Exhaust soot
 

So I wonder, is there any way to mitigate the black soot that builds up on my exhaust tips? I wonder of a small drain hole or two on the underside of the tips would help? Or maybe a slit on the bottom curve?

Thoughts, anyone?

I would think the only problem that might occur is creating a chance of early corrosion and rust?

Put your CZ box back in when you get it. ;)

I actually wash the inside of the tip on my RX-7. It's stainless, 5 1/4" dia. Need to keep cleaning out the birdnests. :) I find dish detergent works to remove the smoot from the tip.

Again, smoot is the term for the rotary exhaust gunk that adhears to the rear of the car.

SOOT HAS STAINED MY EXHAUST TIPS!
 

Guys I decided towash my Rx8 myself today instead of normallygoing out to get a car wash and everything was fineuntil I got to the back of my car. I checked out my exhaust tips and they were shit black! I figured I justhad to scrub really hard andthey would be back to their good old polished look.

Unfortunately after over minutes of very rough scrubbing there was no way to get the soot off the edges of the tips. I managed toscrape off maybe 2 centimeters worth of that shit at thevery bottom circular portion of the tips but the rest of it is now basically black. In otherwords my exhaust tips now seem to be permanently stained to black afternot taking enough careof the tips during car washes.

I guess all thosetimes I went to get a wash Ishould have told those guysto carefully wash the tips . This ispretty disappointing considering that the car isnteven a year old. The exhaust tips obviously wouldnt be covered by warranty for this right? I think they should cover this b/c their own exhaust system is what is causing this. Then again I supposemine have become this bad due to lack of meticulous maintenance. Ive owned other cars wherethe tips get dirty like this but after a wash they arefresh again never stained. Wouldhave been nice if this hadbeen mentioned in the owners manual b/c now Ill have to buy newtips one day or just live w/dirty tips on a new car. Maybe Ill tryto complain about this next timemy car is serviced.

Here is an older pic I took of the backof the car but even thenthe tips werent looking too good. The stains on the exhaust tips are now very noticeable since my mesh was painted silver.
https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?postid=275009

Re: SOOT HAS STAINED MY EXHAUST TIPS!
 

Sorry to go OT, but how'd you mount the mesh? Wire ties?? Glued? Screws?

Sooty exhaust tips are the nature of the beast when it comes to rotary engines - it is the byproduct of burning oil, which we all know is done by design and necessity with the rotary.

Once you get them clean, simply wipe them down once a week with a rag or paper towels to keep the build-up to a minimum.

What's up with the vanity plate?

simplyblue - The meshcame with the car man. Yesits the original mesh. It takes about 2 hours to do and requirespatience and steadiness. Read my post https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-multimedia-photo-gallery-6/painted-my-titanium-rx8s-rear-mesh-rotary-accents-22525/ if you are up for it.

GTF -- thatisnt my real license plate if you lookclosely its just a copy and paste of the single 6 I have on myactual plate. I dont have photoshop or anything spiffy to blur out the plate so I just put thatpic into paint and copied the 6 over the other characters. If youwere talking about the cheesy skull license plate frame wellthat was a gift from mi novia loca :o and willdefinitely be comingoff when this relationship is over.

Yes, I know smoot is the nature of the beast. I still wonder if there isn't something we could do to mitigate it...

(IOW, back on topic...)

Awesome job dude! Man that takes a lot of patience....

Has anybody elses exhaust tips been defiled by thesoot like mine?

I noticed how cruddy mine are looking tonight and I've had her only a month :( I scrubbed and scrubbed and they're already stained black. I almost brought out the soft scrub to try cleaning inside the end of the pipes.

As much as I was looking forward to washing her by hand tonight, I'm bummed. Paint nicks all over the nose. I drive about 20mi each way to/from work. About 2/3 of that is highway.

Hit them with wheel cleaner and a wheel brush.

.......... never thought of that. Is the big aftermarket ones having the same problem?

...why do you think it'd be different?

I will try that tonight and hey, thanks for the tip.

I've used 3M scrub pads (the green or brown ones). Be careful though, it will produce fine scratches if you get too enthusiastic. Of course that is also a nice look, so if you scrub them all over it will be fine and then easier to clean afterwards as you will not have to worry about fine scratches.

I also used 3M scrub pads (green) on the interior only. Because they can leave slight scratches I do not use them on the exterior but the smoot is only on the inside anyways.

Two words: Never-Dull.

Mine arealready stained so I do not seethe point in using any of thoseproducts. Im either goingto have to get them polished or buy somereplacements.

Mother's "MAG & ALUMINUM POLISH" removed the black smoot for me.

After getting my 8 last summer, when the soot appeared, I just grabbed some stuff I'd had on my shelf for years called "Blue Coral Extra Fine Liquid White Polishing Compound" and a rag. Any polishing compound I'm sure will do as well.

5 seconds per pipe and the whole thing is just like new both INSIDE and out. Never thought anything more about it. Do it every week or so. Makes it just klike new. :)

I had never cleaned mine, and am I've got about 5500 miles on the car... they were disgusting. I just used Tarni-Shield Silver Cleaner with anti-Tarnish Protector, by 3M. I can't say it took "5 seconds per pipe," but after about 15 minutes per side with lots of rubbing, things are back to great.

I have a rag that I keep in the garage to wipe off the tips, I just hit them when I come home every night and they stay looking great with very little effort.

Once they are clean, Rub automotive wax on them. Next wash the crude will wash right off. Same thing for brake rotor dust on the wheels.