Cleaning oil off headers.
 

My TA has had a leaking rear oil pan gasket and as it got worse, the oil got sprayed all over my headers (Doug's) and exhaust (Rare's), I removed the oil pan this weekend, and after spraying brake cleaner on everything, thus removing alot of the paint on the undercarriage, I painted everything and removed the oil, except from the headers/exhaust.
I read the many have used Nevrdull, but that just seems like a polisher, anybody have any luck removing burnt oil stains off coated headers, if so, what works. It just seams to me that a product that may be strong enough to remove the stains may not be good for the coating, or am I just stuck with the stains.

I would be inclined to try lacquer thinner(make sure everything is cool)with a terry cloth rag and lots of elbow grease.Just did that today to get oil off my pipes on my bike.They are chrome,so we're comparing apples to oranges,but it's worth a shot.Definitely won't hurt the pipes,but could soften the paint on the headers,try in an indiscriminate spot first.

Using an aluminum polish on aluminum/ceramic coated headers is the accepted cleaning method for removing burnt-on oil stains. Nothing else is really going to do a good cleaning.

I use Brasso metal polish which seems to take it off like magic.

Cool, thanks for the help, I knew there had to be something.

I use LT to clean carbon off of old piston tops, if it works for that it should work for headers, IMO. -Jim

I use some brake clean to wash off and thin out the oil then I use a propane torch, don't get the coating too hot (don't get it red) This will burn off the oil and many times stain will will go away too. This works with aluminum coating I don't know with some of the others but the coating is suppose to take the heat anyways.

Easy-off oven cleaner or WD-40 and steel wool or scotch brite pads, both work well for me.

I tried Fast Orange, carb clean,brake clean, WD 40 and every other chemical I have in the shop nothing worked. The guy at the motorcycle shop said aluminum polish is the only safe way to take off burnt on oil on ceramic coated headers. Don't use anything abrasive like scotch brite. It will scratch the coating. I used a dremel tool with a felt bob and it made quick work of the oil stain removal.

Plating on headers will not be hurt from steel wool or scotch brite.

Thx guys, I am glad to see yall are having some god luck getting the oil off, think I am going to do the aluminum polish first, it that doesn't do the job (I really have some bad stains on them), I'll go with some of the stronger recomendations, Thx again.

did it work ??

It worked, I used neverdull last night and it did not take as much elbow grease as I was anticipating, I worked on both sides, headers and exhaust down to my mufflers, took me about 2 hours, but I need to put another coat today with some buffing and finish the exhaust, it does take the oil off with some effort.
I took a couple of before and after pics, I can not get them to load right now, but here's my photobucket link with the oily headers.


http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o113/dacocr250/

thx for all the advice guys.

2nd the easy-off oven cleaner.

the low tox (odor) work ???

original heavy-duty formula... the one that says "caution: contains sodium hydroxide". i used this a few years ago when a leaky remote filter oiled my headers badly, it worked pretty well, the headers were coated and i don't think it hurt them.

thanks