Aloha, fun & authoritative answers -- no cost, no passwords, no popups
(as an eBay Partner & Amazon Affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases)

Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

-----

Repairing chrome exhaust pipe turned brown by cleaning fluid

I recently took my bike to get fixed and for some reason the mechanic decided to clean the exhaust pipe with a cleaning liquid not allowed on chrome. Now the chrome has a dirty brown tinge! How do I get rid of it?

Boipelo Molwela
Hobbyist - Johannesburg, Gauteng,South Africa
April 29, 2009

Hi, Boipelo. You haven't told us what the cleaning fluid was, and we have no pictures of the damage, so we can only speculate :-)

But whatever the fluid and whatever the damage, it sounds highly unlikely that any repair is possible short of replating. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 30, 2009

According to one expired USA patent you ca use next solution:80 gr Thiourea [on eBay or Amazon]/20 gr nitric acid/1 lit water. Any proprietary chrome cleaner can be used too.Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
May 8, 2009

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: