How to clean and polish aluminium engine parts? I had no clue but I managed anyway! WTF is this doing here? Remember my dad’s Indian motorcycle will one day be my road trip companion….
Note: This post includes Amazon affiliated links below. If you decide to purchase something, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you This post includes Amazon affiliated links below. If you decide to purchase something, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you
*****
One of the first part I took off was the little cover on the carburetor. I dipped it into a mix of bicarbonate and vinegar, let it heat up a little and it came out all shiny and new!
Next was the clutch cover. Since the clutch was stuck, we had to remove it to clean up inside and I took this opportunity to take the cover away from my dad, and work on it!
Dad’s motorcycle was dismantled decades ago and stored into boxes. He isn’t the type to worry about shiny chromes and pristine paint, so when he rebuilt it, he didn’t bother cleaning up thoroughly. Still covered with stains from the past, made probably from a mix of grease, gas and dirt, his Indian Scout is ready for some true TLC!
But how do you remove vintage stains? I wasn’t really sure how to proceed and had no clue what result to expect. So I tested various methods and tools. I’m quite pleased with the current state, apart from a few spots which could use just a bit more polish.
Cleaning up aluminium
Remember I had told you I know absolutely nothing of bikes, engine, mechanics… well I didn’t even know aluminium (or aluminum depending on your country of residence) was so broadly used!
It seems pretty much the whole engine is made of aluminium! I’m glad at this stage because, now that I have managed to find a way to clean the clutch cover, I know how to proceed for the rest of the cleaning!
First let me tell you the encountered issues:
– no dipping of the engine parts in cleaning solution
– not convinced vinegar and else would be a good idea
– some areas are difficult to reach
– dad was very worried!
So how did I clean the bike’s clutch cover (and other parts)?
I first used some sand paper and lightly scrubbed away the first layer of stains.
As I realized there were some serious scratches, I then used some metallic brushes mounted on a drill to even them out very gently and lightly. Very, very, gently! Very lightly!
My Dremel was very handy in the process. It is light to hold for a long time. It’s easy to adapt the speed and I already owned various little tools, which were able to go where the big drill’s larger tools couldn’t go.
Once the surface was fairly smooth, I started polishing. Thinking about the Japanese who transform aluminium paper trash into beautiful spheres, I polished and polished some more!
The result was not perfect but I had to let my dad mount the cover back on the clutch. It was ok, I knew we would have to dismantle it again soon!
So the next time we did dismantle it, to work on the transmission, I polished some more!
This time I used the some Wolfcraft polishing pastes and a fiber brush. When I first used the blue paste, I freaked out because the surface of the cover became a greyish dull color. I wasn’t sure what to do and first scrubbed that with the sand paper, again! I was a bit upset….
Silly me! Because a damp cloth was actually enough to remove the paste and reveal a shinny clutch cover!
Just a bit more polishing… And voila!
Next, I did the same for the back of the clutch and the transmission box. For the transmission, the work isn’t complete yet so at least one more polishing session will be required! The shape of the transmission box makes it difficult to obtain a smooth result.
In conclusion
So I know it could be even shinier and I know there are technics to repair big scratches and even broken pieces. Basically, I know it’s possible to make it look like new. I’m just not convinced that’s what I want. The scratches it has are part of its life, its history. I don’t want to erase that.
I do want it to shine… just not too much!
Pin these for later if you wish
