POLISH OUT YOUR VALVE COVER & OTHER LINES
11-27-2000, 04:30 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,809
ok, so you want to polish out your engine to look like a mirror. This is what i have done and would reccomend:
1) remove plastic cover (nissan v6 lid)on the valve cover
2) - sponge with a scrubby side to it
- bottle of palmolive (green one)
*** make sure engine is cold and too cover up the ignition coils with towels to prevent water contacting them***
3) wash down the entire valve cover with small amounts of water and palmolive soap with the scrubby sponge. Palmolive is a degreaser and will remove any contaminents on the valve cover itself.
4) If needed get a brillo pad and rinse out all of the soap in it. Use the palmolive soap again and scrub the $hit out of the valve cover, till somewhat clean.
5) Dry completely
6) get out your aluminum polish
- Mothers: mag/aluminum polish (small can $5)
- Meguiars: rim/aluminum polish (small can $8)
7) use a cotton towel and apply a fair amount of the polish to the valve cover, kinda like your waxing your car
8) let sit for 2min then buff off vigorously!!
9) repeat these steps until a briliant shine appears
***for anyone else who wants a MIRROR LIKE SHINE ***
1) buy wet sand paper (Black) at any hardware store
a) 400 gritt
b) 600 gritt
c) 800 gritt
d) 1000 gritt
e) 1500 gritt
2) use a spray bottle and mist the valve cover in small sections at a time.
3) start off with the 400 gritt paper. go over the area in long-wide strokes, while pressing fairly hard
4) repeat step3 with the 4 other sheets of sand paper goin in order from 400-1500
5) dry off engine
**once dried it will look all scratched up, this will go away once you buff out the cover with polish**
6) use your aluminum polish and polish the crap out of the valve cover again
7) repeat step7 enough times till you see a mirror appear!
POLISHING OUT OTHERS just with the polish itself:
a) radiator cap
b) A/C lines running along side engine
c) coolant lines near the belts and behind engine by throttle body
d) any bolts/brackets that are metal will polish out after time to look like chrome
e) throw out black oil cap and buy a chrome or aluminum one to match your new engine
Once all of this is done make sure to try and keep the engine polished atleast once every two weeks, or else all your work will slowly fade away. I go over mine once a week to keep it lookin new. Good luck!
Anthony
1) remove plastic cover (nissan v6 lid)on the valve cover
2) - sponge with a scrubby side to it
- bottle of palmolive (green one)
*** make sure engine is cold and too cover up the ignition coils with towels to prevent water contacting them***
3) wash down the entire valve cover with small amounts of water and palmolive soap with the scrubby sponge. Palmolive is a degreaser and will remove any contaminents on the valve cover itself.
4) If needed get a brillo pad and rinse out all of the soap in it. Use the palmolive soap again and scrub the $hit out of the valve cover, till somewhat clean.
5) Dry completely
6) get out your aluminum polish
- Mothers: mag/aluminum polish (small can $5)
- Meguiars: rim/aluminum polish (small can $8)
7) use a cotton towel and apply a fair amount of the polish to the valve cover, kinda like your waxing your car
8) let sit for 2min then buff off vigorously!!
9) repeat these steps until a briliant shine appears
***for anyone else who wants a MIRROR LIKE SHINE ***
1) buy wet sand paper (Black) at any hardware store
a) 400 gritt
b) 600 gritt
c) 800 gritt
d) 1000 gritt
e) 1500 gritt
2) use a spray bottle and mist the valve cover in small sections at a time.
3) start off with the 400 gritt paper. go over the area in long-wide strokes, while pressing fairly hard
4) repeat step3 with the 4 other sheets of sand paper goin in order from 400-1500
5) dry off engine
**once dried it will look all scratched up, this will go away once you buff out the cover with polish**
6) use your aluminum polish and polish the crap out of the valve cover again
7) repeat step7 enough times till you see a mirror appear!
POLISHING OUT OTHERS just with the polish itself:
a) radiator cap
b) A/C lines running along side engine
c) coolant lines near the belts and behind engine by throttle body
d) any bolts/brackets that are metal will polish out after time to look like chrome
e) throw out black oil cap and buy a chrome or aluminum one to match your new engine
Once all of this is done make sure to try and keep the engine polished atleast once every two weeks, or else all your work will slowly fade away. I go over mine once a week to keep it lookin new. Good luck!
Anthony
Last edited by ny96max; 06-04-2021 at 06:39 AM.
05-31-2002, 09:39 PM
#8
Member
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 252
Re: i don't understand???
Originally posted by 1HOTMAX
so i use sand paper and scrub it with soap water and then?
and then?
and then?
oh and the palmolive, where does that go?
i need help, i'm confused man......
so i use sand paper and scrub it with soap water and then?
and then?
and then?
oh and the palmolive, where does that go?
i need help, i'm confused man......
THANKS!!!!!!!!! You have been a huge help!
02-16-2005, 05:55 PM
#17
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,809
this post was from 5yrs ago and still going!!
that has to be a record or something, lol
**UPDATE 2005***
POLISHING YOUR INTAKE MANIFOLD:
1) buy a metal grinding wheel from your local hardware store or home depot($6)
2) Get out a corded drill or air drill and attach your grinding wheel and go to town
3) Start by doing one plenum on the manifold at a time working your way from the back to the front then do the inside seems and outter edges (you may want to remove the throttle cables and other misc brackets to avoid hitting them with the grinding wheel and sandpaper) also keep in mind its not totally necessary to go all the way to the back of the manifold or around to the throttle body, just doing the visible plenums up front is enough to keep peoples attention away from the parts you didnt do
4) Once you have the rough surface taken down start your sanding process.
5) Refer to my polishing methods up top steps #1-7... these steps will take ALOT longer than you think to make the surface of the manifold perfectly smooth. Eliminating every minor dimple in the manifold will take alot of effort, but the more you eliminate and smoother you get it, the more it will resemble chrome (my manifold took me about 2weeks, goin at it for a few hours every other day)
6) remember to re-polish the manifold a few times right after you do this to keep that heavy shine to it (when the motor is cold)
**OPTIONAL**
7) go to pep boys and pick up 10mm and 12mm chrome bolt/nut caps... they cost about $7 for a pack of 6, use these to cover up all the misc bolt heads and nuts around the engine bay. Its a good way to add extra bling to your engine compartment for very little money!
Ant
that has to be a record or something, lol
**UPDATE 2005***
POLISHING YOUR INTAKE MANIFOLD:
1) buy a metal grinding wheel from your local hardware store or home depot($6)
2) Get out a corded drill or air drill and attach your grinding wheel and go to town
3) Start by doing one plenum on the manifold at a time working your way from the back to the front then do the inside seems and outter edges (you may want to remove the throttle cables and other misc brackets to avoid hitting them with the grinding wheel and sandpaper) also keep in mind its not totally necessary to go all the way to the back of the manifold or around to the throttle body, just doing the visible plenums up front is enough to keep peoples attention away from the parts you didnt do
4) Once you have the rough surface taken down start your sanding process.
5) Refer to my polishing methods up top steps #1-7... these steps will take ALOT longer than you think to make the surface of the manifold perfectly smooth. Eliminating every minor dimple in the manifold will take alot of effort, but the more you eliminate and smoother you get it, the more it will resemble chrome (my manifold took me about 2weeks, goin at it for a few hours every other day)
6) remember to re-polish the manifold a few times right after you do this to keep that heavy shine to it (when the motor is cold)
**OPTIONAL**
7) go to pep boys and pick up 10mm and 12mm chrome bolt/nut caps... they cost about $7 for a pack of 6, use these to cover up all the misc bolt heads and nuts around the engine bay. Its a good way to add extra bling to your engine compartment for very little money!
Ant
02-16-2005, 07:50 PM
#20
1 of few unmodded 4G Maxs
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Commerce Twp., MI
Posts: 2,828
Originally Posted by ny96max
this post was from 5yrs ago and still going!!
that has to be a record or something, lol
that has to be a record or something, lol
I agree, this is a useful post, can't wait to start on this when the weather gets warmer
02-16-2005, 09:19 PM
#22
polishin takes sooo much damn work. i started with the steel wheel thing and looks ok but not totally mirror or anything. its not smooted out either but i can imagine how much work takes gonna take. IMOP, i don't think its worth it unless your going for show or something.
02-17-2005, 09:34 AM
#26
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,809
Originally Posted by maxspeed96CT
gona try it with some screws and small parts, when you say buff, do i realy need a buffer or can i use a drill bit thingy?
chroming cost me around $3-400 for everything to be dipped except my intake manifold, valve cover and timing chain case.
Ant
02-17-2005, 01:14 PM
#30
Originally Posted by ny96max
you can buy a buffer wheel at any local hardware store for a couple of bucks... this helps speed up the process, but you can always do it all by hand. Just plan on spending alot of time doing so. I didnt bother polishing all the brackets,nuts,bolts,FSTB and brackets etc... i just had them all chrome dipped instead to save time. My intention the entire time was a "show look" and i think i accomplished that
chroming cost me around $3-400 for everything to be dipped except my intake manifold, valve cover and timing chain case.
Ant
chroming cost me around $3-400 for everything to be dipped except my intake manifold, valve cover and timing chain case.
Ant
02-17-2005, 04:14 PM
#31
Originally Posted by ny96max
I didnt bother polishing all the brackets,nuts,bolts,FSTB and brackets etc... i just had them all chrome dipped instead to save time. My intention the entire time was a "show look" and i think i accomplished that
chroming cost me around $3-400 for everything to be dipped except my intake manifold, valve cover and timing chain case.
Ant
chroming cost me around $3-400 for everything to be dipped except my intake manifold, valve cover and timing chain case.
Ant
02-26-2005, 01:39 PM
#34
I have polished my front valve cover, a/c lines, power steering lines, Timing chain cover, firewall brake lines and The mevi. They arent the best job ive done but it does take a lot of time. All pics are in my cardomain.
