Guest livewire23 Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 I'd done some searches, and I didn't think there was enough information available on this great board about polishing stuff. So I'm going to try to add a thread with some information for the future people who come searching for info. Please add on and tell people the proper way, cuz my way is the half-assed way. Of course before you begin polishing metal, you want to clean it off real good, and get all the crud off of it. Especially if this is the first time the car's engine bay has been detailed since it was manufactured. After it has been cleaned, take some sandpaper, and get to work. depending on the severity of buildup, you'll need between 150 and 600 grit paper. Be warned that 150 grit will scratch the hell out of your stuff, and you'll have to take a bit off the top of the surface to smooth it out. Once the gunk has been removed pretty well, go get a wire brush attachment for your drill. Believe me, this thing is incredible. It got my valve cover shinier that I new possible. However it also leaves a bit of a scratched surface. Im working on that... After that, I got a craftsman buffing kit, with a buffing wheel and a polishing compound. When I first tried it, it didnt work too well, but after a day, I realized you have to hold it pretty lightly, and just buff out the metal. This will polish it pretty well, and by now you should be able to see stuff within one foot of the surface reflected in it. Tommorow Im gonna try to get some of that rub-on polishing goop, and see if that improves the luster at all. Im also gonna get some 1200-2400 grit sandpaper to get the scratches out. The best part of the wire brush though, is that you can take the drill and just use the brush to clean EVERYTHING metal in your engine bay. You'd be greatly surprised how much of that rust colored stuff can actually be shined to the point of reflecting lights and stuff. -Just thought I would share my experiences -Kito Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slownrusty Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Hi Kito - Yup been there - lots of hard work but worth it. Here is a picture of my Toyota Valve covers I did: Took me a full weekend and a face full of aluminum dust. But the end results speak for themselves. Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest livewire23 Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 sweet, mine dont look quite that good yet. How'd you finish the polishing off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slownrusty Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I used a clay polishing compound with the buffing wheel on a grinder - need to have something that can turn some serious rpms (hence the grinder). That will give the final luster. Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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