Rusty Bowtie

General Category => General Discussion - Intros => Topic started by: EDNY on April 22, 2014, 04:05:22 PM

Title: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: EDNY on April 22, 2014, 04:05:22 PM

Want to clean up an LT1 engine (aluminum heads, intake, transmission etc). Grease removal is understood...but can anyone recommend a spray on type aluminum wash to dress up oxidized aluminum surfaces?

Thanks

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: themoose on April 22, 2014, 04:58:35 PM

Ed.... I don't know if you can figure out how to spray it on but the only thing that works really well on my Harley aluminum is elbow grease.  8)

Moose

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: 62131 on April 22, 2014, 05:54:04 PM

If you live close to a marina you can pick up the cleaner they use on pontoon boats or aluminum house boats, There is a product made by Zep Products call Formula 7961 that works very well.

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: sammons on April 22, 2014, 06:31:37 PM

Ed for a quick fairly cheap try, Mothers or equal aluminum wheel cleaner spray. I have had decent results on aluminum intakes.


62131,  Zep products are great.

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: logride on April 23, 2014, 09:00:04 AM

Try a semi tank washout shop. Years ago I got some stuff that  took all the corrosion off in a minute and with a little polishing was like new. It would work awesome on your motor. It's a light acid that they use on aluminum trailers and wheels.

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: trbomax on April 23, 2014, 10:32:49 AM

Soda blaster.

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: EDNY on April 23, 2014, 10:57:26 AM

Thanks...I have marinas all around me and will stop by one but will also check some mag wheel treatment.

I spotted a guy spraying down an aluminum Jeer Dann last year...it looked brand new after the treatment and water rinse.

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: trbomax on April 23, 2014, 02:20:25 PM

 I was in the rack marina business for 15 yrs and the "aluminum brightners" and mag wheel cleaners will do a great job on the aluminum,but,they are a weak acid and as such will go after the zinc plateing on all the nuts,bolts,washers that they come in contact with.I used it for years on my snowmobile suspensions and tunnels too,and after 3 applications enough of the zinc plateing was gone that the rivets and fasteners started to rust. I eneded up replaceing everything I could with stainless,but that ended up being worse because they would leave a black stain on the aluminum that I couldnt get off. On the pontoons at the marina we didnt worry about the fasteners rusting because after 4-5 yrs on lake erie the whole boat was pretty much junk anyway.
  Another thing is that the acids will go after any painted or powdercoated parts on the motor and leave them either streaked or semi- gloss,and eventually chalkey. It would turn the decals on the pontoons white after a couple years.We did use the Zep product too.

Title: Re: What do you use to clean oxidized aluminum?
Post by: Dugeman on April 23, 2014, 08:21:29 PM

I had the same problem with my intake and heads. I tried assorted wire wheels on both a drill and air grinder and they came out fairly decent