Boxerworks.com

Hi, I don't want to ask how to polish my engine case because thats not really what I want. If you look at this picture you will notice each engine cover piece has a different finish to it. Doesnt look that great. Any good ideas or methods I can use to get everything near the same finish?

I had the same issue ('73 R75/5) so I:
went to the $1.00 store and got a Nylon brush and 2 squirter bottles, I filled 1 with water and the other with S100:
(do all the cases a little-bit at a time)
Squirt, squirt (S100)
Scrub, scrub
Squirt, squirt (water)
Wipe, wipe (Microfiber towel)
When I was happy I sprayed a shop-towel with WD40 and wiped down the cases and went out to get the bike hot, everything matches now.

Vince

It looks like S100 is a brand with many different products. Which one did you use?

I've used a aluminum wheel cleaner called "Eagle One", with hydroflouric acid, doing the front, top, and air cleaner parts separately. The engine block and trans were done while on the bike. You have to be careful, of course with this stuff. It does it work the best when all oil and grease is removed from the surfaces.

For the harder parts, I spray a bunch into a plastic bowl and use a artist brush to apply.

After a few minutes of it doing its thing, you rinse it off. I keep a one gallon pump sprayer around for such things. After a good and through rinse of a area being treated, you then use a fine steel wool pad to burnish the area, then rinse again.

End results are a uniform result. The acid etch cleaning seems to last a few years with a bit of a scrub from time to time.

http://www.s100.com/s100_tcc.htm

Vince

hydroflouric acid kind of sounds scary, The wiki for it makes it out to be quite bad to absorb through the skin,eyes or lungs. Is that in the Eagle One or in addition to the Eagle One?

When I'm using a harsh cleaner on cases I allways have a can of brake cleaner handy to clean the cleaner off afterwards.

I think I found the Eagle One product . Ist it Eagle One Etching Mag Wheel cleaner?

Where's GSPD?
He had a method where he would rub aluminum paint into the block and wipe off the excess. Not sure of the exact technique. This method seems like it would last the longest and gives you a show quality look. The more you clean aluminum the faster it seems to corrode.

We would just use a soft brass brush and solvent. Keep in mind that the various parts were made by different contractors, or at least some were.