What is the best way to clean baked on oil from a SSI exhaust

[bubba1810]

What is the best way to clean baked on oil from a SSI exhaust?

[Mike Czech]

Paste peanut butter on it and let your cat lick it off. ;-))

Seriously, though, I'm curious too.

- Mike

[SilberUrS6]

Since SSIs are stainless steel, I am guessing that oven cleaner will work. I have not done it, and I have not read of anyone who has, but here's how you can try it out: Get spray on oven cleaner, the kind with some sort of strong base in it (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, etc). Spray a place on the exterior portion of the SSI that you can watch. Leave it there for a bit, then wipe it off. This is the test - if it eats the stainless steel at all, then don't use this stuff! But it shouldn't. You should be able to get off all the oil, in and out, using oven cleaner. You could also call Dansk and ask - they make SSIs now.

[The cap'n]

Because the temps on the HEs aren't that high, I would worry about fumes (possibly toxic) generated as the residue from the oven cleaner slowly burns off.

The Cap'n

[brighton911]

I have used Easy Off oven cleaner with good success. It took a few applications to get all the baked oil off but it all came off. To ensure no fumes, I rinsed them with water to remove any residue. After they were re-installed I had almost no issue with fumes in the cabin and what little there was disappeared in a few minutes.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Soda blasting. Totally non-destructive and usually very effective.

[Jerome74911S]

Can any of these things - oven cleaner, soda blasting, or? - be done with the SSIs on the car?

[T77911S]

i am thinking about spraying some of the carb cleaner that comes in a 1 gallon can that you soak parts in on my gear box and parts of my engine block. that stuff is VERY potent. DO NOT let it get on rubber or anything painted, it will eat it.

what ever you put on there is going to smell bad once you start it back up.

[fred cook]

When I rebuilt the engine in my SC, I cleaned the oil and crud off my SSI exhausts using a combination of brake cleaner, parts cleaner and a scrub pad. It took a while, but they turned out pretty nice. The key here is patience.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by The cap'n

Because the temps on the HEs aren't that high, I would worry about fumes (possibly toxic) generated as the residue from the oven cleaner slowly burns off.

The Cap'n

If rinsed off with water, there will be zero fumes.

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

Since SSIs are stainless steel, I am guessing that oven cleaner will work. I have not done it, and I have not read of anyone who has, but here's how you can try it out: Get spray on oven cleaner, the kind with some sort of strong base in it (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, etc). Spray a place on the exterior portion of the SSI that you can watch. Leave it there for a bit, then wipe it off. This is the test - if it eats the stainless steel at all, then don't use this stuff! But it shouldn't. You should be able to get off all the oil, in and out, using oven cleaner. You could also call Dansk and ask - they make SSIs now.

Oven cleaner, barbecue grill cleaner, and like cleaners work AOK, but they work MUCH better when the surface to be cleaned is VERY HOT! (i.e Easy Off, you heat the oven per directions.) Heat the SSIs with a propane torch for a few minutes, then apply, being careful to avoid the fumes. Get a gallon jug of restaurant kitchen grill/stove cleaner from a restaurant supply store. (that's what I use for heavy duty burned on grease cleaning)It's very strong stuff, but when rinsed off with water, it's perfectly safe.
I take aluminum frying pans with years of baked on grease on their bottoms (kinda like your problem)
heat quite hot on the stove, turn upside down and brush on restaurant grill cleaner, and the grease just bubbles loose and flushes off with water. With no damage to aluminum, it sure won't affect stainless steel!

[E Sully]

I used a soft wire wheel in my drill and it came out great.

[JJ 911SC]

On my HE box before I got the SSI. But I found a better one. Check this thread: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/cleaning-detailing-polishing/550748-best-cleaner-bar-none.html

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

Before



Use with a 3M green pad




5 hours during a rainy Saturday morning



Result; Priceless




Shower Cleaner: Clean Shower, Shower Cleaning | Seventh Generation

[Topgun63]

100 LL Av gas works great also....

[Matt Monson]

Can any of these things - oven cleaner, soda blasting, or? - be done with the SSIs on the car?

There was a guy recently, I think in the 930 forum, who had his whole undercarriage, engine and all soda blasted. It was gorgeous. Might try searching for the thread.

Couldn't help on who might provide such a service.

[dhjdgj]

What is the best way to clean baked on oil from a SSI exhaust?

[NoYouRelax]

Drive it a lot and heat, road debris and dust will eventually remove it.

If that does not work, use kerosene to clean everything.

[Tippy]

Quote

Can any of these things - oven cleaner, soda blasting, or? - be done with the SSIs on the car?

There was a guy recently, I think in the 930 forum, who had his whole undercarriage, engine and all soda blasted. It was gorgeous. Might try searching for the thread.



Couldn't help on who might provide such a service.

I remember dry ice, someone doing, but it was crazy expensive.