Cleaning oxidized engine covers, pieces...?

[Krooozn]

Unfortunately my bike has a considerable amount of oxidized crud on the engine covers and the lower fork tubes....does anyone know of anything that I can use to try to clean that crud off the aluminum engine covers and such....it appears to be kind of a whitish looking oxidized rough feeling kind of stuff....sure hope that makes sense....I have tried a few different polishes and cleaners without a lot of luck....so in hopes that someone here may know a trick or two that could help me rid my bike of this unsightly stuff......

Thanx....Anita

[Mysuzyq]

That is the factory clear coat, applied over the cases, that is deteriorating. There are a few recent threads that deal with polishing the cases....aircraft stripper, available at Walmart I'm told, will take off all the old clear, and then you can sand/polish them to the level of shine you desire.
Tony.

[Big T]

See Theo's thread on "buffing" in the Technical forum

[Nessism]

Sorry to sound like a grump but there are TONS of threads in the archives on how to clean up the aluminum, including one that is active within today. Please do a search to find the info you need.

[Calvin Blackmore]

Sorry to sound like a grump but there are TONS of threads in the archives on how to clean up the aluminum, including one that is active within today. Please do a search to find the info you need.

Wretched Grump who insufficiently feigns sorrow!


come on these look it up posts are damned rude!

[goggles]

the link referred to above

This is the buffing link referred to above:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=152972

As a relatively new user to this forum, I did not see the search "tab" in the bar below the GS Resources emblem when I first started using the site.

At the risk of sounding simplistic, click on it and it will allow you to put in keywords on the subject you are interested in. I like the advanced feature which allows you to narrow your search in a number of ways.

It can save time by using it first (in case your question was covered before) but the great thing about this site is that usually someone will answer your question or direct you to a former post even when the question is a repeat.

[Krooozn]

I will try to make a more concerted effort in the future to use the search feature....I just rarily think about using it....I have a thought pop into my head and before I know it I am typing a new thread....but to keep the peace I will make more effort in the future to use this feature.....I'm sure that the redundant questions get tiring......

So I apologize for not using the search feature before making my post....I will do better.....

Thanx...Anita

[ramrod400]

dont sweat it,there is is hardly any thing new to post about gs motorcycles on this site.The search will find just about any thing you can think of but its nice to see if any new ideas are out there.The gs gurus are always coming up with something

[Detroit Diesel Man]

Once you have the clearcoat off the old covers...get a gallon of "Trailer Brite"...its an acid aluminum cleaner...stuff work great..takes off corrosion like nobodys business..then just rinse with water before you start the polishing process...its availible at most any truck shop..we sell it for $30/gal..not cheap but I use a small brush to put it on with..takes alot of work out of getting the aluminum ready for actual polishing.


DDM

[sachsaca]

I have cleaned a set of foek tubes by soaking a rag in laquer thinner and wrapping it around the tube and letting it sit awhile. I forget the time but it just wiped off afterwards with not too much fuss.

[Detroit Diesel Man]

Heres an idea of what that "trailer brite" does I mentioned earlier...its an acid...brush it on or dip it..let it soak and rinse in water...