TRD exhaust quality

Anyone else's TRD exhaust tip looks like shit? I've had it for less that a year. Thinking of repainting it myself with some high heat glossy paint.

 

I think mine does. I haven't really thought about it much. If I had to guess, the exhaust it hot so water is evaporating and leaving Shmoo all over it.

I bet you could remove that without scrubbing. Something like CLR.

 

Try some Barkeepers Friend.

 

That contains oxalic acid. Acids react with metal.
Assuming the tip is chrome plated, you would be better off using drain cleaner.

To be clear, I'm not saying you should use drain cleaner, I'm just trying to highlight the acid/base thing. Never used barkeeper's but it's possible that it works well because it's removing a very very thin layer.

 

Polish it with some "0000" steel wool.

 

Polish it with some aluminum foil

 

is that black chrome or the polished tip? i just installed my 2020 pro trd exhaust (black trd tip) yesterday. i still kinda hesitant that the tip is gonna be very high maintenance. been wiping that puppy down with a microfiber cloth after every drive so far lol. i think if mines starts to act up im gonna try hitting it with 3000 grit wetsand to get rid of any imperfections and polish that puppy back to life. if that doesnt work ill just spray it with high temp and be done with it. i do like the black chrome; it looks good, but it shouldnt be more upkeep than a set of forces or welds LOL.

 

Barkeepers friend is made primarily as a metal polish and oxidation remover of ferrous oxides. It is much stronger than acetic acid...but youre not going to leave it on there..your going to use it and rinse it off.
The can itself says safe on copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel.

It is not safe on gold and silver and cast iron....so unless the tailpipe is made of a precious metal or recycled frying pans...i think were going to be ok.

 

This ^

 

Polishing implies removing. Polishing will work very well but you're going to end up doing over and over and in very little time the chrome layer will be gone and it'll start corroding.

 

Mine is a year old and looks like new. Stainless is easier and looks better in the long run. Mud guards do help.

 

Spit on it. Wipe it with your sleeve. Call it a day.

 

No. Just no.

 

Steel wool FTW on any chrome.

 

Where in California are you? I’m in So Cal (San Gabriel valley) and mines held up quite well I think.

 

First of all is it the high polished stainless tip or the black chrome tip?

My TRD exhaust tip is high-polished stainless, not chrome, and has held up nicely over about 12 months and 12,000 miles. I do apply ceramic wax (below) to it every now and then. If I ever do get any staining I
will just polish if out. I've had a couple Delorean autos and stainless is very easy to work with. They actually came with a stainless maintenance kit that was basically steel wool pads.
The black chrome seem to be problematic as pit and scratch very easy.

 

Just cut it off and be done with it.

 

My black chrome is all pitted after a year.

 

Please explain

 

That makes a lot of sense considering the system cost about $600.