[mwiah14]

Hi, I want to protect my mufflers (which are entirely polished stainless steel, not just the tips) from rust, as the unpolished insides are already beginning to go brown from water inside.

Is there a good high-heat, clear rust-preventative coating that anyone uses on their exhaust pipes?

I found Rustoleums Engine Enamel in a clear finish, and was wondering if this would work well.
It says it resists heat up to 500F degrees. I also want it to not change the polished finish's appearance.

Thanks!

(Additionally, I was looking around for a good polish for the OEM aluminum 18 inch bullitts... anyone recommend a particular type? those wheels arent clearcoated right? )

[Back@itagain]

How long have you had them on? If they are already rusting out I think that would say something about the quality of material used. Unless you remove them and take some sort of abrasive or chemical cleaning to them to remove the rust there really isn't much else to do now. Good opportunity to buy new ones.

And yes your OEM rims do have a clear coating. Soap and water generally work great. If you have built up brake dust stains, Mothers makes a good polish that will remove the stains.

[Dana W]

Originally Posted by mwiah14

Hi, I want to protect my mufflers (which are entirely polished stainless steel, not just the tips) from rust, as the unpolished insides are already beginning to go brown from water inside.

Is there a good high-heat, clear rust-preventative coating that anyone uses on their exhaust pipes?

I found Rustoleums Engine Enamel in a clear finish, and was wondering if this would work well.
It says it resists heat up to 500F degrees. I also want it to not change the polished finish's appearance.

Thanks!

(Additionally, I was looking around for a good polish for the OEM aluminum 18 inch bullitts... anyone recommend a particular type? those wheels arent clearcoated right? )

The outside of your stainless mufflers (and tailpipes, you have a cat-back system, right?) will not rust. If they do, then the Mfg. has a warranty fix they owe you. The stains you find inside the mufflers and exhaust pipes are coming from the OEM pipes in front of the mufflers. The catalytic converters and normal condensation causes some rust inside the OEM pipes, and the water will carry the brown stain and a bunch of exhaust soot as it gets blown out of the system. Your stainless parts are not rusting on the inside, they are getting dirty. Your mufflers may also have regular steel baffles in them too.

DO NOT put any sort of finish on the stainless steel!! NOTHING will stick to it for long. Whatever you put on there will peel off in a couple of weeks. That is why Deloreans where not painted and they don't even get hot like a muffler.

Even if the finish were to stick, to get it looking as good as the original finish, you would have to wet sand and hand polish all of it to get it looking good. Stuff just doesn't come out of a spray can (or spray gun for that matter) looking all smooth and shiney. It take some elbow grease to get it that way.

There are no OEM wheels these days that are not clear coated. I just use some Wheel Magic for clear coated wheels from the local parts store, a hosehold sponge or STRAW brush and a hose. The stuff is cheap and works very well, and makes the tires look good too. (unless you prefer the Slimeral look.)