Thread: Clearing Polished Items

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I am going to be purchasing polished valve covers, air cleaner, and some other polished parts such as Summit Cast Aluminum timing cover and water pump. If I polish these items and use a high grade automotive clear on them, will this work on the engine and not yellow, fade or turn colors and keep the parts polished? I know that auto paint and clear on engine blocks is fine so figured this would work as well.
Thanks for any advice on this!

The iteems I've seen have always yellowed

Paint adhesion without sanding is temporary at best, especially with the heat extremes and the high expansion rate of aluminum.

You might look into having them clear anodized ...but be aware! If the shop does not have a "micropolishing" capability, it ends up looking like silver paint.

I would just go with a coat of wax to keep them from corroding.

So if I polish and then scotch brite them, they will not hold huh? Bummer. I guess paint sealant will be what I have to use which will only be temporary. I may just do the valve covers in polished aluminum and forget the rest. I'm not one for polished engine compartments, I do like just a tad bit though but not the intake manifold or oil pans, etc....
How about doing the valve covers?

BTW, my plan was to lightly grey scotch brite them and shoot with SPI Universal clear.

But if you do that they won't look shiney any more.

zoops makes a sealer for polished alum. I was thinking of trying it I wonder if anybody has used it I know it's not cheap but if it works good would be worth it ...ted

Originally Posted by ted dehaan

zoops makes a sealer for polished alum. I was thinking of trying it I wonder if anybody has used it I know it's not cheap but if it works good would be worth it ...ted

I've tried the Zoops, worked ok and lasted decent. About the only thing that works keeping polished aluminum shiny is lots of polishing time!!!!! A brushed finish on aluminum with clear over it works fairly well....

March clear powder coats all their polished products

I am using this stuff http://www.everbrite.net/index.html
It works real well, the only caution is that it can be washed off with oil-based solvents. I use the Perfectaclear.

We've started using Mothers Chrome and Polished Aluminum cleaner and it really does a nice job. If you use it with one of those powerballs on a drill it makes short work of it and holds up well.

I even did my ceramic coated headers and they came out much better than the previous cleaners I was using.

Don

if your going to spray clear on the ppg dau 75 with dxr80 is made to go on alum but i would not do it .i have used gallons of the stuff over the years for indy race rims

I figured I'd bring this topic back up since I am trying to decide which water pump and such to buy. Pretty much the only thing I do not care about are the valve covers and air breather since I can reach and polish them easily. The only things I really want polished on this motor are going to be the pulleys which March sells with a clear powder coat over them so that is covered but I'd like to find a decent priced Alternator that is polished or chromed but will NOT rust. I know some parts you can buy that are aluminum and chromed so they will not rust and stay shiney. The other thing are the brackets and water pump. The rest of the engine such as the starter, oil pan, intake manifold, headers etc will NOT be shiney. The car is a street car/engine so I am not going too crazy with the shiney stuff and most likely wont even go with a polished/chrome water pump and just paint it the same color as the block. I'd at least like polished and coated pulleys, alternator, and brackets. I know Edelbrock has some kind of Endurashine deal on their intakes and other parts but I like how March does their Pulleys in aluminum and chromes them or clear powder coats them. I will not buy any steel chromed parts because with moisture here where I live, they will rust around the edges in a month and look like crap.