Akra Evo Saturated with OIL

[mightymastalir]

Hey all, I had a bad motor build that pushed a ton of oil through my Akra Evo titanium exhaust. I have a newly built stroker install, but the exhaust is still burning a ton of oil and pushing an embarrassing amount of smoke, so just letting it burn out doesn't seem like a good idea, as it's dripping back into the x-pipe and making a mess.

SO, anybody know if I can stand up the mufflers, and flush then out with a degreaser? Not sure what's inside these titanium mufflers, and if I would cause more damage by doing this...

This has all been a painful process, so hoping for hopes sake someone out there has advise, or experience...

Thanks!!!!

[maddmatth]

There will be the cats which are basically metal, and then the mufflers and resonators which will have packing material, likely fibreglass in them.
Can't imagine degreaser will hurt them. Some of the degreaser will get stuck in the resonator and muffler chambers but that'll burn away once you're driving it. Flush it with some water after the degreaser I guess, then should be ok to just run the car.

[DrFerry]

Originally Posted by mightymastalir

Hey all, I had a bad motor build that pushed a ton of oil through my Akra Evo titanium exhaust. I have a newly built stroker install, but the exhaust is still burning a ton of oil and pushing an embarrassing amount of smoke, so just letting it burn out doesn't seem like a good idea, as it's dripping back into the x-pipe and making a mess.

SO, anybody know if I can stand up the mufflers, and flush then out with a degreaser? Not sure what's inside these titanium mufflers, and if I would cause more damage by doing this...

This has all been a painful process, so hoping for hopes sake someone out there has advise, or experience...

Thanks!!!!

The core of the converter is a fragile ceramic honeycomb coated with a microscopic layer of precious metals (like platinum, palladium, and rhodium). Strong alkaline or acidic degreasers can strip these precious metals, react chemically to degrade the catalyst, or leave behind damaging chemical residues. While some forum discussions suggest DIY methods like soaking an extracted converter in mild soap or degreaser, professional mechanics and manufacturers generally advise against it.

Consider these factors before cleaning:
Catalyst Contamination: Strong chemical degreasers can physically "poison" or alter the catalytic coating, rendering the converter useless.

Damage to the Substrate: The ceramic honeycomb is porous and fragile; high-pressure soaking or using highly corrosive chemicals can break apart the core, causing it to clog or rattle.

Alternative "On-Car" Cleaning: Instead of pouring degreasers directly through the exhaust, many professionals recommend driving the vehicle at higher RPMs (e.g., 3,000 to 3,500 for 20-30 minutes) to allow intense exhaust heat to naturally burn off carbon buildup.

Chemical Additives: If you want to clear mild contamination without dismantling the exhaust, you can run a specialized catalytic converter cleaner (like those from CRC Industries) through your fuel tank.

https://www.crcindustries.com/blog/c...how-to-use-it/

[mightymastalir]

Thanks for the feedback!! I wasn’t entirely clear. This is a careless exhaust, no resonators so the only chamber is the exhaust itself. My mechanic did try to clean by running degreaser/soaking/etc. I have 70 miles on it and it’s still pretty bad.

I am looking for a shop that can repack the mufflers. I know this is a common practice, perhaps just not on this particular muffler. I was initially looking for someone who could well titanium, but found it might be better to mechanically fasten with rivets in case the repack needs tweaking. I also read that Akra uses basalt / rockwool for packing. I’m in contact with the manufacturer for confirmation.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by mightymastalir

Thanks for the feedback!! I wasn’t entirely clear. This is a careless exhaust, no resonators so the only chamber is the exhaust itself. My mechanic did try to clean by running degreaser/soaking/etc. I have 70 miles on it and it’s still pretty bad.

I am looking for a shop that can repack the mufflers. I know this is a common practice, perhaps just not on this particular muffler. I was initially looking for someone who could well titanium, but found it might be better to mechanically fasten with rivets in case the repack needs tweaking. I also read that Akra uses basalt / rockwool for packing. I’m in contact with the manufacturer for confirmation.

everything you're stating would make it cheaper to just buy another used akra system and take the loss on this one / repair later down the line.

[mightymastalir]

I hear you, but these have long been discontinued… I an hoping I can have them repacked for far less. Cheapest I’ve found was $3k out NY not including shipping.

[maddmatth]

Maybe just get out to some backroads and drive the car hard for a bit... might be enough to clear out most of it.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by mightymastalir

I hear you, but these have long been discontinued… I an hoping I can have them repacked for far less. Cheapest I’ve found was $3k out NY not including shipping.

You just have to remember, Akra has their own foundry and their titanium blend isn’t the same as off-the-shelf Ti, so repairing them isn’t always straightforward. Welding on them can already be tricky, and once you add oil saturation, soot, and contamination from the blow-by, it complicates things even more.

That said, it may still just need more heat cycles. I’d probably put a few hundred miles (or a few thousand km) on it first and see how much of it burns off before cutting into it.

My bigger concern would honestly be the cats in the x-pipe. Depending on how much oil went through them, they can fail prematurely. Worst case, they overheat and melt the ceramic substrate like DrFerry mentioned. If that happened, it could also explain why you’re still getting heavy smoke out of the exhaust even after cleaning.

Especially all the oil additives that get trapped in that substrate, this stuff does not burn off.