Polishing Aluminum?

mo650chopper · Posted: March 24, 2005, 6:58 pm Post subject: Polishing Aluminum?

Are the front fork lower legs clear coated like the engine side covers? If so is their a Easy way to get it removed with the parts on the bike so I can polish them. I removed and polished my Seat Handle, Rail and it looks 10 times better than before. Now to get my engine and forks looking good.

tudawgs · Posted: March 24, 2005, 8:40 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing Aluminum?

Oven cleaner will get all that old clear coat off. To get the lower fork legs to buff up well a little bit of fine sand paper oer them before you start will do the trick.

mo650chopper · Posted: March 24, 2005, 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing Aluminum?

Thanks for the tip I'll give that a try.

Hamamatsu · Full Member Joined: Feb 19, 2005 Posts: 18

This is what I did on the engine side covers,valve covers, alloy rims and fork legs to bring back the factory shine. I stripped the old clear coat off with a product made by Sherwin-Williams called "Super strip". I used the product as per instructions on the can, then rinsed with cold water and wiped down the parts with paint thinner. Then I took "000" steel wool dipped in Mothers mag wheel cleaner/polish and rubbed the parts to a perfect shine. It didn't take long, and I didn't use sandpaper or electric buffers. Use the Mothers a couple of times a year to maintain the shine.

mo650chopper · Posted: March 25, 2005, 12:09 am Post subject: Re: Polishing Aluminum?

Did you use the stripper with the parts on the bike? I think that was I used on my rims to strip the paint, It worked great on them.

Hamamatsu · Full Member Joined: Feb 19, 2005 Posts: 18

You can srip the parts while still on the bike, just keep in mind that Super Strip is a paint stripper and you don't want to get it on any painted surfaces. If you are going to do the engine side cases, use a good masking tape to protect the painted engine surfaces. I talked to a chemist at Sherwin-Williams before I started on my bikes, and he assured me that it won't attack rubber seals. As a side note, when I replaced the sump filter at the bottom of the engine, I used the Super Strip to remove the old gasket that was glued fast. It removed the gasket and left a clean surface which eliminated any scratches or gouges from metal scrapers that could cause leaks.

yamaha75 · Posted: May 22, 2005, 8:43 am Post subject: Re: Polishing Aluminum?

over here in the uk where we have rain, rain and more rain and thats in summer i use the following method to polish the alloy bits that i have not had enamalled black.

first of all, after taking the case/cover off the bike, if no laquer present, I spray the part with an alloy wheel cleaner from the turtle wax brand, after scrubing the part with an old toothbrush you then wash the part in hot soapy water, the wheel cleaner is a mild acid which pulls allot of impurities from the alloy.
I then get the wet & dry paper and starting with a 600 grade (medium) I go over the entire surface, after which I then use an 800 grade (fine). If the alloy is not too badly pitted/scored then I move on to the polishing mop and compound. It sounds long winded but I did the 4 points/inspection covers and the alternator and oil filter cover in a couple of days. After the final result is achieved, I then use a small amount of Mer polish to stop any tarnishing of the alloy. have a look at the pics

jon
uk

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