i would like to polish the valve cover on my 97 eclipse. i already did it once with a wire wheel on the main areas and truly *polished* the raised areas to a mirror like finish. however, the main bulk of the cover is a porous finish. what would be the best way to get rid of the "bumps" so i can make the entire cover shine like a mirror. i was thinking of sanding by hand. this would be extrememly difficult around the raised letters and in the smaller areas. any ideas? thanks!
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polishing porous valve cover
- Thread starter jmakado
- Start date
This is what I did on my integra, works very well:
1. Aircraft Paint Stripper
2. Rubber Gloves
3. Old toothbrush or paintbrush (that you don't plan on using again
4. Dremel tool with the small sandpaper drum (for those nooks and crannies), and the polishing pads.
5. Hot Glue Gun
6. Coarse Sandpaper (5 sheets each)
200 grit
300 grit
400 grit
7. Fine Sandpaper (3 sheets each)
600 grit
800 grit
1000 grit
8. Heavy Duty Polishing Compound (red)
9. Light Polishing compound (white)
10. Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish
11. A polishing wheel is VERY helpful...but not necessary
Steps:
1. OUTSIDE (have a hose with high pressure nozzle ready). Put on the rubber gloves and brush the aircraft stripper LIBERALLY onto the valve cover. DO NOT
INHALE....NASTY STUFF. Make sure you got everything and let it sit for 10 minutes. Get the hose and spray it off (make sure there the residue doesn't fly onto any other painted surfaces...like nearby cars). Check to see that all the black crinkle paint is stripped off. If not reapply to the "stubborn areas" and wait another 10 min. Hose it off THOROUGHLY! Repeat until all paint is gone. Should only take 2 times at most.
2. Get the 200 grit sandpaper and go to town on all the "flat" areas. This will take some time and it a VERY laborous task. Take MANY breaks. Once you have all of the texture off. Go to the next step.
3. Take the Dremel sanding drum (remove the coarse sandpaper by loosening the screw) and wrap a small piece of 200 grit around the rubber drum. Use the hot
glue gun and glue the back of the sandpaper to itself. Make sure all glue is covered by sandpaper. Tighten screw and you now have a small portable high speed sander. Use this at the SLOWEST setting on the Dremel to remove the texture from the hard to reach areas (nooks and crannies). Be careful not to remove too much material. Move around a lot.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 with 300 grit sandpaper but since there is none or little texture to remove, simply work until the DEEP scratches from the 200 grit are gone.
5. Repeat step 4 with 400 grit sandpaper until the scratches from the 300 grit are gone.
6. Repeat step 4 with 600 grit sandpaper until all the scratches from the 400 grit are gone.
(YOU GET THE POINT). Repeat until you go through all grits (200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1000).
7. Now get out the heavy duty rubbing compound (red paste). Use the Dremel polishing wheel to apply this to the whole valve cover. Work it in real good. Be careful not to nick the valve cover with the Dremel chuck.
8. Remove the heavy duty compound with a clean rag.
9. Repeat steps 8 & 9 with the light polishing compound (white). The valve cover should be looking pretty dang good by now.
10. Repeat steps 8 & 9 with the Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish but after it's been worked in, remove it using a fine terry cloth or cotton towel.
Now wash the valve cover thoroughly (inside and out) and you're done.
Good luck
1. Aircraft Paint Stripper
2. Rubber Gloves
3. Old toothbrush or paintbrush (that you don't plan on using again
4. Dremel tool with the small sandpaper drum (for those nooks and crannies), and the polishing pads.
5. Hot Glue Gun
6. Coarse Sandpaper (5 sheets each)
200 grit
300 grit
400 grit
7. Fine Sandpaper (3 sheets each)
600 grit
800 grit
1000 grit
8. Heavy Duty Polishing Compound (red)
9. Light Polishing compound (white)
10. Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish
11. A polishing wheel is VERY helpful...but not necessary
Steps:
1. OUTSIDE (have a hose with high pressure nozzle ready). Put on the rubber gloves and brush the aircraft stripper LIBERALLY onto the valve cover. DO NOT
INHALE....NASTY STUFF. Make sure you got everything and let it sit for 10 minutes. Get the hose and spray it off (make sure there the residue doesn't fly onto any other painted surfaces...like nearby cars). Check to see that all the black crinkle paint is stripped off. If not reapply to the "stubborn areas" and wait another 10 min. Hose it off THOROUGHLY! Repeat until all paint is gone. Should only take 2 times at most.
2. Get the 200 grit sandpaper and go to town on all the "flat" areas. This will take some time and it a VERY laborous task. Take MANY breaks. Once you have all of the texture off. Go to the next step.
3. Take the Dremel sanding drum (remove the coarse sandpaper by loosening the screw) and wrap a small piece of 200 grit around the rubber drum. Use the hot
glue gun and glue the back of the sandpaper to itself. Make sure all glue is covered by sandpaper. Tighten screw and you now have a small portable high speed sander. Use this at the SLOWEST setting on the Dremel to remove the texture from the hard to reach areas (nooks and crannies). Be careful not to remove too much material. Move around a lot.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 with 300 grit sandpaper but since there is none or little texture to remove, simply work until the DEEP scratches from the 200 grit are gone.
5. Repeat step 4 with 400 grit sandpaper until the scratches from the 300 grit are gone.
6. Repeat step 4 with 600 grit sandpaper until all the scratches from the 400 grit are gone.
(YOU GET THE POINT). Repeat until you go through all grits (200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1000).
7. Now get out the heavy duty rubbing compound (red paste). Use the Dremel polishing wheel to apply this to the whole valve cover. Work it in real good. Be careful not to nick the valve cover with the Dremel chuck.
8. Remove the heavy duty compound with a clean rag.
9. Repeat steps 8 & 9 with the light polishing compound (white). The valve cover should be looking pretty dang good by now.
10. Repeat steps 8 & 9 with the Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish but after it's been worked in, remove it using a fine terry cloth or cotton towel.
Now wash the valve cover thoroughly (inside and out) and you're done.
Good luck