I have a used Greddy front mount intercooler kit and since I won’t be doing anything with the car over the winter, I was thinking of polishing up the piping nice and shinny! The piping is aluminum and allready silver, just not looking as good as it once did. What do I need to do to shine it up to a mirror like finish? And is there anything negative that can result from doing this?
I am figuring just lots of polishing with a high grit sand paper and such, but not really sure the best way? I don’t have one yet but I am planning on picking up a dremel rotary tool soon, so would that be advisable to use?
Please…no uneducated feed back, I am asking people that KNOW what to do. I have plenty of ideas of different ways to do it, just want to know the RIGHT WAY or BEST WAY!!
Thanks
Buy aluminum polish, get ALL the old paint and shit off using a spray called (aircraft coating remover) it will eat through powdercoating and just destroys paint (dont get in eyes) then once that hase been done sand it to 400 then 1000 then 1600 then take a polishing wheel plus the aluminum polish (dont get shitty polish from C-tire) go find high quality shit! and then u can use either a bench grinder a drill or a angel grinder to start polishing…anyways that should ge tu started
Thanks Rob!
What do I top it all off with? Some clear coat or something?
And I have been tossing around the idea in my brain of doing the valve cover. How big a job is that? It seems to me that it would be simple, just replace the gasket when I put it back on, any thoughts?
take it to a powdercoating shop and get a clear powdercoat on it well worth it
about the valve cover use the aircraft coating remover to get off the paint (use a wier brush) it takes a bit of work then polishing it by hand is also lots of work, i recomend taking it to get powdercoated, tons of colors to choose from, translucents aswell
translucent gold looks HAWT! anyways if u got any other questions just ask
Well, I am gonna give this a try…what kind of places sell this aircraft coating remover?
Any recomendations for doing a valve cover? I noticed you have done a few right!? Any info you can share to make my job easyer or less of a headache? And powdercoatings are available in a clearcoat hey? I didn’t know that. Doing the intercooler pipes is going to be easy, I only need to do the 2 pipes that are accually visible, the others are hidden behind my Q’s series bumper anyway! It’s the valve cover thats going to be a pain. What works good for getting a wirewheel or sandpaper etc… down into the little nooks and crannys?
Any recomandations for what colour to paint the lettering on top of the valve cover? I was thinking of maybe a blue that matches the exterior.
I am also planning on doing my rims this winter, any recomendations for doing those? I will have to look into the powdercoating thing, any idea of a ballpark for say:
-getting intercooler pipes and valve cover clearcoated?
-getting rims painted and clearcoated?
powdercoat the rims, no doubt about that! valve cover if its going to be polished then just use the coating remover but if its going to be PC then sand blast it (local PC shops will have all that stuff) DO NOT use a wire wheel on alumium, it will leave deep gashes that are a bitch to get out, use sandpaper all the way!
Where do I find aircraft paint remover?
The valve cover is just steel right? Any problems I can expect to run into or tricks to make it come off easy?
I will need to replace the valve cover gasket and the seals for the sparkplug holes…anything else?
When you recomend not getting crappytire aluminum polish do you mean generic ones or even like mothers and meguires…?
there is this shitty polish they have there, mpothers and such is good
those gaskets dont need to replaced if they are in good condition, they are acutally a rubber piece that can be reused BUT if it is leaking oil then replace it! the valve cover is aluminum!
