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Aluminum cleaner polish

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AUSMHLY

AUSMHLY

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Happy 4th everyone!

I've been working on cleaning and adding a bit of shine to my carb set up. Lots of small tight places to get to.

The more I clean the set up, the more beautiful I find all the linkages to be. Brass and metal.

Does anyone use or suggest a product that works well on brass and aluminum?

I found jewelers rouge and a Dremel work great, but very time consuming.

If I take the time to use various grades of sand paper then the rouge with a buffing wheel, I can bring the shine to chrome level. (And get rouge spin off on anything in its path!)

Any snake oil products out there that are really too good to be true?

Cheers, Roger
 
Looks good Roger. I have found that glass bead blasting the carbs really cleans them up nice prior to polishing. I just leave the carb body the dull matt finish from the glass bead blasting and polish the dash pots. Looks good and not much labor involved. Bob
 
Hi Roger, Use Mothers Mag Polish and a bit of elbo grease.--Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Looks good Roger. Now that you have all the "rouge" cleaned out of your teeth you might want to try a product called "FLITZ" polish. Works great on metal,plastic and even fiberglass. Can be bought at good sporting goods stores like "Bass Pro Shop" or "Cabelas".
 
Hello all,

They say it's all in the details.
Looking back to when I started this project, July 4th, here it is July 14th and I'm finally finished.

What started out as simply wanting to clean up the carburetors, turned into a full blown, polish them.

Before and after attached.
 
Well I think they look fantastic. With time allowed for shipping and now that you have experience with this, might I expect to get mine to you and back within a fourteen day period?

Lin
1960 BT7 in restoration
1959 Bugeye
 
Lin said:
Well I think they look fantastic. With time allowed for shipping and now that you have experience with this, might I expect to get mine to you and back within a fourteen day period?

Lin
1960 BT7 in restoration
1959 Bugeye
Click to expand...


Forget it, Lin. The line forms BEHIND me.

Hey, if you think his SUs look great, wait till you see what Roger is gonna do with my E-type engine. Gotta wear sunglasses to gaze upon it.... Yeow!
Randy
'66 BJ8
"We shall take Bling to a new level" - Roger Conte, 2007
 
looks like you got more advice than needed...I've had good luck with Happich Simichrome....but if my carbs looked anything like yours I'd never be able to put dashpot oil back in em or let the fuel flow!!! NICE JOB!
 
Randy,
I can't compete! Geography is working against me, as Virginia is a little further away. I am sure the E-Type will be blinding.

Lin
1960 BT7 in restoration
1959 Bugeye
 
Roger,

Great job! They really look nice. I'm wondering though if the metal on the linkages is now unprotected and prone to rust. The original linkage finish was zinc plated but now it appears to be raw (but polished) steel. Have you put something on them to protect them? A nickle or chrome plate would be nice and would last a long time.

Also, just a caution to others who want to polish the dash pots. I've heard from carb rebuilders to be very careful if you use a buffing wheel not to let them get too hot or they can warp causing problems with the needle action.

Cheers,
John
 
AUSMHLY said:
Hello all,

They say it's all in the details.
Looking back to when I started this project, July 4th, here it is July 14th and I'm finally finished.

What started out as simply wanting to clean up the carburetors, turned into a full blown, polish them.

Before and after attached.
Click to expand...

Ahh, looking at that nice supple pair reminded me of the winner of the 2005 Bulwer-Lytton ficton Contest:

"As he stared at her ample bosom, he daydreamed of the dual Stromberg carburetors in his vintage Triumph Spitfire, highly functional yet pleasingly formed, perched prominently on top of the intake manifold, aching for experienced hands, the small knurled caps of the oil dampeners begging to be inspected and adjusted as described in chapter seven of the shop manual."

Dan McKay, Fargo, ND (2005 Winner)

https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/lyttony.htm

Cheers!
 
Here's the process:

The dashpots, carbs, linkages and all screws/springs were first cleaned with carb cleaner.
Then a lot of time spent with sandpaper by hand.
220,440,600,1000,1200.
Then polished with jewelers rouge #5 from OSH.
The dashpots were polished with a medium 4" buffing pad using my hand drill as noted in one of my photos.
The carb, linkages and screws/springs were done with a Dremel and many different felt bobs.

Then everything was polished and sealed by hand using "Master Formula" products.
Master Formula Metal Gloss
Master Formula Sealer Gloss

A lot of work. If you enjoy this sort of thing; glued to a stool at your work bench for days, with masking tap wrapped around your finger tips, then this project is for you too!

I'm just putting the finishing touches on my restoration. Engine jewelry.
 
After all that, the only thing I can think to say is: nice background on your computer! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif (I'm so easily distracted)
 
what polish?...oh yea she can polish my carbs anytime!
 
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