Makes sense to me. They're two very different kinds of jobs. I would polish the exhaust pipe, leaving the pan to soak. After the pipe is finished, the pan should be ready to clean more easily than if it hadn't soaked. Seems the most efficient to me.
🤔..........lol.........Those exhaust pipes take awhile to buff out. All that road grime and tar stuck on them. Semi-Chrome Polish works great on chrome, if they still make it. And no one is buffing out a pan to get the egg out...........lol