Anyone know a good product to clean but not damage headers?

rocketv6 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-15-09, 11:37 PM

I'm pretty new to knowing my way around my own Stang and DIY-ing, but I did discover a while ago that a previous owner (I bought my car used in July 07) had put headers on the car. They're very dirty and I can't even tell you what brand they are or what material/coating they're made of, but I do know they're not the stock manifolds. Is there anything, like maybe a household cleaner or something like CLR, that will clean off the headers so they look better and I can (maybe) find out who made them?

n8rsk8r · #2 (**permalink**) 06-16-09, 12:30 AM

what exactly do you mean? clean up?

rocketv6 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-16-09, 12:52 AM

Just taking years of dirt off, not exactly looking to polish them or anything yet... I just want to get whatever collects on the outside of the pipes off so they look a little better and maybe I can tell what company made them. There's probably a bit of sand as well, the car has been in South FL for a while.

n8rsk8r · #4 (**permalink**) 06-16-09, 01:26 AM

so not stock right? I would say take em and pop teh hood at the local car wash and cover coils or dstr. with grocery bag and blast em with the spray.. select engine clean on the spray.

are they long tubes?

?

rocketv6 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-16-09, 08:27 AM

Nope not stock, I've seen stock ones on eBay and the pipes curve differently. They do kinda match the stock exhaust in the dirt factor though

...and no, they're standard length. Thanks for the suggestion!

**MustangLX-5.0** · #6 (**permalink**) 06-17-09, 08:57 AM

What year stang is this? After a certain year (not sure) ,Ford changed the quality of the pipe material to cheaper steel. I know you said it's not factory but this will narrow it down. Can you take a pic and submit it here?

Any rust on them? Chalky white residue? Don't use any type of acidic cleaners. They may do more harm than good. They may bring them to look like new, and then later the pipes will start corroding from the chemical that was used. If there is white chalky residue on them, chances are they are alumnized pipes. Slight rust and they may be stainless. I know 94 - 98 models had stainless pipes from the factory. Stainless cleans up pretty easily. Alumnized doesn't. It's hard to say without a pic.