Secret Method of Cleaning Aluminum Parts?

[Psychopete]

A machine shop here got my lower intake spotless. But it will eventually get dirty again.

 

[AllanD]

After you get them clean enough to your satisfaction and you want them to STAY reasonably clean...

CLEAR engine enamel works for a natural look.

However aluminum wheel paint can do a really nice job.

Stick to basic "Bright aluminum".

I painted my transmission case with aluminum wheel paint AFTER I sand blasted it.

Dirt doesn't stick as well to paint as it does to bare usually corroded metal.

AD

 

[feellnfroggy]

You need a dremel with a polishing brush and some brasso.

 

[nb11]

Scrub with simple green, then polish with either Nev-r-dull, which is like cotton wadding with Polish in it, or to make it really shine use Flitz metal polish. It's really expensive, but makes aluminum shine like chrome.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

Two words:

Westley's Bleche-Wite.

Okay, two and a half words.

 

[idriveafordranger94]

I tried a combination of things at work yesterday (while on my lunch break of course!) and found a few remedies that seemed to work quite well. For my alternator, I used a small amount of strong degreaser (I'm not sure what kind it is because it comes from a giant tank at work) and a very still wire brush. I would spray it on very lightly, let it set for a minute or two and then scrub like hell and it seemed to clean all the grit and grime out of the little crevices pretty well.

For my idler pulley and tensioner bracket, I could blast it with whatever concoction I could fathom without the worry of it not working properly. I combined some wheel acid and degreaser in a bucket and let it soak for a bit and then hit it with the wire brush. Looked really good.

For the upper and lower intakes, I was a bit more cautious. I took the injectors out and soaked them in some fuel injector cleaner. The lower intake got scrubbed in the solvent tank, which did a lot better than I thought, but it destroyed my fingers. They are so dried out that they look like a 90 year old's skin! As for the upper intake, I used a combination of all 3. Looks pretty darn good but I wish I could get it back to showroom new. Oh well, after all, it does have 174,000 miles! Thanks everyone!

 

[voodoochylde]

+2 on the Simple Green. Awesome stuff AND non-toxic to boot!

The only hitch is, Simple Green (along with most oven cleaners) can actually attack aluminum. This can cause the parts to become brittle and eventually fail.

Test ANY cleaner you use on a small area of your parts first. Look for discoloration.

Oh and another thing, DO NOT PUT YOUR ALTERNATOR NEAR A SOLVENT TANK. Some alt's utilize enamel-coated wiring for the coils inside. Some solvents will eat the enamel away and you're left wondering why the dang thing don't work no more.

Engine degreasers, scotch-brite pads, and lots of elbow grease are often your safest bet.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

+2 on the Simple Green. Awesome stuff AND non-toxic to boot!

The only hitch is, Simple Green ... can actually attack aluminum. This can cause the parts to become brittle and eventually fail.

NO, it does not, never has, never will. If it did, we wouldn't have used it to de-soot aluminum wing members on KC-135s. Or fuselage skin. Or any of the THOUSANDS of parts on a jet.

Every bit of it - ALUMINUM.

Where does this blatant CRAP get its start?

 

[Captain Ledd]

NO, it does not, never has, never will. If it did, we wouldn't have used it to de-soot aluminum wing members on KC-135s. Or fuselage skin. Or any of the THOUSANDS of parts on a jet.

Every bit of it - ALUMINUM.

Where does this blatant CRAP get its start?

I've used Simple Green on tons of aluminum stuff, I've never heard or seen this. Actually it was recommended by most of the boaters I knew, and I know there's a lot of aluminum on their stuff.

 

[drag68bird]

I've used Simple Green on tons of aluminum stuff, I've never heard or seen this. Actually it was recommended by most of the boaters I knew, and I know there's a lot of aluminum on their stuff.

Boaters (like me), use & recommend Simple Green because it is 100% biodegradable, & safe to use around wildlife.

 

[voodoochylde]

Where does this blatant CRAP get its start?

Jesus chill out man. I was trying to give advice, not advocate rudeness.

As far as the bit about aluminum goes, how about this snippet direct from Simple Green's website? URL: http://www.simplegreen.com/solutions_faqs.php?search_query=aluminum

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.

Notice I didn't say, "OMG DON'T USE SIMPLE GREEN ON ALUMINUM!!!11! IT WILL DESTROY YOUR VALVE COVERS!!" I've successfully used it on aluminum with no trouble bit I also was using a lot of water to rinse the area to help me check progress.

I don't mean to sound rude myself but referring to my post as crap isn't good manners.

 

[gwaii]

Where does this blatant CRAP get its start?

apperantly simple green started it.

 

[TexCaliBII]

I used Super Clean and water rinse and my intake was CLEAN, now dirty again as I didn't protect it with a sealer or paint..... Make sure to wear gloves though. It eats oil and grease regardless of where it is, like your skin, trust me. Also, don't leave it in a parts washer. I now have no paint from the pump down in mine.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

Jesus chill out man. I was trying to give advice, not advocate rudeness.

As far as the bit about aluminum goes, how about this snippet direct from Simple Green's website? URL: http://www.simplegreen.com/solutions_faqs.php?search_query=aluminum

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.

Notice I didn't say, "OMG DON'T USE SIMPLE GREEN ON ALUMINUM!!!11! IT WILL DESTROY YOUR VALVE COVERS!!" I've successfully used it on aluminum with no trouble bit I also was using a lot of water to rinse the area to help me check progress.

I don't mean to sound rude myself but referring to my post as crap isn't good manners.

I didn't call your post crap. I called the idea crap, because it is.

Do you leave any other heavy-duty cleaner on aluminum for 10 minutes or more? Of course not. So why would you do it with SG?

If one uses it like one has a brain in one's head (notice I did NOT say 'you') and it won't hurt a thing. Just like it never, ever has with me, or anyone I've ever used it with.

 

[voodoochylde]

Ranger Dave, I re-read my reply to your post. I didn't mean to be quite as sensitive about it as I was. I apologize to you and the OP. I think we're both essentially saying the same thing