Ok, so the guy wants the alternator and ac compressor cleaned up before reinstall. Theyre already clean, but the aluminum is a little oddly colored. He specifically does not want them painted or polished.
I remember a while back we talked about this, but can't seem to find the thread.
So how do I easily, cheaply, and quickly restore a cast aluminum piece without paint?
"Cast Blast" aluminum finish or disassemble and bead blast.
Back when aftermarket wheels were bare cast aluminum, Eagle One used to have an acid wheel cleaner. That stuff worked great. I haven't found an off the shelf modern equivalent yet.
I glass bead blast the parts now, but the wheel cleaner would be handy for thing that are still attached to the car.
NAPA sells an aluminum brightener/cleaner, you can get it by the gallon or in a spray bottle. It works very well, but wear gloves and eye protection as it's nasty stuff.
Any risk to damage the innards with the brightener?
It contains hydrofluoric acid so you don't want to get that into the windings. It would be better to take the alternator apart, but you could use an old toothbrush to scrub the surface as long as you're careful.
If a OEM finish is wanted then glass beading is the way to go. You can almost get a semi-gloss finish if the surface is not corroded, just discolored from age.
CO2 blasting will bring back the clean as cast and no disassembly but finding someone with an ice blaster can be a pain
You'll need to log in to post.
