Aluminum cleaner on engine surfaces?

what I found is that most manufacturers actually paint their aluminum engines with aluminum paint to get that nice even, shiny surface. You can't really get sand cast aluminum to have that nice shiny finish you are looking for without painting.

I figured this out about 40 years ago when I used to work on Honda motorcycles, back in the 1970's. I was a bit surprised to find that, but that's how most engines are. If Ferrari does it differently, I would be surprised.

 

Hello

I make it everytime with BERNER breake cleaner spray. 100% effect. Is not a cheapest method, but succesfull.

Stefan

 

brake cleaner is extremely toxic!

Also, it can damage some plastics and rubber parts. Big fire hazard too. be careful!

Simple Green diluted with warm water and a soft Scoth-brite pad do wonders and leave a brushed aluminum finish. Add a bit of Dawn soap to degrease further, but dawn does leave a residue.

 

A trick I learned from the old airplane hobby is to use Scrubbing Bubbles (that bathroom spray cleaner). It is safe for aluminum and does a superb job cutting through oily grime. You might want to sneak a can from your wife's cleaning supplies.

 

I vote Simple Green as well.....but I never clean my engines, as carreaper points out LOTS of bad can happen, and very little good.....

 

The natural alumimum of the timing chain covers CAN be greatly improved upon, take it to a motorcycle guy to 'work thru the grits" and you can get a mirror polished finish like the racing P-51s end up with.....I suppose the same would be true for the valve/cam covers but as we have touched on in other threads the casting for the smog pumps is not as nice as the front bank original one....more grainy....

 

If the parts are off the car use a dilute solution of Sodium Hydroxide. This is what we use in the aviation industry to surface etch/clean aluminum for painting.

Common source of Sodium Hydroxide is Draino and other drain cleaners.

Clean the parts with a degreaser. Mix up the draino with water to a weak solution. You should see a slight foaming if its working. If it really starts foaming up, just rinse it with water to stop the action. Should only take a minute or less. Wash with soap and water after and you're done.

 

I have Sharkhide Metal Protectant for my truck box, they tell me it will stand up to engine heat. They also make polish and other products that may work well on out engines.??

http://www.sharkhide.com/

 

no disrespect, but as an aircraft guy we are trained to never, never, never, never use any steel wool or steel brushes on aluminum.

The steel fibers and flecks will and do embed themselves in the aluminum. I would bet that is what you see in the surface. Try blue scoth-brite pad and mag wheel polish in a small area with a orbital polisher or angle grinder. See if it works for you.

Red scotch-brite will take off ALOT of metal in a hurry. Blue is safer to start with.

be careful.

 

Here is a very educational 5 and a half minutes:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQV0cpIZkak[/ame]


I don't know who this guy is, but I gave his video a thumbs up!

 

This is the guy I use here in Oz,
http://www.freewebs.com/blasting/
and are some of the results.
He get's stuff sent to him from all over the world.
The headers are ceramic coated, of course.
The brass and copper work he cleans up is just stunning when he finishes.
None of this is painted, his process seals the alloy, 2 years later is still looks great.
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I have a special cleaning machine I use.
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After cleaning apply silver Rub & Buff available at craft stores. Hobby Lobby stocks it.

 

I use an 80 grit buffer wheel on aluminum and bolts. It does not leave a finish as nice as the sand blasting shown in the pictures above, but it gets the job done. I avoid strong chemicals or the engine cleaners.

 

The process Wayne uses is non abrasive, he can take the paint off a coke can without damage to the alloy. Some parts from the Boxer. Most of his work is with the more classic motor bike parts, but he tells me he makes an exception for Ferrari bits, he thinks he's funny.
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I'm sure there are lot of different ways to clean them. I used the engine bright to remove the grease and grime, then some small brass wire brushes (found at Ace Hardware) to shine up the surfaces a little, the brass is a lot softer then the steel wool and does not leave scratches, followed with a little Mothers Mag Polish. After the initial cleaning the only thing I do now is to wipe it down once in a while with a clean cloth.
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That's beautiful Gleggy!!!

 

Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner

Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner is a biodegradable, breakthrough water-based formula for cleaning engines, aircraft, vehicles and equipment. This product is safe for painted surfaces, gel coat, aluminum, carbon fiber and other composite materials, meeting Boeing Spec D6-17487P for general aircraft cleaning. This non-corrosive, low-foaming cleaner/ degreaser, cleans the toughest types of soil and rinses residue free.

 

I think that glass beads may be pretty aggressive for DIY cosmetic cleaning of cast aluminum and I'd be concerned about residual abrasive dust absent a really thorough cleaning afterward. Commercial shops have the skill to use more aggressive media. There are milder blasting media like plastic beads, crushed walnut shell, corn cob that may not be as quick but will do no harm to soft aluminum.

 

I wonder if that is soda blasting, not the kind to take paint off roads but the baking soda blasting using an airbrush.