Buffing aluminum oil pump cover, and other covers

[markmartin]

I'd like to polish the aluminum on the oil pump cover to make it shiny again possible. Does anyone have a good method? I don't mind manual labor, but I'm guessing a buffing wheel on a bench grinder would make this easier.  If that's the way to go, any suggestions as to which buffing wheel(s) are best - that I could put on a 6" bench grinder.
Thanks.

[andyb]

It's not going to be unlike polishing anything else.  It's a semi-crappy casting though, so an absolutely perfect shine may be impossible.

Start with a rough grit and a hand sander to get as much of the deep scratches out, and work finer from there.  When you get to the polishing stage, you will want a buffing wheel, and it doesn't really matter if you get one on a bench or on a hand tool.  A bigger wheel is easier to control though, so keep that in mind.

Do take the cover off and look for cracks though.  Because it's a fairly weak casting, they crack pretty easily if they've borne the weight of an unintentional gravity equalization event.  They're not terribly expensive either, so you could also consider just replacing it with a new piece.

[Travis398]

hey Mark,

my cover looked just like that when i got it, as long as there is no deep gouges or scratches from falling over it can look close to a mirror finish with a couple hours worth of work. it is aluminum so it may not quite look like chrome (but close)  i started with something like 220 grit by hand, this was a long process. i slowly worked my way up to 800 grit before i put it to the buffing wheel. if you have a sander it would speed the process up. 

i think 1000 grit or 1500 may have worked better cause if you look really close you can still see some faint scratches in the shiny surface from the sandpaper. i ended up liking the white buffing compound the most. i'll try and get a couple pix to show you the final product. (may take a few days though)

[SkyFive]

Polished my covers last weekend, I used 220, 360 and 600 on a paint stirring paddle (block sanding) to get a uniform surface. Then I polished it by hand with Mothers Aluminum Polish. I managed to get a dull chrome finish.

[FeralJuggernaut]

If you are taking the cover off and willing to repaint the black parts, I think there may be some clear coat on that cover that aircraft paint stripper will take off pretty quickly.    may be able to start with 400 or 600 if the clear is already removed.    I like mother's AL polish for the final step.   It is Paddy approved.     

[markmartin]

Do take the cover off and look for cracks though.  Because it's a fairly weak casting, they crack pretty easily if they've borne the weight of an unintentional gravity equalization event.  They're not terribly expensive either, so you could also consider just replacing it with a new piece.

I was planning to take it off anyway--good thought, I will look for cracks - You're right,the fairing needed minor repair on that side when I got it--looks like the bike had fallen over at some point.

[markmartin]

      It is Paddy approved.     

Credence.  Mothers aluminum polish it is.


OK, If it's not cracked---I've got an old D/A sander -- I'll look what I've got for sandpaper and get what I don't have on the real fine stuff. polish from there and repaint the black.

Thanks!

Mark

[weymouth399]

Hi Mark
I used a D/A worked real well to get it close then hand polished to nice. lot of work, a nice buffing pad would have helped.
Bob

[markmartin]

Hi Mark
I used a D/A worked real well to get it close then hand polished to nice. lot of work, a nice buffing pad would have helped.
Bob

I'm glad you said 'pad'---I was thinking buffing 'wheel', and while I think that would work also, I think the pad will come in handy other places. Of course, both would be better, but I'm trying to keep the overhead down.
Mark

[ws4transam]

My covers were very gray and dull. I used por15 artisian polish and powerball mini. That combo was easy, with no sanding. They came out with a mirror finish. I dont think there is a better metal polish out there. I also used it on my stainless 20 year old vance and hines header, and had  excellent results.

[markmartin]

I'll check it out, thanks

[Pat Conlon]

Hey Mark, what you have is very common. The factory clear coat is toast. Go to Ace/Lowes/Home Depot and get some paint stripper and remove the clear coat. Just put the stripper on the aluminum face, you don't have to strip the entire cover (i.e.the black) unless you want to. If you do remove the black, respray with Satin Black 600*-800* engine paint, and oven bake (cure) the paint prior to addressing the shiny finish.
You do not need to sand. That will cause you alot of work. There is a very nice finish waiting for you beneath the knackered clear coat. Some Simichrome and a buff job will work out great.
If any sanding is needed at all (doubtful) then a 800/1000/1500/2000 grit progression is all you would need. 220/400/600 would IMHO be too course. You will spend alot of your time and effort removing those scratches
.

Be very careful using any mechanical sanding/buffing. That aluminum is soft stuff and it's easy to get a wavy finish if you are not very careful.

Cheers

[1tinindian]

After all the sanding steps are done, use Simichrome.
It's the best, and I have tried just about all the popular polishes on the market, and Simichrome makes Mothers look like crap in a side by side test.

Look in my gallery of my Suzuki and you can see the results on the engine on that bike, that should speak for itself!

Leon

[simi_ed]

Wavy surface?  Sounds like someone has spent too much time sniffing SimiChrome 

[Pat Conlon]

Wavy surface?  Sounds like someone has spent too much time sniffing SimiChrome 

When you polish a flat surface of aluminum, you want it to end up looking like a mirror, and not the type of mirror you would see in a fun house.

I happen to agree with Leon, Simichrome is the best. Also, a very good toothpaste and skin cream......