Thread: Cleaning Aluminium

Go to your nearest car detailer, and grab some of their wheel cleaner.
If its the good stuff, it'll contain Phosphoric acid. They will tell you.
Clean most of the ..... crud off first , then spray with the diluted product and let sit for five mins, then blast off with your favorite pressure cleaner. Do not do it in the sun, or when its (the Weather) hot.
It will be brand new.

You can get aluminium brightner and cleaner from welding supply stores. I think it's sulfuric acid amongst other things.

Don't use molasses
It will turn it to chalk.
Light acid will brighten it up

When I was working at a small fuel pump place we would soak the stripped pump bodies in Alloy Bright when reconditioning them it worked quiet well if you can imagine how old and cruddy some of the old truck inline pumps would come in, they came out looking just about new considering we never put much time into trying to clean and polish them.

I know it use to be hard to get this is going back about 7 years now so could be worse or better so best of luck if its even still available.

cheers Brian

Septone sell alibrite, try supercheap auto they likely sell it. We used it on the fishing boats for cleaning alot of our alloy trays etc.

Cheers Ean

Take it to your local auto sparky, bead blast =$20. Interesting bikes when they kick back on start up, and run backwards. Brings back memories.

Originally Posted by roversmith

Take it to your local auto sparky, bead blast =$20. Interesting bikes when they kick back on start up, and run backwards. Brings back memories.

Hadn't thought of that one.

Thanks all.

The ghist is some kind of mild acid.

I hit it with oxalic acid which we we'd used on boats for rust scale but it didn't do much. I'll experiment with some suggestions.

Cheers all

I.

As Disco39 said, something with phosphoric acid in it.

It leaves it with a bright and somewhat stain resistant finish, cuts through the oxide coating.

I'd bead blast first then acid dip.

My old Kart engine builder had some brilliant stuff 25 years ago (no pun intended), that removed the carbon too and left the head and barrel looking all shiny and new but can't recall what it was, sorry.
Probably banned now anyway.