finish/metals on these tips are...? This is an insidiously important question, as the use of Simple Green on bare aluminum is not recommended; it has been proven to be corrosive.

 

Whats the best way of cleaning up the stainless steel tips like the R56 JCW tips ? Ive got some JCM tips and they are the same as the R56 JCW tips but need to get them looking a bit better: current state after a quick go with autosol.... can we get something better ??

 

Same here !

I put them in a old tupperware container and used 100% solution filled about half way up the container. Then flipped them around to soak the other end next day. Least amount of rubbing lessens the chance of turning the chrome into brushed aluminum

These used tips were carboned up worse than any R53 tips I have ever seen. Caked/baked on sooty stuff. Must be attributed to the different engine set up. So bad I am not sure WD40 would have worked initially Tim. But as a detailing preventative measure the WD40 works great for me too.

 

Tips are SS.

From their web site:

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?

When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.

 

O.o Mine come 100% clean with nothing but water and a terry cloth towel. But I do wipe them every time i wash my car, so nothing is caked on.

 

Yeah, I use the same basic technique (soap & water) on the exhaust tips of my C5 with equal success. I bought my JCW Clubman used, and unfortunately, the previous owner was not nearly so diligent in this regard...

 

I don't think I've ever cleaned mine. They are rusted on the leading edges, pitted all over, and black.

 

Going for the economic black carbon coated stealth look Nabe

 

I never really liked chrome exhaust tips.