Cleaning aluminium

[VL Berlina 5speed]

well as the question states im after the best and most simple way to clean up the head and intake runners on my engine.

only catch is im trying to do it one handed as ive shattered my wrist and collar bone in a motocross accident, so no extremely hard ways at doing it please

ive degreased the complete motor a good 5 times aswel as scraped and wire brushed all the hard chuncks off, used eagle1 alloy wheel cleaner and its still not to my standerds

bassically im wanting it imaculate to meet the engine bay standreds
the block will be painted with all new fittings and pipes for water and fuel

cheers

[sixshooter]

You do realize that cleaning the head up to be all shiney will be an ongoing task if you dont seal it with a coat of varnish or lacquer ???

The dull look to it is the aluminum oxide. As an alloy oxidizes the aluminium oxide seals the alloy from further oxidation.

You need an acid of some sort to eat off the oxide to reveal the alloy underneath to make it look all shiney again... try some good old vinegar and old fine steel wool for agitation !!!

[VL Berlina 5speed]

You do realize that cleaning the head up to be all shiney will be an ongoing task if you dont seal it with a coat of varnish or lacquer ???

The dull look to it is the aluminum oxide. As an alloy oxidizes the aluminium oxide seals the alloy from further oxidation.

You need an acid of some sort to eat off the oxide to reveal the alloy underneath to make it look all shiney again... try some good old vinegar and old fine steel wool for agitation !!!

yer i am aware of alloy oxidising and how it will return to its dull form again, im more at getting the grease stains out which is baked on good

[shiften gears]

try a bp truckstop they sell this stuff called purple polish no harf rubbing great shine for ages bout $30 a bottle.

[Boonz]

yeh that purple metal polish is good. just spray it on and give it a little scrub and it comes up with a shine... then a rub with a metal polish will help seal it in for a while, just dont use autosol cos it goes grey for some reason...

[jules]

if you take the oxide coating off, aluminium will rust.

i stupidly polished the brake pedal of my motorbike once and it's got rust on it ever since.

[Adam Perth]

Ali-brite, $12 / 1 Lt from supercheap.

[Pub247]

if you take the oxide coating off, aluminium will rust.

i stupidly polished the brake pedal of my motorbike once and it's got rust on it ever since.

Alloy doesnt rust it corrodes.

As for cleaning it depends acid baths will get most of it off though sometimes carbon deposits/stains can be a pain. At work we acid bath our heads then they are bead blasted you'll lose the shine but it can be polished again. The bead blasting really helps indentify corrosion and cracks but if you do a heads it will need seats recut and and guides reamed/k-lined or replaced.