Summary for polish aluminum cylinder heads Discussion
polish aluminum cylinder heads: Chris Chojnacki asks whether he can save about $500 by buying unpolished motorcycle engine parts and polishing the aluminum cylinder heads himself. R Strong says the job is generally done with rotary mops and progressively finer abrasives, such as old-fashioned window cleaner or jeweler’s rouge, until the surface reaches the desired shine. He adds that if the heads are dirty, bead-blasting them first will help prepare the surface. Strong also gives an important safety warning: wear the best mask you can afford during both blasting and polishing, because the dust and residue are notoriously harmful to health. The thread suggests the task is doable as a careful DIY project, but it requires patience, the right consumables, and proper respiratory protection.
Q. Hi,
I’m building a custom motorcycle and want to use a polished engine. As my project advances I’m realizing that it is more expensive than I originally thought it would be and I’m trying to save money wherever possible. One of the areas that I could save on is getting an unpolished engine verses a polished one approx. $500. I was thinking that if I could polish the cylinder heads myself it would be a good way to save money and I would learn something new in the process. I’ve seen shows on tv and it looks like something I could take my time and do myself. Thanks for your time and have a great day.
Chris Chojnacki
hobbyist – Cheektowaga , New York
2004
A. This process generally involves using rotary “mops” and fine abrasives, something like old fashioned window cleaner or
jeweler’s rouge
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] , in finer grades until the surface shines the way you want it to. If the heads are dirty, you will probably want to bead-blast them first. Word of caution – wear the best mask that you can afford for both blasting and polishing, that stuff is notoriously bad for your health!
R Strong
– llareggub, Wales
2004