Prolong the Shine

Not expecting a lot of comments, but I thought I'd pass this along. This is for all of you out there who, like myself, take the time to keep our vintage machines looking spiffy! I've found an amazing product that helps your engine cases maintain a mirror-like shine after you get them cleaned up, buffed out and polished. The product is called "Flawless Wax" and is made by Sherwin-Williams.



During my bike's restoration, GrandPaul (Born Again Bikes) sent my original beat-up cases to a professional buffing shop and transformed them into nice shiny bits. I've been keeping that shine with tons of elbow grease mixed with Mothers Aluminum Polish...but after a week or so the tarnish would reappear. With this product, I polish the cases with the Mothers and then apply a coating of the "Flawless Wax" as a finishing touch. It performs a final cleanup and then lays down a protective layer of canuba wax that keeps the Mothers shine going for weeks without tarnishing. Works wonders on paint and rims too!!

Here's some photos of my cases that haven't seen a Mother's polish session in three weeks:

Regular wax will do that too.

Cases look nice but the shine calls attention to the slightly buggered slots on the timing and the chaincase fill screws. I had similar ones but with a file and some wet/dry paper, finishing with 1500 you can make them look perfect and untouched by wrong-sized tools!

You can also buy a new set of primary covers from Walridge for about $25, unbuggered and polished.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

You can also buy a new set of primary covers from Walridge for about $25, unbuggered and polished.

Dave
69S

Click to expand...

You mean the screws?

As they say in Virginia, these "thaings".



Dave
69S

DogT said:

As they say in Virginia, these "thaings".

Dave
69S

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You said "primary covers" and I took it to mean "the" primary cover, which for $25 is a heck of a deal. :mrgreen:

If it's $25 for a polished primary cover, I'll take two, thanks!

Even for the inspection hole covers, it's a pretty good deal. I'm still in the process of buggering up the ones I have on (to replace the ones I previously buggered up), so I'll hold off for now.

As for removing those inspection hole covers, I use a regular "C" spanner - the same one I use to tighten the exhaust rosettes. The back side of the "C" part fits nicely in the slots, especially with a layer of masking tape on the spanner. The slots aren't flat on the bottom, but in an arc that just about matches the curve of the spanner.



Mine looks like the one pictured above, except with a 3/8" square hole where the round hole is - perfect for snapping in a ratchet or torque wrench to tighten the exhaust. I use the same spanner on my Speed Triple to adjust the drive chain (Single-sided swingarm with the axle on an eccentric)

Cmessenk,
Arntchya glad you posted your pics for these picky bunch of curmudgeons? Keep the covers, it shows character! Nice lookin' bike you got there.
Russ

swooshdave said:

Regular wax will do that too.

Click to expand...

After trying the "regular" waxes (Simoniz, Turtle, etc.) I have to disagree with you, Dave. The beauty of this product is that it's a cleaner and a wax. It removes the last traces of the Mothers polish and seals the shine. The real advantage is it takes 15 seconds per cover....spray....wipe...buff>>>done.

I actually discovered the product after pulling into a gas station. A guy was selling the product at a table. I own a VW Jetta, which is notorious for yellowed opaque headlamps. The VW dealer wanted $45.00 per headlamp to make them clear again and this product made them crystal clear again....in less than a minute. Can't think of any "regular" wax that'll do that.

swooshdave said:

Regular wax will do that too.

Click to expand...

But it won't destroy the ozone layer :mrgreen:

Jean

Jeandr said:

swooshdave said:

Regular wax will do that too.

Click to expand...

But it won't destroy the ozone layer :mrgreen:

Jean

Click to expand...

Ha!! You're so right, Jean...I'm going to write them and demand they offer the manual pump version!

Harley Dudes swear by Lemon Pledge!!

I went to 3 auto parts stores trying to find this today. Do they only sell it at a sherwin williams store?

I am trying Zoop Seal on Ms Peel's deal.
Pricey 3 part kit. Said to last couple years road travel
and just a wipe off before the judged showings.
#1 cleanses-displaces crap out the pores,
#2 puts protective clear layer on
#3 is rub compound to take off the top of protective layer
and remove any crude that obscures the Al mirror.
http://www.zoopseal.com/

I polished parts and did the Zoop process but for last step #3
to leave a protective clear coat on for mock up handling
and some abrasive resistance. So far seemed to protect
most nicks and scrapes, I've was able to just rub out
what appeared to be Al wounds but was just the layer
taking it on the chin. Cool.

I've tried various clear spray on coats, all discolor or
dull the Al mirror and require much elbow grease to smooth.
Best so far is Duplicolor Clear Wheel coat,
resists all solvents and good heat, like on engine cases
yet clearest of the rest. Even this wheel coat though
is see able compared to naked waxed Al, so I'm only
using it over fittings, fasteners and electric connections
and maybe the front Lockheed brake caliper.

BTW the oxide layer that natural forms on Al is sapphire-ruby
as used in scratch immune watch faces. Just takes heat
and oxygen helped with water to speed up process
called anodizing. There are steam and flame methods
beside the water bath and electrolytic methods.
The slight dull velvety sheen below is before a final
rub and buff out, but not bad as is and maybe how I'll
leave parts for daily usage only bothering to finish for
vanity shows.

http://www.zoopseal.com/


http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x93/ ... pieces.jpg


hobot

Arntchya glad you posted your pics for these picky bunch of curmudgeons? Keep the covers, it shows character! Nice lookin' bike you got there.

Click to expand...

hahaha. My sentiments exactly! even after a session on the buffing wheel, my cases look pretty durned good, but there are plenty of 'character flaws' put there from 40 years of riding.....I personally like the evidence that my bike's been 'rid...not hid'

I was toying with wiping down all the shiny bits with lacquer thinner to remove any compound residue, then spraying with 1-2 coats of acrylic clear coat. From the consensus here it seems that the clear coat will just yellow over time and I'd be better off with a good wax product?

that would sure be easier next time I pull out the buffing wheel to do them again.

thanks

Karl

rvich said:

Cmessenk,
Arntchya glad you posted your pics for these picky bunch of curmudgeons? Keep the covers, it shows character! Nice lookin' bike you got there.
Russ

Click to expand...

+1

Often enough there are nicks and gouges that are deep enough > to sand out would leave a dished in area but if the surrounds are well shinned they just look like beauty marks on an experienced woman. The toughest rattle can clear coats are sold for wheels but I found that only lasts at most a year of use before runs show and about another year before its mostly uncoated except for the obvious yellowed tint of the random remains, which are magically extra bound to the surface so clear up means sanding level finishing again. I am very pleased that Turtle wax grade wax has lasted over 3 yrs on Trixie bright yellow paint that had mud and grime and grease and oil and gas and strap marks that just wipe right off shiny as can be. Waxes just soften or melt off or even evaporate off heated surfaces. Jewlers with wax molds and cake deorators use flame or steam to melt over a shiny surface to view.

Heat + oxygen + temp + time, is used to create an Al oxide layer [no electrical currents needed] called anodized by coaters or sapphire by jewelers and watch lens makers. Some anodization is done by hi temp steam exposure or flame. Going by this I tired painting the nice raw polished Al all over by propane torch to see it melts the almost microscopic ridges/scratches of the finest buffing compound while speeding up the natural oxidation layer but w/o also trapping environmental exposure stains in the pores. This helps for a while but the propane is using up most the oxygen so next time will try acetylene/O2 torch adjusted to oxidizing flame to see if I can get a thicker deeper lasting layer that resists the wipe off to show off. Try in and get back to us if ya like what ya see.

https://www.google.com/#biw=640&bih=340 ... 829e5690fb

https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab& ... 40&bih=340

I make mine shine once a year whether it needs it or not, store in heated shed,does not see rain I'm happy to remove bugs after ride that's it
Craig