Aluminium rocker box polish/cleaner

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Tony
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#1 Aluminium rocker box polish/cleaner

Post by Tony » Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:47 pm

Can anyone recommend a good polish/cleaner for the polished aluminium rocker box covers on an early series 1. The metal cleaner I am using does not seem to be that good.
Tony (E typed)

1962 E Type Series 1 Roadster (OTS)

Tony

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Durango2k
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#2

Post by Durango2k » Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:50 am

Nevrdull and Elbow grease....

Carsten

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exkay120
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#3 ??..

Post by exkay120 » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:59 am

Solvol Autosol?...

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mgcjag
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#4

Post by mgcjag » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:03 am

Hi Tony...I would agree with the Autosol.........It comes in a tube...also great on the chrome.......Steve
Steve
69 S2 2+2 (just sold) ..Realm C type replica, 1960 xk150fhc

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Heuer
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#5

Post by Heuer » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:47 am

I use White Diamond and it is very effective, far better than Autosolv. Not sure I would use it on chrome though: http://www.cb-shack.co.uk/white-diamond ... wo-for-30/
David Jones
S1 OTS OSB; S1 FHC ODB
1997 Porsche 911 Guards Red

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PeterCrespin
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#6 Re: Aluminium rocker box polish/cleaner

Post by PeterCrespin » Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:18 am

Tony wrote:Can anyone recommend a good polish/cleaner for the polished aluminium rocker box covers on an early series 1.
Sorry, I can't recommend a cleaner for rocker box covers Tony, as my car has twin overhead cams. I can recommend soap and water to wash your mouth out though! :wink:
1E75339 UberLynx D-Type; 1R27190 70 FHC; 1E78478; 2001 Vanden Plas

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christopher storey
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#7

Post by christopher storey » Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:49 am

Tony : it really rather depends on how dull they are .If very dull, hand finishing will never achieve results - a buffing wheel is necessary. You are welcome to try some of my White Diamond and see what you think -personally i think it is useless ! I think i also have some Solvol you can try. bring the car round one day and we can give it a go

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Mark Gordon
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#8

Post by Mark Gordon » Thu Mar 19, 2015 11:16 am

Sorry, Christopher, I've got to agree with David on this one. White Diamond is by far the best product that I've found for polishing the cam covers and everything else made of aluminum. You are right that if the item is badly tarnished, you need to start with something more aggressive such as wet/dry carborundum sandpaper before finishing the job with White Diamond.
Mark

67 OTS 1E14988, 2015 Camry XSE

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PeterCrespin
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#9

Post by PeterCrespin » Thu Mar 19, 2015 11:39 am

Remember the standard finish was more of a satin sheen than chrome-like mirror finish.

Polishes are just formulations of bulk-bought abrasive powder. I think White Diamond and Solvol are about the same grade - probably titanium dioxide - and the difference is mainly easy of use and packaging/bulk. Solvol paste is sold in small volumes and works fine in tiny dabs on a rag and White Diamond liquid is sold in larger containers and used in slightly larger quatities because it more dilute. If you leave WD in a glass reagent jar because you dropped the plastic bottle in cold weather and it cracked (who, me?) you see the TiO2 settles out to about half rhe volume and the rest is a slightly viscous pleasant-smelling 'carrier' for the abrasive. Solvol just gives you the abrasive in a minimal binder to keep it as a moist paste but the bits that dry out around the cap are effectively identical to the dried WD residue.

The 'best' polish I used was stuff called 'Alu-Gom' or some such, which had a waxy greasy residue that made it stiff to polish. Since gom is vaguely French for gum I assume it was meant to be stiff and sticky but it definitely protected my motorcycle covers better against road salt etc. I used it on some late XJ-S polished five-spokes after they had been stripped of lacquer and it worked OK on those too.

Pete
1E75339 UberLynx D-Type; 1R27190 70 FHC; 1E78478; 2001 Vanden Plas

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rfs1957
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#10

Post by rfs1957 » Thu Mar 19, 2015 12:23 pm

Belgom Alu ? Very widespread over here but always prefered Solvol myself, none of these IMHO offer any protection and nor do they pretend to since they are abrasives that scrape metal bare, aren't they ?
Rory
3.8 OTS S1 Opalescent Silver Grey - built May 28th 1962

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Heuer
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#11

Post by Heuer » Thu Mar 19, 2015 12:52 pm

White Diamond claim their product includes a wax to act as a sealant.
David Jones
S1 OTS OSB; S1 FHC ODB
1997 Porsche 911 Guards Red

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Tony
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#12

Post by Tony » Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:40 pm

Ah, so there is a cleaner/polish and also a protection product. I presume to stop it oxidising. The cam covers (not rocker box. I stand corrected Peter) are in good condition, I am looking for a product to clean them and protect them. It would seem Solvol and White diamond do the cleaning. So is there a protection product.
Chris, thanks for the offer, I will be around, but you are still due a trip to me. I have had the tea /coffee ready for weeks.

While I am on the detailing subject what paint do you use on the exhaust manifold. It seems to be a grey paint at the moment but just needs a bit of touching up.
Tony (E typed)

1962 E Type Series 1 Roadster (OTS)

Tony

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christopher storey
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#13

Post by christopher storey » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:07 pm

My own view is that far and away the best al2 polish is Alumagic, which includes a resin which protects for about 3 months . I also use brasso ! But, as we have seen from this thread , everyone has their pet product , White Diamond undoubtedly being the most expensive !

As far as the manifolds are concerned , I have used over many years Halford's vht exhaust paint, which is matt black ( mainly used by the motorbike fraternity ) . If you want a slight sheen, there is a lower temperature paint in the same series, which looks nicer but does not last as long. About ?6 for 250 mls, which will last you several seasons

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adam
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#14

Post by adam » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:46 pm

Maas for polish you can get it at Lakeland stores best I have found .Hot Spot fireplace paint for the manifolds stays on really well.

Adam

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