Aluminium engine casings clean up

[ukjules]

I can add a pic of my casings but I need
on next oil change to remove both sides
and resurrect the finish.

This on a GSX 250e 1980. bare alloy.

Not doing this to even terrible forks
I can do using wet and dry and polishing.

How does one get an good finish on sidecasings ?
what form of blasting to use ?
Do you clear coat bare alloy?

[I have an additional question as to how
to do same to top end? pots , can cover etc.

[Big T]

There's a bunch of threads on here about polishing. Try the Search function

[ukjules]

I have !

Question if you read it stand !

no need for you to assist on this one buddy !

[Cipher]

a raw search usually gives bad results.

Search in the body of the posts not just the titles

[trevor]

I will say one thing... do not clear coat! That’s why the parts become a mess in the first place.

[nvr2old]

Depends on how badly the covers are scratched or even gouged in some cases. Just getting the factory clear coat off is a job in itself..start with 180 grit or aircraft stripper. Follow that up with 400, followed by 600..and if you want a satin finish..stop and polish there with Mothers/Meguiers aluminum polish..if you want a shinier finish go to 800 and then 1000 before polishing. A wool pad on an adapter for a drill works great. As mentioned above..do not..re-clear.

[Steve]

Also going to need a little bit of translation from English to American.

"Pots" = carbs?

"Can cover" = ???
Possibly a typo? CaM cover?

.

[Agemax]

Also going to need a little bit of translation from English to American.

"Pots" = carbs?

"Can cover" = ???
Possibly a typo? CaM cover?

.

Pots are a crude slang term for cylinder block, "4 pot" refers to 4 cylinders. Jugs is also another slang term, dont ask me why!

[hampshirehog]

Pots are a crude slang term for cylinder block, "4 pot" refers to 4 cylinders. Jugs is also another slang term, dont ask me why!

And just to add to the confusion, in Britain 'jugs' is a crude term sometimes used to describe a lady's chest.

Oh, and pot can also mean cannabis.

It's all about the context.

[Nessism]

Advanced search
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Dozens of threads on how to restore the finish on engine covers.

Media blasting to remove corrosion and clear coat as the first step can be done.
Most guys don't clear after completion but that can be done as well. I suggest clear powder coat since it will hold up to high temperature.

[Gorminrider]

I will say one thing... do not clear coat! That’s why the parts become a mess in the first place.

Yes, but be aware you must rinse and polish after any ride through salt or moisture. The bare alloy is very vulnerable to corrosion.

So, Ukjules, consider if you have a heated garage. That helps a lot, I surmise.

NORMAL Autosol is a GOOD polish to use after your wet-sanding is done....

IF you are going to ride the bike a lot, consider black paint. Looking at my Honda, I find it wayyy easy to retouch chips on the engine and forks versus coming out the morning after to discover a crystal corrosion bloom on bare aluminum.

[ukjules]

the said casings picture :
as I say I am ok at doing forks from wrecked
to polished using grit , wet and dry as you state and then
cutting paste , ally polish etc.
forks I sometimes clearcoat but sometimes not.
forks are easy as no heat issue and easy to rub down
uniformly.
my RD wheels I didn't even clearcoat and they
are ok needing just a quick clean up on
the odd occasion.

so its not vapour blasting or the likes?
it's more like out with the grit and get rubbing ?
and
to end it will always involve polishing.... whether it be
from 180 grit down to 2000 wet and dry to polishing... ?
hand polishing is always needed whatever method ? (blasting or
hand sanding )

can cover = cam cover
pots = barrels

p.s I wont be riding the gsx much ! and not
a lot in bad weather.

barrels : surely these need to be blasted? but with what ?

Screenshot_20191024-232220_Gallery_compress97.jpg

[steveb922]

I'd guess vapour blasting would do the job quite well. On the grounds the barrels were originally painted, I just degreased mine, removed any loose/flaky paint, and sprayed with VHT sp 127.

Cheap nail files - the foam-backed type - are handy for getting between the fins

[ukjules]

no denying it that looks good. good job


cheers for answers. good concise info and the gsx and my beloved gs550
can be back to normal.
casings first and .. I def wont clearcoatone quest though

q) one quest though :
is there a uk equivalent to vht sp 127 ?
I cant find it in uk at all ?
amazon and ebay it seems to only come from usa .....

[steveb922]

SP 127 is normally available over here, but I've just looked (same places as you probably) and it seems to be out of stock. I guess you'll either need to hang on a bit or find an alternative. 127 is the closest to the original, but if you're not too bothered about absolute originality, SP 995 is close. There are also similar products from other manufacturers.