How do you Poilsh Valve Cover?

[fightyourself]

I just took my 73 240z Valve cover off, I was trying to polish it, but it just doesn't brighten up??
1) I first used paint thether to take off the paint.
2) then I used the wheel cleaner to take off the dirt and old paint.
3) then I rubbed Mother's Bullet polisher($11, the best in the store). and rubbed it so hard, till all the black oilly stuff came out.... and clean it with a clean colth. and it just doesn't brighten up?
Do I need to use sand paper first to get it smooth first? or what? I need help bad!! what do I need to do to get that factory polished look? Thanks guys!

[carguyinok]

Yes it takes some sanding. The biggest PITA is around the letters and where the bolts go in :sleepy: Once it's done it's worth the time. I went as far as grinding off where the plug wires screw on. Looks killer :love:
Try a 500 grit then 800 and then back with mothers

[zed240au]

polished a lot of alloy and stainless have found the best approach is to clean it then hit it with a polish wheel on drill or bench grinder can be purchased from hardware stores the first one to use is a compact cotton with a polishing compound comes in a block once you start to get a shine then move to a loose cotton polishing wheel comes up great

Though i now perfer stainless steel for all new fittings as it holds its polish so much longer

Mick

[Daniel]

1) get phone book and look up "Chrome/Polishing" 2) Take cover to that man with correct high power tools/knowledge. 3)Fix something on your car you are better prepared to do. 4) go get valve cover and pay the man $20.00. Been there- should have done that WAY sooner!!:stupid:

[2ManyZs]

It took me about 10 hours with a buffing stand, 4 different compounds, 4 different wheels, and 4 grades of sandpaper to do mine.... scratches will require sanding.
Before you can get a shine, you have to have a smooth surface. Any small pits or scratches, forget it. Even oxidation will leave just enough small pits to make it nearly impossible to get a good shine.

If you don't have the right tools, it's an even tougher job.....

Mother's and many others you find in an auto parts store will only work to put a shine on something that is already polished, but hasn't been taken care of, from my experience.

Here's a before pic.....

[2ManyZs]

This is after 10 hours of labor... and it's still not as good as I'd like.....:cross-eye

[Victor Laury]

Be carefull of polishing - it's addictive. I think you end up needing a certain level of aluminum in your blood.
4 years ago I started with a cheap 1/4 hp grinder, running a 4'' spiral sewn and 4'' loose flannel buffs, a tube of tripoli, and a tube of white rouge.

Now, it's 8 arbors, 2 hp motors, 10'' stacked buffs of every possible material, sanding belts, drums and 2lb bars of compounds of all sorts.

No doubt, I could have paid to polish every part of every car I have ever owned with what I've spent in equipment, materials and destroyed shirts (the polish get all over them).

It is a gratifing hobby though.

[Victor Laury]

Recent polished projects L24, U20, R16 Valve covers, 72 l24 water outlet.
http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/data/500/1303Recent_polished_projects-med.jpg

[TomoHawk]

Sears sells a small combo kit of polish bars. Don't forget to use your mototool, to get the tight spots.

[fightyourself]

Thanks For all the help guys! Sounds like I need a polishing kit. Because I also need to polish my triple webbers. (that's gonna be a timely job).
What kit of motor tool kit should I start off with?
I want to buy a polishing kit, home depo? what brand do you guys suggest? I don't want to spend very much! but need to do a good job!what are the things I need to buy and how much should I pay for?
Thanks Guys!!

Happy Hoildays guys!

Ker

[beandip]

I use a I used this same method on my mag wheels. :classic:

[Zs-ondabrain]

All excellent idea's and advice, and heres my 2cents.......

I usually start with a can of GUNK (degreaser), both inside and out, usually using a plastic (non-scratching) stiff bristled brush for the tuff stuff and in between the lettering, then dry the hell out of it.

Then start the initial cleaning with a SCOTCHBRITE PAD and some flowing water to keep any debris from clogging the pad, and there's a lot of it on your usual valve cover.

By now, there should be the slightest shine coming through, and any apparent flaws can be sanded out w/ 250 Grit for the tough stuff and 400 Grit for the rest of the slight blemishes.

After all the sanding and cleaning is done, I start w/ a tight knit spiral sewn buffing wheel for the general cut-in, and there's a lot of it. Tripoli buffing compound is great for this chore and you'll need a couple of sticks.

Use a minimum of 1HP motor. And if your serious about doing alot of polishing both now and in the future, a 2HP motor w/ extended arms and a buffing pedestool, and dont forget the assortment of compounds.

Now that you've cut most of the crap off the surface and your face looks 23 shades darker and your shirt is ruined. you have a great shine on the surface. BUT..... you're not done.

Switch to a loose soft buffing pad and some white rouge, high luster compound. and do the same thing all over again.
remember to move in a straight line from side to side whenever possible to keep swirls to a minimum.

Using very hot water and dish detergent with a stiff toothbrush, you can remove the build-up of compound in the cracks and around the letteing.

Use a soft cotton towel to wipe it down and dry it with. using another soft cotton towel you can start to buff out the remaining compound all over the surface and bring it to a final brilliant shine.

Obviously I left out getting into the cracks and small areas with a smaller felt cone and smaller wheels made for such a thing but that will all become obvious when you start your first buffing project.

Time and patience are the other items you won't find at the store but you'll learn em soon enough. I probably left out a few things but you get the general idea.

Good luck,

Dave.

[Zs-ondabrain]

and one more

[Victor Laury]

Good job on that intake manifold. Since that's a normaly rough casting, it took quite a bit of flatening work to bring that up to par!

Short cut - you can "get a away" without sanding on well finished pieces, by using a sisal buff (very rough) with emery compound (very aggressive), first, before moving to the tripoli.

1st step - emery compound on sisal - hard pressure, move piece against buff rotation (cutting motion)

2nd step - Clean all the emery compound off!

3rd step - Tripoli compound on spiral buff - hard pressure, cutting motion. The work will get very hot during this step!

4th step - Clean again! It's very important not to contaminate your next step, the coloring.

5th step - white rouge on loose flannel or single stitch pillow buff
medium pressure, moving piece with buff rotation (color motion)

This short cut works pretty well on clean work. It will not take out pits, or deep imperfections. Nothing beats staged sanding. On semi finished cast pieces (like Dave's intake manifold) there's no short cuts (right Dave?).

If you want to polish your carb domes, BE VERY CAREFULL! you must cut back on the pressure and buff time, as the heat will pull them out-of-round (not good).

Always be very carefull around the edges of the piece and the buff. At 3,000 RPM, if you catch an edge on the buff, it WILL tear the work out of your hands and likely take a piece of you with it!

[SteveK]

Hey I now need sunglasses every time I read this thread :cross-eye

Its a good job you guys aren’t firemen -- all that polishing and all those helmets LOL LOL LOL LOL

[Bambikiller240]

I think the best thing is for one of the Super Moderators to just move the entire thread into the Technical Articles Forum. I moderate the Tech Articles forum, but I can only move threads out, not into that forum. I tried to copy a printable version of it, but it's too large, plus we loose the pictures. I'll PM Keith and Victor & see it they'll do it for you "polishers".

[2ManyZs]

Done......:classic:

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by 2ManyZs
Done......:classic:

Ignore the PM then! :D