Engine restoration - Oxidation - Rust - Need advice, dont know where to start

shadyonedeath · 12-25-2008, 04:51 PM

I've tried:
-Simple green
-Brasso metal polish

No luck...there's touch spots that wont come out.

Can this "thing" (is it a heat shield? the roundish part under the rusted coolant log) be removed easily for rust removal?

Also, I want to remove some bolts/hangers/clamps/etc one at a time, and soak them in some rust solution. Any recommendations? I've seen some stuff on tv but forgot the name, but they let it sit for a couple hours and it dissolves the rust. I dont know if its safe for the metal strength though. Any ideas?

shadyonedeath · 12-29-2008, 07:25 PM

Update: (pics soon)

I've tried using steel wool #00 and its helping a bit but these heavily oxidized areas with spots are tough. I think im better off removing the valve covers since i can move around easier instead of working around logs/hoses/wires/etc. Still a long way to go. I've used a combination of Brasso and steel wool first, and then Mothers Mag-Alum. polish with a rag. Going to try Mothers with the steel wool tomorrow and see if i get better results. Something tells me Brasso isnt really strong enough for the job.

Probably remove everything off the engine and do a good detail when i install my 00vi.

oh and i finished my bumper wiring.

...although i had to upgrade from 7.5amp fuse to a 10amp. They kept blowing out.

goathead · 12-30-2008, 06:40 AM

Good results so far man, looks like a lot of elbow grease and time into it so far. It'll look awesome when you're done. Maybe try a dremel with some polishing tips or wire brushes for the heavily oxidized areas. Always a b*tch trying to keep aluminum looking good once it's been neglected.

white95max · 12-31-2008, 08:43 AM

Shadyone...you sent me a PM on Autopia but I thought I'd post my response here for you. First recommendation I have is to take a look at the thread I created when I got my Protege. http://www.autopia.org/forum/click-b...y-new-car.html
I used the same process I'd always used on my Maxima. Both cars had terrible oxidation on the valve covers. I had the best results doing everything by hand, but I had some luck using a 4" cutting pad on a PC with some Mothers mag and aluminum polish.

I think my most important piece of advice would be to work on one thing at a time. I probably spent over 12 hours on each of my engines to get them to a point I was satisfied with. And even then I'd spend an hour here and an hour there to keep improving their appearance. Don't split your time between different engine bay projects...just pick a specific component (i.e. valve cover) and don't move on until you're satisifed with the way it looks.

white95max · 12-31-2008, 08:48 AM

Oh, and I wouldn't use steel wool. It's tempting to use because it can cut through stuff better than a soft towel, but I noticed a lot of bad swirls in the metal after using some steel wool on mine. It's nearly impossible to polish those out once they get in.
Some people couldn't care less if there are swirls in their valve cover, but after I had spent so much time polishing it, I didn't like to see that I caused additional damage to the metal. I wanted it to look clear and reflective, not hazy from swirls.
I only used cotton terry cloth towels or cheap microfiber towels to polish the engine parts. You can be sure that the towels will be trashed after using them for a lot of engine polishing, so don't use any real nice towels for this job. The oxidation/grime/residue will not wash out.