Guide to Polishing your engine

[Nuts 4 50s]

So,

You have currently decided that your engine is looking a bit worse for wear and it can do with a brand new look or are you looking for a bit more bling factor?

Its time to polish your engine.

Things you will need.
1.Autosol or other polishing cream or block. (I used autosol, works well)

2.Polishing wheel, comes in a drill bit attachment or if your lucky enough to have a bench grinder make a trip to your local bunnings and grab yourself a felt buffing wheel.

3.Rag, to clean off ...... autosol

4.A drill, only needed if useing a buffing drill attchment.

5. Paint stripper, comes in either a gel/jelly (i used this) or a aerosol can (Less messy). There are also other method of stripping your engine such as a heat gun, but depends on the strength of your paint it might take a while. ##NOTE## You only need paint stripper if you have a painted engine.

6. Sand paper, this is to make all imperfection smooth to allow for greater shiney-ness. And to take any stuborn bits of paint off.

##Important##
7. When using paint stripper, be very cautious as paint stripper is dangerous and may burn skin and eyes. Use eye protection, long sleave shirt, pants and gloves.

Prep for Paint stripper.
Step 1:
Remove your motor from frame, this makes it alot easier as you can now move your motor around to polish every part of your motor. Also make sure you have a clean engine, as the Paint stripper can now take to the paint better and its more enjoyable working with a clean engine.

Stripping the engine.
Step 2:
Set your engine up on a bench, and get to work, use a brush to apply the paint stripper all over the engine. Open every door of your shed, as some of these paint strippers can have toxic fumes, and you may have to use a fan or do this step in a more ventilated area. Read packaging on your purchased can of paint stripper for warnings and follow them.
Apply a thin consistant coat over your engine cases, leave this paint stripper on your engine for around 15-20mins and allow the paint stripper to do its thing. Once all paint is loose rub off with a towel or rag.

This step may need to be done a number of times depending on your engine.

Now with a fine grit wet and dry rub all imperfections till smooth for the best results.

Prep for polishing
Step 3: Clean all paint stipper off your engine and sand your engine with 1200 grit wet and dry to achieve a brushed metal look, when this is achieved over the whole surface of engine its now time for the polishing stage.

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

Polishing
Step 4: Apply a thin layer of autosol to a section of the cases, now using the drill and felt wheel attachment get polishing till you have the desired amount of shiney-ness.

Once finished polishing use a new rag to clean up your work and discard all rags with paint stripper on them.

You have now sucessfully polished your engine and may look like this.

##Note## This is only a guide to polishing your cases and use all procautions when using paint stripper, as this is dangerous stuff.

 

[TDR]

Awesome tut man looks helpful

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

Awesome tut man looks helpful

Cheers, im sure it will help people too.

 

[no_crf50_here]

Very well done mate!

 

[bradisfun]

a couple of things id like to add:
we didn't use a buffing wheel in any of the above photos; but it makes a TREMENDOUS difference.
here are some photos of the buffing wheel effects:

So,
##Important##
7. When using paint stripper, be very cautious as paint stripper is dangerous and may burn skin and eyes. Use eye protection, long sleave shirt, pants and gloves.

yep defiantly true..we learnt this the hard way... i have a spot on my tongue witch i now cant feel cause some flicked up into my mouth...
thought if you do get some on your hands or something you can just go run it under water like a normal burn and it should go away...

also some tips:
i wouldn't be using polish or a buffing wheel first up. start by using a relatively heavy sand paper but not one that scratches and leaves visible marks. then keep going up grits till you get to 1400 wet and dry and then id suggest using the polish with a micro fiber rag and then the buffing wheels
what we found with the buffing wheels is that the buffing blocks they came with were horrible and useless. we just used the AUTOSOL despite it being a bit messier.

thats all i can think of for now.. maybe others can add more tips in this thread?

EDIT: i see you've already put these photos up haha oh well ill just leave them here.

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

Haha yeah nice observation.

 

[shredrider69]

looks rad, it has motivated me to rebuild my motovert and i have decided to chrome up my engine as the paint is flaking off in most aereas on the right side casing, ill get back to you guys on how i go! should be done by febuary hahaha

and where did you get that green fuel line, i have some as overflow pipe off my tank cap but i have no clue where to pick it up, its go kart line isnt it?

 

[rumble]

How long did it take you????

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

looks rad, it has motivated me to rebuild my motovert and i have decided to chrome up my engine as the paint is flaking off in most aereas on the right side casing, ill get back to you guys on how i go! should be done by febuary hahaha

and where did you get that green fuel line, i have some as overflow pipe off my tank cap but i have no clue where to pick it up, its go kart line isnt it?

Yeah its kart fuel line from lightning karts and engines on Main North road, adelaide. Not sure what number.

Its like $3 bucks a metre.

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

How long did it take you????

Took me a while as it was on and off over a couple of weekends, the engine had a few layers of paint and was hard to get off.

 

[The_GDFP]

Very nice work! I usually stop at the WD-40 and Scotch-Brite stage. I once polished an engine so much I could see myself in it. Too time consuming, for my short attention span. And, even worse, I could see myself in it...

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

Very nice work! I usually stop at the WD-40 and Scotch-Brite stage. I once polished an engine so much I could see myself in it. Too time consuming, for my short attention span. And, even worse, I could see myself in it...

Yeah i quite liked the brushed metal finish. It looks good. Thanks for commenting.

 

[shredrider69]

after removing paint with the paint stripper and wiping away with an old rag, and repeating i have found it alot easier to use a wire brush to get the rest out, less time consuming and it doesnt scratch the case either, ill put some pictures up when my case is finished, either late tonight or tomorrow morning some time!

 

[tim01]

didn't paint stripper **** the gaskets

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

didn't paint stripper **** the gaskets

Not really more wears it down, it still works and thats the main thing.

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

after removing paint with the paint stripper and wiping away with an old rag, and repeating i have found it alot easier to use a wire brush to get the rest out, less time consuming and it doesnt scratch the case either, ill put some pictures up when my case is finished, either late tonight or tomorrow morning some time!

Ok cool,

I used a number of things, like steel wool, wire brush and sand paper. All these work ok but wire brush works the best. I problably should of added that in. Thanks for clearing it up though.

Post up some photots when your done. It will be interesting to see how it turn out.

 

[shredrider69]

finished everything except polishing
heres the result, probably getting new fuel lines ect aswell!

first coat of paint stripper

third coat of paint stripper

after some sanding

assembled on the motor, ready to pick up the polish and polishing wheel tomorrow morning

 

[Nuts 4 50s]

Nice.

Just a thought, you might want to keep that kickstarter seal away from any paint stripper as it might eat into it.

That engine will loook a million dollars when its done.

Oh and make sure you buy Autosol.

SDIT: Just a idea you should paint the imprint "Motovert" on your engine. Paint over the whole writing then with a sanding block sand back the paint that is left on the flat part of engine. Leaving you with only the writing colored.

 

[shredrider69]

yeh i did, looks preety sketchy in the photos but looks preety goood in life haha. ill get the autosol stuff and the buffer wheel tomorrow morning and get some pictures when done!