Thanks to tuck's post about valve covers . A really cool HAMBer here in SC contacted me about some edelbrocks he had. What's the best way to clean em up.
polish them 80, 180, 240, 400, 800, 1000, 2000 then start with the wheel & these bars: Black, brown, white & finally red (make sure to use a new wheel) then clean them up with a cleaner like braso or whatever its called for aluminum
Bead blasting is quick but it can create a lot more work if you want to polish them. The more of the original polished finish yo can keep the less work later. I bead blast between the fins and inside but stay away from the sides where you want them shinny. If they are painted or really crudy you can get them dipped in the hot tank of an engine machine shop.
Bead blasting is a good way to go. These covers are semi-smooth already. Remove and blend any scratches w/ grinder and fine Scotch Brite disc. 400, 600, 800, semi-fine compound, fine compound. 1000 and 2000 are overkill. That's what the compounds are for.
I might try that. If not I will support a HAMBer and send then to Tony Bones. Heah tony maybe I can just those and let you keep them I'll take that junky old bike off you hands in trade.
I love that thing. I got a FLH that's too clean and stock to chop up. That bike would be a great stablemate. too bad I'm low on dough.
The last time I used SuperClean, the bottle said not to use it on aluminum because it can discolor it. Sure enough, the buick timing cover was darker in some areas. I don't know if that will polish out or not though. The problem with glass bead blasting aluminum is that it gives the part a white luster. Original cast aluminum is a dull gray. Try chemically stripping it. I've heard that molasses works great, but haven't tried it yet. It's been talked about here a lot, so do a post search. -Brad
Media blast if they are really bad, then go after them with the multitude of finer and finer wet or dry, then startpolishing them. I uisually just pant 'em and I'm done with it. But I'm lazy.
Heres what they look like, they should polish up pretty easy. I started on one of them a long time ago.
I was doing surface prep on a 318 timing cover. The engine was covered in crud, timing case cover too. I used a can of Prestone brake cleaner. It took off the crud, oil, and even some of the paint. A little brushing with a brass wire brush, and a can of Prestone brake cleaner was all that was required to clean the case cover down to bare aluminum.
Believe it or not most aluminum polishes are bad for aluminum. If a cleaner says it should not be used on aluminum definitely stay away from it. Media blast the top ribs, that'll get the lower sections into shape. Sand the top and sides through to 1000 grit if you want a top finish, I prefer a D/a for keeping stuff flat. After 1000 grit buff with coarse stainless, and then a fine stainless and finish with an ultrafine calcined alumina or chrome oxide. Don't just grab anything that is called rouge. In the U.S.A. the term means anything that comes in a bar format and uses a grease binder, and can range from a super coarse emery through to ultrafine finishing compounds. I've seen 240 grit abrasives sold as rouge. Don't judge abrasives by color, Black can vary from emery to calcined aluminas. Brown is normally tripoli (clay) and again can vary from fairly hard cutters to fine finishing abrasives and are designed to break down very fast for use on copper and brass, ok on aluminum. White can be aluminum oxide, calcined alumina. chrome oxide or synthetic, Green is normally a chrome oxide or a blend of chrome oxide and aluminum oxide, Blue can be zirconium or synthetic, and red can be ferric oxide or garnet. They all serve different purposes. Protect your finish with a quality pH. neutral aluminum polish. Avoid any polish that contains ammonia, anhydrous, or acids. That includes mothers, flitz, auto solvol, blue magic, nevr dull, No7, brasso, etc. any of the above use oxidizers as anti oxidants, that means they will eat your aluminum and make it dull again. Read your labels, check out MSDS info, or call the manufacturer if you're not sure about the polishes contents.
I have heard from a couple sources that aluminum can really f@$k up the chemicals in a degreaser and will really piss off the shop owner (assuming they unknowingly dipped aluminum). I keep forgetting to confirm that with the guy I use to tank my shit.
Easy off oven cleaner.... and forget the bead blast. Just make sure you rise with LOTS of water. The oven cleaner is caustic.
The man wants to clean them up not digest them! Eezy off will eat it!! We use eezy off to strip anodizing. Why don't you read previous posts and learn from it. That is what this board is for. Help not hinderance.
Indeed. Furthermore, you'll notice that the guy who is giving the advice above owns a polishing shop (an excellent one). Generally a sign that someone might have just a clue what they're talking about.
Start by scrubbing them with a S.O.S. pad......you will be suprised at how good they will look......if you want more shine......use any mag wheel type polish.
You'ew a real expert!why don't you read the previous posts about SOS pads and similar on this posting instead of wasting bandwidth. There's nothing like bad advice.
Whoa, I just checked this post since my last reply. Lots of advice. Thank you polisher for filtering the bad advice. I picked them up today from gierhed, very cool guy. Thanks again. Hopefully we will have some more mopar transplants happening here. They are in good solid shape. I'm gonna see what I can do to get them presentable. My ADD will prolly kick in and I will send them off to Tony bones if that happens. I let ya know tony. I do have one fin that is chipped. It's not very noticable since it is near a bolt indent. That that be filled with a tig? If so will it polish up? Thanks again guy's
A good man can TIG aluminum pretty close to what you need most of the time, bit of sanding, be careful not to go too deep with die grinders and cookie cutters, and generally aluminum can be repaired pretty invisibly. Whatch out for zinc though. If they are heavy they'll be zinc. Melts at a much lower temerature and needs a lot of skill.
I'm not an expert polisher.....it is way too dirty a job, to do it very often! When you polish something, it isn't rocket science. All you do, is put finer and finer scratches in the piece, with finer and finer grit "whatever". I've been using S.O.S. pads on scummy "mag" alum. wheels after a hard winters use in Wisconsin with almost as much salt as on the salt flats. They clean up real good, and you don't have to waste a lot of $ to have an expert do it for you! Extreme polished stuff, is like House of color candy paint, it's pretty, but sometimes not the "LOOK" one is after.
I started out with a good old fashioned solvent bath for my ancient Pontiac cal-customs. Then I scrubbed the shit outa the fins and areas between with a fresh stainless steel brush [in the solvent] and took the covers home......waited until my wife went to her mom's for the weekend and I commandeered the kitchen sink for the rest of the procedure. I immersed them in warm, soapy water and wet sanded everywhere except between the fins with 180 grit.....sanded until all the white corrosion was gone and the pits were sanded out. Followed that up with sos pad...yeah, I know it's not recommended but I did it. This left a satin finish and I went over the entire cover with a light course of brown rubbing compound....not enough to make 'em polished, just a more finished satin look. I really like the "finished product"....
Now you need to go over them with a decent polish or they'll go dull again. "less of course that's what you want. Some people prefer a flat low maintenance look. Certainly a hell of a lot better than they were.
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