Thread: How can I get old alum heads to look new?

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I have a set of Alum. heads that are discolored. If I send them to the head shop will they come back looking like new? Or should I media blast them before I take them to get a " like new" finish? Should I clear coat them once done?

media blasting should help, I'd forget the clear coat as it will just turn them yellow when the heat hits them.... At least I've never had any luck with clear coating. Maybe somebody knows of a clear that will take the heat....

I had the two four manifold on my '27 cleared and it turned out more of a gray color as opposed to aluminum looking. Bead blasting should restore that fresh aluminum look to it.

Don

Try a llittle phosphoric acid on them. You will be surprised how bright clean they look. Don't use it on polished aluminum as it will dull the finish but on cast it works great. You can find it at most home improvement stores. It is used primarily for A/C coil cleaning. "Coilbright" is one brand name. By the way, it is also an ingredient in most soft drinks.
John

Originally Posted by 41willys

Try a llittle phosphoric acid on them. You will be surprised how bright clean they look. Don't use it on polished aluminum as it will dull the finish but on cast it works great. You can find it at most home improvement stores. It is used primarily for A/C coil cleaning. "Coilbright" is one brand name. By the way, it is also an ingredient in most soft drinks.
John

Hey thanks , 41 . Is this the same stuff used to treat rust? Can I find the coil bright at Home Depot. Could you give some insight on how long to keep it on before you wash it?And since its acid is it going to eat away the alum.?

Don I know what you are talking about , I did the same thing on a intake and it looks great just a little gray. I am looking for the "bright" alum. finish also.

Try high temp paint in aluminum color.

Clear powder coat might look nice, and shouldn't discolor.

If ya want them to really shine, CHROME 'EM

Find out what the guys use that wash tanker trucks, I know its some kinda acid...but they just spray it on and rinse it off and man does it shine...

BIG,

It is readily available at most stores that sell A/C equipment. Check the concentration of Phosphoic acid to other ingredients, as you want the highest concentration you can get. If you can get a regular coil cleaner at an A/C dealer that is the best. Use a hudson sprayer to thoroughly coat the heads. The first time it will foam white is spots, just use a scrub brush to wash the part, rinse with water and keep spraying with acid until the entire part foams white, then rinse thoroughly and air dry. The cast aluminum will look like new. It will eat the aluminum but you have to let its set for hours to do it. It works wonders on the old style non clearcoated aluminum wheels. makes them look like new.

A lot of prducts have phospohric acid in them like oven cleaner and most purple all purpose cleaners.
John

CHevyboy,

My oldest brother used to build aluminum truck bodies and he used Phosphoric acid to clean them with, that how I found out about it.
John

Originally Posted by 41willys

Phosphoric acid

Plus you drink it everything you have most sodas. I wonder why our inners aren't that clean ....joe

Joe,
I wonder why they even put that stuff in pop anyway? I mean how much Phosphoric acid does your body need in a day?


Another thing to try is Sodium Hydoxide. This is a very powerful base as apposed to phosphoric acid. It will clean aluminum quite well, (it will burn you badly though), and it is much better for the enviroment than all of the phosphates down the drain.

No matter what you use BE CAREFUL.

John

If you want to try a paint, they sell some called Alumablast which I painted some heads and a trans case with..haven't run it yet but it's not too bad looking. Search it on the web and you'll find it.

eastwood used to carry it

How does hold up on a engine (heat)?

I use the high temp aluminum color paint to color my headder wrap. Smokes a bit when first run, but cooks out to a nice aluminum color and looks great. Heads don't get nearly THAT hot, so should do well.