Removing melted plastic from exhaust pipe

[bagman]

goo gone and a plastic scraper works great!

 

[technoguppy]

IT WORKED!

On the advice of suggestions from this forums and other on the Web, I did the following with success:

1 - Easy Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner (Blue Top), spray and let set for 2 hours
2 - Warmed the pipes up for about 10 minutes
3 - Super fine (#0000) steel wool
4 - Add a little elbow grease (just a little)
5 - Cleanup with wet cloth and a dry towel

Good as new (or at least before it was caked in melted plastic bag)!

Thanks all for your input.

 

[Sidecar Flip]

goo gone and a plastic scraper works great!

My wife swears by Goo Gone and Magic Erasers.

 

[zenbiker]

IT WORKED!

On the advice of suggestions from this forums and other on the Web, I did the following with success:

1 - Easy Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner (Blue Top), spray and let set for 2 hours
2 - Warmed the pipes up for about 10 minutes
3 - Super fine (#0000) steel wool
4 - Add a little elbow grease (just a little)
5 - Cleanup with wet cloth and a dry towel

Good as new (or at least before it was caked in melted plastic bag)!

Thanks all for your input.

If you really care about the chrome gleaming....PLEASE... DO NOT USE STEEL WOOL ..even 0000. It will leave swirls in the chrome that you may not see unless in bright light or sunlight.
Been there...BELIEVE ME!
I have had a few of these polyester meltings and have tried acetone, brake cleaner, carb cleaner, blue job, paint thinner, paint remover, Goof Off, gasoline and every kind of pad imaginable.
I have found that the EZ Off oven cleaner DOES work but not in 2 hours...at least in my experience..
First remove as much caked on stuff as possible using wooden or plastic scrapers or fingernails. Do not heat up the pipes! DO THIS ON COLD PIPES!! Then put a heavy coat of EZ Off (Blue top) cold oven cleaner on (being sure to protect any paint or aluminum). Then comes the big trick...WAIT 24 HOURS at LEAST!! Keep your impatient hands off!!
The plastic will be softened and easy to wipe off with a paper towel. You may have a bit left so re-apply...wait 24 hours again an all will be gone.
I used 0000 steel wool on my pipes once before and all seemed good until I saw them in the sunlight or even a high intensity flashlight. It destroys the luster and you have dulled chrome. It depends upon how compulsive you are about your chrome. Few will notice the dulling when you have used 0000 steel wool but YOU will!
I speak from hard won experience having screwed up a feces load of chrome over my many years of riding.
I think it has finally sunk into me that ANY kind of abrasive will adversely affect the original finish of chrome. All of these so called non-abrasive chrome polishes like Simichrome, Blue Magic, etc..scratch the chrome! The only two products I will consider are Windex and Blue Job for maintenance and EZ Off for melted on feces.
50 years of biking and still learning!
I have to say, I have not tried "Bronze Wool" as one guy on line suggested was the best but have just ordered some from Amazon.
We'll see...still learning!

 

[R3Tex]

I once hit an empty ice bag on the freeway that blew out of the back of someone's truck, and of course it wrapped around the header pipe. I tried everything short of sand paper and it wouldn't come off, so I just rode the bike. Looked like $hit for a couple of weeks, but eventually it all just burnt off. Smelled kinda funky too

 

[vanguard138]

I used the old penny trick to get some stuff off. Find a pre65 penny and gently scrap it off. Might be pre 60, something about the copper and other alloys. When I go out to the garage I will check since it is on a shelf there.

 

[NDNrider]

oven cleaner

 

[JoseyR3Wales]

Harley actually bottles a product for this issue. It works eventually .

 

[zenbiker]

Tried the fine grade bronze wool. Far better than even 0000 steel wool but still leaves a few micro scratches. The pre-1975 penny did not scratch when scraping off a boot mark yesterday.. Also, the checkered pattern left on hot pipes when they contact any clothing with polyester in the material. This is a ***** to remove!
The only things I will use on my chrome from now on are Windex for routine maintenance, Blue Job (absolutely NO dulling or scratching ), my precious 1971 penny and EZ Off for the melted plastic and boot marks. Every chrome cleaner I've used except the Blue Job, even those claiming they are safe for chrome, leave some dulling and micro scratches.
For those of you that have not tried Blue Job.. it IS a miracle! Get some and try it on a chromed piece you have laying around and you will se a perfect luster and NO dulling to even the most highly polished items.
Yes...I AM OCD about finishes and so have a large collection of partially used chrome cleaners.
Now we should talk about paint.....polishes, waxes, etc.!

 

[dbutton12]

yep,,,non-abrasive is best

Anything non-abrasive short of acid will work. I vote for oven cleaner too.

My wife melted her boot heel on my exhaust and I used laquer thinner.

I have used carb cleaner (Berkibile 2+2) to remove the worst of it and then a chrome polish (or similar) to touch up the spot. I'm not liking the oven cleaner because the acids in them can discolor the chrome. Never try anything on a warm or hot pipe,,especially the oven cleaners....they are meant for ceramics which would not be hurt by them.