Shinning Up Engine Covers

[Anonymous]

MY ENGINE COVERS HAD OXIDATION LINES DARK AND WHITE. I USE 120 GRIT PLUMBERS TAPE AND SANDED THEM YOU WILL SEE LIGHT SCRATCH MARKS BUT DONT WORRY WHEN DONE SANDING THE ALUMINUM POLISH WILL SMOOTH THESE OUT. BE VERY CAREFUL AROUND THE EMBLEMS THOUGH IF YOU GET TOO CLOSE IT WILL REMOVE THE BLACK PAINT ON THE EMBLEMS. WHEN I HAD GOTTEN ALL THE OXIDATION AND CLEAR COAT OFF I USED EAGLE MAG WHEEL AND ALLUMINUM POLISH I PUT IT ON WITH A DRY CLOTHE AND RUBBED A LOT. THEN BUFFED WITH COTTEN TOWEL IT SHINES GREAT AND THE ALUMINUM POLISH WILL KEEP OFF ANY THING IF USED REGULARY. THE BAD LOOK YOU CURENTLY SEE IS FROM YEARS OF NEGLECT. ITS HARD WORK TO REVERSE THAT WITH THE PLUMBERS TAPE BUT THE RESULT IS SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO MAINTAIN WITH MINIMAL EFFORT IF DONE REGULARY. THIS PROCESS ALSO WORKS WELL ON THE SHINNY PORTION OF THE WHEELS AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FORKS. I MEAN IT WHEN I SAY IT IS HARD WORK. I HAD TO WAIT SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE DOING THE SECOND SIDE OF THE ENGINE BECAUSE I NEARLY PULLED THE FINGERNAILS LOOSE FROM MY FINGERTIPS RUBBING WITH THE SAND PAPER. YOU DO NEED TO EXCERT SOME DOWN FORCE ON THE PLUMBERS TAPE TO GET THROUGH THE CLEAR COAT IN LESS THAN A YEAR. AND USE ABOUT 2-3 INCH STRIPS OF THE PLUMBERS TAPE AS IT WILL CLOG UP WITH RESIDUE FARELY QUICK AND YOUL HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER PIECE. IT TOOK ABOUT 3 HOURS OR SO GOING AT IT FRETTY HARD TO DO THE FIRST SIDE THE OTHER SIDE WENT QUIKER AS I HAD GOTTEN THE NICHE OF IT ON THE FIRST. I CANT TELL YOU ENOUGH THE DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE.

[Jay B]

Do a search on this site for polishing the aluminum. Theres much easier ways to get the old clear coat off and to polish the bare metal then what you have been doing.

[Anonymous]

I used a glass bead blaster to get all the clearcoat off my valve cover. Just bring the parts to a machine shop and they should have one. The all that's left is cleaning it off and polishing it up.

[Jeff Tate]

I just carefully applied paint stripper to mine and then used a felt buffing wheel chucked into a drill motor... pretty. Also, several applications of black felt pen can be used for touching up the black areas on the stator and ignition covers.