Engines all polished

[spots25]

great, i'm gonna pick one up and go to town

[gcextreme]

Cleaner

What type of cleaner did u use, if any???
I really want to get mine to shine like that!!!

Thanks

[ScreamingLiL2stroke]

For the engine i started with coarse steel wool and worked my way down to the really fine 000 steel wool i used a few diffrent polishes but none seem to make it shine like the really fine steel wool.

I only used the brass brush between the engine fins i didnt try it on the cases and all were it might show scratchs but it seemed to work perfect between the fins.

The worst thing to clean and polish were the carbs,but they turned out pretty nice compared to what they looked like when i started.

[airportcop]

Nice job on everything. Wanna do mine now?

[darkstar757]

What did you use to clean the bike

I know you said you used course steel wool. Did ytou use you hands or a machine to buff that out.

I also have a 82 Gs650 and I am in need of a new gas tank. Where can I locate one?

[ScreamingLiL2stroke]

I used the steel wool and my hands to buff the cases and all down,as far as parts ebays ur best bet but they dont have much in the way of 82 gs650e parts trust me ive been looking for a while for a few small parts to finsh her up.

[Tarbash 27]

I tried polishing my fins with the dremel piece but it tears apart in like 2 minutes. these things cost like $4 each. I got like 2 fins cleaned. i just dont get it.

[silverhorse47]

I tried polishing my fins with the dremel piece but it tears apart in like 2 minutes. these things cost like $4 each. I got like 2 fins cleaned. i just dont get it.

The brass filaments will spin out if the dremel is running too fast...try slowing it down some. Also, it is the ends of the wire that do the work...the filaments shouldn't bend much at all when they contact the work. It's a pretty light touch that does the cleaning and polishing. Like a tickle...think of the aluminum as skin. The best way to buy these wheels is in bulk...here we can get five in a plastic bag for four bucks at discount tool places, so maybe check around a bit.

[Tarbash 27]

well i have an old dremel thats only one speed. the thing spins so fast, that probably why im chewing them up.

[ScreamingLiL2stroke]

Flea markets for dremel stuff like wire wheels and all that jazz, i buy um all at a flea market i go to i can walk away with a crap load of stuff for like 5 bucks,i got wire wheels last week for 1.50 a pop,some places have grab bins that say 5 for dollar.

I go at a slow rate of speed when doing it so the wheels last a long while.

[Ishamael]

Question about polishing with steel wool:

I gave it a try today on a spare piece to see how it worked, and I don't get how you managed to do it. The really fine stuff polishes it up nice, but you need something coarser to get the discolored spots out.

This was the problem: The #3 stuff (really coarse) just scratched the hell out of the aluminum, and the #1 stuff (medium) wasn't coarse enough.

Any advice?

[Baatfam]

Question about polishing with steel wool:

This was the problem: The #3 stuff (really coarse) just scratched the hell out of the aluminum, and the #1 stuff (medium) wasn't coarse enough.

Any advice?

Hmmmmm..... #2?

Sorry, couldn't help it!

Using steel wool is just like using sand paper, you start with coarse, then use medium to remove the marks from the coarse, then fine and so forth.

HTH,
Bob T.

[ScreamingLiL2stroke]

Yea you have to start rough and work ur way down to a nice finish its alot of work.

[Billyboy]

Nice lookin engine! Ima have to do that.

[J_C]

you can wet sand too. That's how renobruce did it.... I used his methods of wet sanding with various grits and it's turned out extremely well on the few pieces I've tested it on.

Good luck!