Hi Guys and Gals,

A quick question ???

Is there any product out there to polish aluminium? Namely the core on a FMIC im fitting.
It is quite dull and i wanted to give it a shine,also is there a product like Laquer that can lock in the shine and protect the core?

I have tried Autosol metal polish which only makes it look dull

Thanks in advance

Neil

 

Neil, give it a full wipe down on the pipework. Use a bit of degreaser or apc , Autosol isn't bad but better stuff on the market. Megs do a metal polish or 3M.

If its really bad try a very light wirewool and autosol again. Remember to keep buffing and change polishing pad often. Then lock it in with a metal sealant. I use blackfire metal sealant on mine.

 

bit of hard work and effort is all that is needed Neil!!!!! and if you can get a rotary polisher it helps massivly !!!! just need to look at mine and you will see

Gaz

 

Have you tried sandpaper? Coarse to start with then maybe a 600 wet and dry then rub it with autosol until the polish turns like a black liquid. At least its a flat surface, not like this bugger...

 

@ Steve,- who sells the Blackfire sealant and roughly how much is it?
@Gaz - I see yours is how I want mine lol,have u got a rotary polisher? If so I might have to borrow it with the dremmels!

@Kwik - that manifold looks awsome and guess it took a lot of polishing and sore fingers !!

 

Interesting thread this
Does anyone use a dremmel ?
Or just good old hard work with sandpaper then finer then cloths / fine wire wool and autosol or it's equilvent
As there is lots of small had to reach brackets in the engine bay I want to do

 

It's not something I'd recommend. Definately try some 120 paper, 600 wet and dry then autosol.

I've looked at them, but I think I'd go through so many tiny sanding wheels it mat not be worth it.

 

First it was was treated to a few cans of Jizza de greaser from halfords and washed off well with hot water and fairy. Then hit with megs metal polish and some elbo grease. well worth it i think.

Iain

 

Looks great Wimpy!

 

Looks good Wimpy , my pipes have come up a treat since first post,however I'm now this weekend starting hopefully on the core!
I think, wet and dry followed by intense and arm aching polishing with megs/ blackfire !!

 

Cheers guys well worth it in my eyes.

 

Very nice.
You won't be able to do anything with the core itself in terms of polishing but you can improve the end tanks and the pipework.
How aluminium works is that the suface layer corrodes and seals against further corrosion. What you are doing by polishing it is removing the top layer probably held in the first 1-2 microns of surface depth. Any aluminium polishing compound and a lot of elbow grease will bring up a good finish but the problem is then to keep the finish because the raw aluminium then tarnishes in the atmosphere particularly when road salt is present. It is possible to get the tubes anodized to almost any colour you want (excluding tartan) but I am not sure about anodizing the core for a number of reasons including the fact that the core is hollow and retains fluid from the anodizing baths and if it is bunged it won't sit in the anodizing bath.
If you are going to go to the extent of polishing your end tanks which are the main thing that is seen you could try some alloy wheel cleaner on the core itself before the polishing operation.