Engine bay

[Ratsmow]

What products or methods does everyone use to keep the alloy parts on there LS in good nik. You know stopping the powdery white oxidisation on alloy parts on the motor, or doesn't anyone worry about it. Trying to stop the ageing process taking hold on my engine, I thought spraying inox would be a good idea but then thought no that shit gonna smoke up when the motor gets hot so wiped it off. Any ideas? I want to keep the engine bay looking as good as the outside paint if you know why I mean.

[VZ_V8]

I just used Autosol and polished up some bits a pieces. Works great and none of it has tarnished again yet.

[Ratsmow]

Cool ill give it a go, got some in the shed. All those alloy parts look shite once they start getting that oxidisation look about them.

[Madhatter]

If you clean them and strip them back using a grit polish, you can prep and clear coat them to protect them if you want. Won't be a 100% polished look because you need something for the clear to key to (as in the surface needs some roughness to it), but you can get a similar finish to new wheels and you'll never have to worry about it again under the clear eventually fails (many years).

Otherwise, other product that works well is mothers alloy wheel polish. It's a grit too. It's a natural progression though to get a layer of oxidation on alloy products. It actually protects the metal below in a similar way to annodising. So as a dull oxidised surface is ok as long as it hasn't gone all furry and started looking like old battery terminals. It's just one of those things you'll have to keep doing (ie re-polishing), otherwise the other alternative is to paint them. Enamel type paint systems like KBS, Por15 and Kill rust result in really hard paints that are great for things like brackets and mounts. Bonus is you can achieve a flat finish with a paint brush as they don't need to be sprayed on.

[Ratsmow]

Thanks hatter, I want to keep my Monaro looking as stock as possible so painting alloy parts is a no no. I will try the auto sol and mothers though as I have both in the shed. You see all the old monaros falcons etc with great looking exteriors and you lift the hood and often disappointed when the engine bay looks tired and lacking a bit of love. I had a one owner rt charger with the same symptoms, bit of battery acid here and bit of corrosion there but not too bad all an all. Don't want the same thing happen to the Monaro cause I love this thing.

[VNV8]

I found on my VT the results are much better if you lightly sand the surface with fine paper (800 grit for example) then polish vigorously. Some metal polishes leave behind a wax-like coating which helps with oxidising. Meguiars all metal polish is what I use.

[Ratsmow]

Did that air con canister and pipe work today, came up pretty good but would have to agree with you there vnv8 that a quick wet and dry would have produced better results.

[VZ_V8]

Wet n dry works heaps better! I was going to do it with mine but didn't have any sandpaper handy at the time. Will re-do it soon.

Back in the day when I had my VU Ecotec ute, the plenum on those was a rough cast aluminium piece and looked pretty bad. I used varying grits of wet n dry and then finally went over it with some Autosol and it came up mint!

[Evman]

^ Missing two cylinders Tim

[VZ_V8]

^ Missing two cylinders Tim

I think you missed the "back in the day" part :P

[Evman]

Probs quicker than your current one?

[Ratsmow]

Ouch. That hurt.

[VZ_V8]

Probs quicker than your current one?

Shit yeh. That bad boy had 1.9:1 high ratio Yella Terra roller rockers and a K&N pod filter. A cammed 6L ain't got nothing on it.