Aluminium Intake polishing

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JamesGTS

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One of my winter projects is to polish the aluminium intake on my race car for a better look. I have done some testing on an aluminium award with a very good result.

On my car the challange will be to remove the rough casting marks fast but without adding to much scratches. I was thinking about wet sanding the intake with 220 grit paper.

My plan is the following:

Stage 1 : Polishing with wet paper using a machine : 220 => 300 => 400 (3 days)
Stage 2 : Polishing with hand with wet paper : 600 => 1000 => 1500 => 2000 (1 day)
Stage 3 : Buffing with an aluminium polish ( I am still looking for a very fine compound) (6 hours)

Anybody has done a similar job ?

What would be the good compounds for polishing and buffing ?
 
I like to use flapwheep for that. Removes casting marks really easily

Flap-Wheel-W-300.jpg
 
One of my winter projects is to polish the aluminium intake on my race car for a better look. I have done some testing on an aluminium award with a very good result.

On my car the challange will be to remove the rough casting marks fast but without adding to much scratches. I was thinking about wet sanding the intake with 220 grit paper.

My plan is the following:

Stage 1 : Polishing with wet paper using a machine : 220 => 300 => 400 (3 days)
Stage 2 : Polishing with hand with wet paper : 600 => 1000 => 1500 => 2000 (1 day)
Stage 3 : Buffing with an aluminium polish ( I am still looking for a very fine compound) (6 hours)

Anybody has done a similar job ?

What would be the good compounds for polishing and buffing ?

I have tried them all and nothing beats good old Silvo as the final polishing product to use if polishing by hand ! All the stuff you buy for polishing metal on cars are too coarse and leave micro scratch marks. You can buy Silvo at the detergent aisle at any supermarket or Cdn Tire.

The best for an immaculate mirror finish is using chrome rouge on a buffing wheel, but you will need to take the intake out and buff it on a bench grinder to get the part heated to buffing temperature.
 
Thanks for the flapwheel advise. I am a little scared of these wheels for a mirror finish because they might leave too deep scratch marks. What grit paper should I use to polish the intake after having removed the casting marks with the flapwheel ?


I am not satisfied with my mirror finish ... As EDT pointed out commercial, products leave too much micro scratches on the finish. I have even tried a very fine glazing compound without succes. So far the best finish that I got was with "PEEK" from Canadian Tire, however the finish is still plenty of micro scratches.

I need a 6000-10000 grit buffing compound !
What would be the best product for this ?


What is "chrome rouge" ?


I have heared something about "White wax powder". for ultra-high mirror finish. What's that ?
 
Last edited:
Salut, juste pour que dire que polir sous un capot ne reste jamais bien long temps à cause de la chaleur que le moteur dégage!

Surtout si ces pour un racecar..

J'avais fait mon manifold et ca la duré 2 minutes..
 
those flaps break off

I bought one when I polished my intake on my previous car and I still have the same flapwhel and it's in good condition. They wear down by them self.

Thanks for the flapwheel advise. I am a little scared of these wheels for a mirror finish because they might leave too deep scratch marks. What grit paper should I use to polish the intake after having removed the casting marks with the flapwheel ?

I used a 260 gritt flapwheel to get rid of the casting marks. They left a really nice even finish. They are easy to work with and will not leave deep marks. It is the BEST thing to get rid of the casting marks rapidly and easily.
 
Thanks for the flapwheel advise. I am a little scared of these wheels for a mirror finish because they might leave too deep scratch marks. What grit paper should I use to polish the intake after having removed the casting marks with the flapwheel ?


I am not satisfied with my mirror finish ... As EDT pointed out commercial, products leave too much micro scratches on the finish. I have even tried a very fine glazing compound without succes. So far the best finish that I got was with "PEEK" from Canadian Tire, however the finish is still plenty of micro scratches.

I need a 6000-10000 grit buffing compound !
What would be the best product for this ?


What is "chrome rouge" ?


I have heared something about "White wax powder". for ultra-high mirror finish. What's that ?

If you are justing polishing by hand with a rag or a buffing wheel on a drill then Silvo is the best product for a mirror finish.

If you going for the best mirror finish then you have to use a wax based product like chrome rouge, but you need to apply it with alot of pressure like taking the part out and buffing it on a powerful bench grinder or a proffesional Baldor polisher. The thing with chrome rouge is that you need to apply pressure between the part and the buffing wheel and work up the temperature of the part before the compund can breakdown and"burnish" the metal until it is like a mirror. You can try to do this with a buffing wheel on a drill as well with a fixed part, but you will have to get used to the technique and force applied to the moving drill.

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kt-122.gif
 
Is there a similar product line available in Montreal ?

http://grizzly.amazonwebstore.com/search.htm?keyword=menzerna


I have tried the Silvo but it is still too "rough" for my mirror finish. It must be something like 4000 grit.

I will use my buffing machine to polish and buff my intake so I will be able to increase the surface temperature. I just need to find the right buffing compound.

Is there a shop like "CMAX" that sells these metal compounds in Montreal ?
 
Salut, juste pour que dire que polir sous un capot ne reste jamais bien long temps à cause de la chaleur que le moteur dégage!

Surtout si ces pour un racecar..

J'avais fait mon manifold et ca la duré 2 minutes..

t avais surement un probleme .j ai fait mon intake sur mon 429 ford il y a plus de 4 ans mais j avoue quapres 4 ans il est du pour repolir

je fais souvent des pieces de moteur de moto et auto sans aucun probleme
seul probleme est que les pieces polies ne dissipent pas la chaleur aussi vite
 
One of my winter projects is to polish the aluminium intake on my race car for a better look. I have done some testing on an aluminium award with a very good result.

On my car the challange will be to remove the rough casting marks fast but without adding to much scratches. I was thinking about wet sanding the intake with 220 grit paper.

My plan is the following:

Stage 1 : Polishing with wet paper using a machine : 220 => 300 => 400 (3 days)
Stage 2 : Polishing with hand with wet paper : 600 => 1000 => 1500 => 2000 (1 day)
Stage 3 : Buffing with an aluminium polish ( I am still looking for a very fine compound) (6 hours)

Anybody has done a similar job ?

What would be the good compounds for polishing and buffing ?

the first sanding step has to be matched to the roughness of the casting .
ie; very rough castings would need 100 or 120 grit , smooth casting 220 or 280
no need for wet sanding it is a waste of time at this stage .
and if you have a machine no use for hand sanding either also a waiste of time
if you expect on taking 4 1/2 days to do this , did you get an estimate to have it done by a professional polisher , unless you really insist on doing it by yourself .
 
Is there a similar product line available in Montreal ?

http://grizzly.amazonwebstore.com/search.htm?keyword=menzerna


I have tried the Silvo but it is still too "rough" for my mirror finish. It must be something like 4000 grit.

I will use my buffing machine to polish and buff my intake so I will be able to increase the surface temperature. I just need to find the right buffing compound.

Is there a shop like "CMAX" that sells these metal compounds in Montreal ?

Finally someone thats figured out what Merzerna is good for ! ...LoL

You can find typical Mibro and Wolfden Chrome Rouge and Chrome White at Rona which will be good enough for your needs. You need an industrial account to buy from most of the distributors here in Montreal. Empire Buff in Laval will have what you need.

You can also order some compunds online here:
http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/CTGY/jeweler-rouge
 
My casting marks are very deep. It will be a long job to remove those marks as I have forecasted.

The aluminium and the paint fill up very quickly the sanding paper ...
 
My casting marks are very deep. It will be a long job to remove those marks as I have forecasted.

The aluminium and the paint fill up very quickly the sanding paper ...

maybe you should start with a coarser grit abrasive ,but if you are still going for wet sanding you will waiste lots of time and lot s of material . are you doing this on the car or is the manifold removed from the car . the second option would make things much easier .
using the right tools and abrasives shoud not take you 4 days of work
i know because that s what i do for a living.
 
So what would be the "right tools": Greaseless 80 grit compound ?

it s hard to say without seeing the casting but you cou try a 120 greaseless and if not enough then go to 80 , but also what tool and what size buffing wheel you use in some cases you would be better with an orbital sander with a 120 grit paper but use it dry not wet.
once the casting marks are gone stop sanding becausemany type of castings are porousand if you remove too much you will end up with hundreds o f small pin holes and if you get there there is no way back
 
This job starts to turn into a nightmare ...
The casting marks are nearly 1mm deep (40 mil deep) !!!

I removed a LOT of aluminium but there are still a lot of small holes.
Obviously the casting is not the best quality.

Is there an aluminium filler that I can polish ?
 
This job starts to turn into a nightmare ...
The casting marks are nearly 1mm deep (40 mil deep) !!!

I removed a LOT of aluminium but there are still a lot of small holes.
Obviously the casting is not the best quality.

Is there an aluminium filler that I can polish ?

not that i know of . if you have too many pin holes either live with it or have the intake chrome plated. you could powdercoat it but the pinholes might cause problems .
 
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