Alloy Cleaning/Polishing

[panhead]

Imoengnr was spot on about the micro pitting.

No amount of metal polish or solvents was ever going to clean them up as the pitting was two deep.

I thought about using a linishing belt on them but was concerned I might change the shape so I eventually took the safe option and attacked them by hand.

I started off with 80 grit wet & dry to remove the pitting followed by 120 grit then 600.

I'm an old fashion polisher and use the straight line method and not the circular approach as I always believe it's easier to remove straight line scratches then it is to remove swirls.

I also used this approach as I wanted the final finished to have the brushed look and not a mirror finish, so straight lines it had to be.

The first photo is after the 600 grit polish

The second photo is after going through a 1000 grit, 1500 and 2000.

The third photo is of them ready to be fitted after using some Mothers Aluminium Polish which I applied a first coat with a wheel then a second coat with a 1 inch rotary polisher.

I wouldn't call them perfect but close and I'm happy with the finish.

.

 

[panhead]

Next I took on the carbie, it's a 750 double pumper with mechanical secondary and a manual choke.

Initially it was going to be a quick strip and clean the outside but it didn't turn out that simple.

It was filthy and the first couple of photos show the dismantled primary bowl which I cleaned up inside and out with a small piece of fine steel wool and an air compressor.

It was an easy clean but the guts were a mess, the metering blocks, the accelerator pump diaphragms and bolts were unbelievable for a car that I parked 18 months ago and the week before I'd parked it, I'd disassembled, cleaned and put a full kit through the carbie and this is what became of it.

I said in another tread that dried out fuel systems can be a pain in the arse and this is a good example, the car was running on BP Ultimate in case anyone is wondering.

The last photo is of a couple of bolts and the inside of the secondary bowel after I'd stripped it.

I'd already cleaned up the other parts and just started to clean the inside of the bowel when it occurred to me to take a photo.

I've still got a bit more to strip down tomorrow as the throttle bores also needs a clean and the power values, jets and pump nozzles will definitely need checking.

.

 

[lmoengnr]

Imoengnr was spot on about the micro pitting.

No amount of metal polish or solvents was ever going to clean them up as the pitting was two deep.

I thought about using a linishing belt on them but was concerned I might change the shape so I eventually took the safe option and attacked them by hand.

I started off with 80 grit wet & dry to remove the pitting followed by 120 grit then 600.

I'm an old fashion polisher and use the straight line method and not the circular approach as I always believe it's easier to remove straight line scratches then it is to remove swirls.

I also used this approach as I wanted the final finished to have the brushed look and not a mirror finish, so straight lines it had to be.

The first photo is after the 600 grit polish

The second photo is after going through a 1000 grit, 1500 and 2000.

The third photo is of them ready to be fitted after using some Mothers Aluminium Polish which I applied a first coat with a wheel then a second coat with a 1 inch rotary polisher.

I wouldn't call them perfect but close and I'm happy with the finish.


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Nothing wrong with polishing in straight lines. In '78, as a 2nd year apprentice, I spent a couple of months hand polishing aircraft acrylic windows.
Sand the window in straight lines one way, then at 90 degrees do it again... In ever decreasing grit sizes...
We used a Micro-Mesh kit. Cushioned abrasive 3"x6" sheets, from 1500 grit to 6000 grit.


Great for restoring 'transparency' on clear acrylic panes, also achieving a mirror finish on alloys.

These days that would be a bit awkward on my arthritic hands, so I'd grab my 3" mini DA polisher, foam pads and different grades of cutting/polishing compounds. Haven't tried it on alloys, but its brilliant on sun affected polycarbonate headlights. Quick and easy.

 

[Skylarking]

Why not clean up the corrosion and get the alloy parts anodised?

You could go natural aluminium, some fancy colour or black. And anodising looks good and protects the base metal from corrosion

PS: plenty of YouTube videos on the subject
here’s one simplified process

and another which looks like a more detailed process

PPS: I haven’t done anodising but ensure good ventilation and you’ll be ok. I’ve has sulfuric acid stored at home and from experience the acid fumes makes stainless steel look like it’s rusted

 

[MrBags]

Next I took on the carbie, it's a 750 double pumper with mechanical secondary and a manual choke.

Initially it was going to be a quick strip and clean the outside but it didn't turn out that simple.

It was filthy and the first couple of photos show the dismantled primary bowl which I cleaned up inside and out with a small piece of fine steel wool and an air compressor.

It was an easy clean but the guts were a mess, the metering blocks, the accelerator pump diaphragms and bolts were unbelievable for a car that I parked 18 months ago and the week before I'd parked it, I'd disassembled, cleaned and put a full kit through the carbie and this is what became of it.

I said in another tread that dried out fuel systems can be a pain in the arse and this is a good example, the car was running on BP Ultimate in case anyone is wondering.

The last photo is of a couple of bolts and the inside of the secondary bowel after I'd stripped it.

I'd already cleaned up the other parts and just started to clean the inside of the bowel when it occurred to me to take a photo.

I've still got a bit more to strip down tomorrow as the throttle bores also needs a clean and the power values, jets and pump nozzles will definitely need checking.



View attachment 226573

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.

The young folks won’t have a clue what that is mate.

 

[lmoengnr]

The young folks won’t have a clue what that is mate.

Just tell 'em it's an analog computer.

 

[Forg]

The young folks won’t have a clue what that is mate.

It’s an inefficient permanently-poorly-tuned US analogue of an EFI which doesn’t allow as much power as an Australian one?

 

[panhead]

Just tell 'em it's an analog computer.

It just shows how almost no-one knows anything about these older style technologies.

As far as I'm concerned it always has been and always will be called a 'Shaker Mounting Bracket'.





.

 

[Lex]

Imoengnr was spot on about the micro pitting.

No amount of metal polish or solvents was ever going to clean them up as the pitting was two deep.

I thought about using a linishing belt on them but was concerned I might change the shape so I eventually took the safe option and attacked them by hand.

I started off with 80 grit wet & dry to remove the pitting followed by 120 grit then 600.

I'm an old fashion polisher and use the straight line method and not the circular approach as I always believe it's easier to remove straight line scratches then it is to remove swirls.

I also used this approach as I wanted the final finished to have the brushed look and not a mirror finish, so straight lines it had to be.

The first photo is after the 600 grit polish

The second photo is after going through a 1000 grit, 1500 and 2000.

The third photo is of them ready to be fitted after using some Mothers Aluminium Polish which I applied a first coat with a wheel then a second coat with a 1 inch rotary polisher.

I wouldn't call them perfect but close and I'm happy with the finish.


View attachment 226570

View attachment 226571

View attachment 226572







.

Hi
I used to be a metal polisher.
Give the ali you have polished some kind of clear coating.
You dont want all that work you have done to the ali parts to tarnish do you?

 

[PeteSS]

Next I took on the carbie, it's a 750 double pumper with mechanical secondary and a manual choke.

Initially it was going to be a quick strip and clean the outside but it didn't turn out that simple.

It was filthy and the first couple of photos show the dismantled primary bowl which I cleaned up inside and out with a small piece of fine steel wool and an air compressor.

It was an easy clean but the guts were a mess, the metering blocks, the accelerator pump diaphragms and bolts were unbelievable for a car that I parked 18 months ago and the week before I'd parked it, I'd disassembled, cleaned and put a full kit through the carbie and this is what became of it.

I said in another tread that dried out fuel systems can be a pain in the arse and this is a good example, the car was running on BP Ultimate in case anyone is wondering.

The last photo is of a couple of bolts and the inside of the secondary bowel after I'd stripped it.

I'd already cleaned up the other parts and just started to clean the inside of the bowel when it occurred to me to take a photo.

I've still got a bit more to strip down tomorrow as the throttle bores also needs a clean and the power values, jets and pump nozzles will definitely need checking.
.

Had one of those suckers on my 351 XD. Faark it drunk fuel like no tomorrow