How to polish engine case on my GS

[Guest]

Hello out there I am new to this forum just looking for a little help. I have a 1981 GS750e it is a really great bike but it has some oxidation on the engine covers. I think it still has that original factory coating that came on it.I was looking for a way to polish that up a bit and make it look nicer. A friend of mine was thinking very fine steel wool but was not that sure.If anyone has a product in mind or a process please let me know. thanks Much Brian

 

[Guest]

Hello out there I am new to this forum just looking for a little help. I have a 1981 GS750e it is a really great bike but it has some oxidation on the engine covers. I think it still has that original factory coating that came on it.I was looking for a way to polish that up a bit and make it look nicer. A friend of mine was thinking very fine steel wool but was not that sure.If anyone has a product in mind or a process please let me know. thanks Much Brian

I just did this recently on my GS 650, first thing remove the cover(s) from the engine itself. It will make it far easier to polish them up correctly. Be aware that new gaskets will need to be purchased most likely. Next buy yourself a variety of wet/dry sand paper ranging from 150-2000 grit. The first course of action is to remove the clear coat finish on the aluminum. I personally used 150 grit to sand off this clear coat and expose the aluminum, it does take some effort but is worth it. Once the clear coat is removed, fill a large bucket with water and place the cover in it. Begin wet sanding with the 320 grit and work your way up to the 2000 grit sandpaper. Once you're done with the sanding I finish the piece of with some Mothers Mag/Aluminum polishing compound which works wonders.

Its a pain to do but if done correctly it looks amazing.

 

[Steve]

Removal of the remaining factory clear coat is the first step. Whether you use chemicals or abrasives is up to you, but if you use abrasives, know that you will end up using finer and finer grades until you can use a buffing wheel in a machine, whether it is a bench-mounted device or a hand-held drill.

As SpecialK has mentioned, it's not easy, but the results are worth it. :biggrin:

When my bike is ready to be shown, there will be a few more pictures available.

If you don't feel up to the task of polishing them yourself, box them up send them to me.
I will be happy to do them for you, for a modest fee, of course. :-\\\

.

 

[Guest]

Nice work Steve.

I'm using the hand held drill with polishing wheels method along with a dremel type polisher for the twiddly bits. As I'm fixing bits up I give them a going over. once you've got them up to standard, maintaining them is easy work if you stay on top of them.

My advice is to invest in good polishing wheels with 2 grades of paste.

 

[1948man]

Removal of the remaining factory clear coat is the first step. Whether you use chemicals or abrasives is up to you, but if you use abrasives, know that you will end up using finer and finer grades until you can use a buffing wheel in a machine, whether it is a bench-mounted device or a hand-held drill.

As SpecialK has mentioned, it's not easy, but the results are worth it. :biggrin:

When my bike is ready to be shown, there will be a few more pictures available.

If you don't feel up to the task of polishing them yourself, box them up send them to me.
I will be happy to do them for you, for a modest fee, of course. :-\\\

.

Steve, I tried to search up your last few steps with the buffer as far as rouge, wheels etc but couldn't find anything. I have a mid range buffer (Harbor Freight) and am doing pretty good but not nearly the results you get. i don't suppose you could share some secrets or methodology???

 

[Nessism]

Rouge is pretty much useless. If you want to bring back a nasty looking engine cover you need heavy black cutting compound and a sisal wheel on a real power buffer.

Use chemical stripper to remove the clear coat first.

Before the power tools though you need to sand out heavy corrosion pitting with the finest sandpaper that will do the job. 220 grit is a common starting place. Work through 320 and then go for the wheel. You don't need to use a fluffy wheel and rouge at all unless you are going for a chrome look like Steve.

The factory Suzuki look is a brushed finished, not polished. If you are using sandpaper you can stop at 600 or 800. No reason to go higher.

 

[1948man]

Yeah, I used the word rouge kind of loosely. I do have some black , brown, and white compound as well as some rouges. I have been mostly sanding to get the black oxidation out of the aluminum. I will try the black compound and sisal on the buffer I have which probably couldn't really be described as powerful. I would like to try for the mirror finish. Thanks.

 

[trevor]

I would take Steve up on his offer. I have done some of mine but now I just take them to a local metal finisher and get out the wallet. Really it's not that expensive, they are fast and they have the proper tools. Not to mention I don't make a mess of me and my shop.
And oh yeah...it helps the local economy.

 

[winfield]

^ btwilson, you need to know that Trevor has 3 jobs.

 

[Nessism]

I did these covers with the sisal wheel and black cutting compound. Followed with POR-15 Glisten clear. Came pretty close to replicating the factory look.

 

[Guest]

Yeah your bike looks really good--where would I find a sisal wheel? and black compound--Brian

 

[trevor]

^ btwilson, you need to know that Trevor has 3 jobs.

Yes..well one full time and couple part time.

 

[Steve]

Steve, I tried to search up your last few steps with the buffer as far as rouge, wheels etc but couldn't find anything. I have a mid range buffer (Harbor Freight) and am doing pretty good but not nearly the results you get. i don't suppose you could share some secrets or methodology???

Not really any secret, but here's what I do:
Depending on how convoluted the surface is, I might use chemical stripper or a fine Roloc-type wheel from Harbor Freight. Used lightly, it's great for removing the corrosion that happens when the clearcoat is gone. If you use the Roloc lightly, you will end up about the same as a 600 grit paper. That is when I move to the spiral-sewn cotton wheel (from HF) on my Craftsman grinder (going to get an official BUFFER for the new shop) and the white polishing compound. I have found the best prices on the compound at Lowe's or Home Depot, and usually buy out their meager stock (3 or 4 tubes) when I re-supply. Apply enough pressure to the wheel to slow the motor down a bit and keep the part moving, or you will burn a crease in the metal. Rotate directions until it is all pretty shiny, then give it one final pass with some fresh compound to eliminate most of the swirl marks.

Now for one of my favorite pics:

It doesn't take all that much to get there, and, as Cyrano says, it's rather easy to keep it there.

.

 

[1948man]

Thanks Steve. You get a great mirror finish.

 

[1948man]

I did these covers with the sisal wheel and black cutting compound. Followed with POR-15 Glisten clear. Came pretty close to replicating the factory look.

It does look really good. Are you happy with the Glisten Clear as far as how it holds up.?

 

[Nessism]

It does look really good. Are you happy with the Glisten Clear as far as how it holds up.?

So far so good but that bike is not ridden regularly. The paint is pretty brittle. I think clear powder coat may be worth exploring.

 

[mikerophone]

I think clear powder coat may be worth exploring.

Subbed. I do a lot of work with a local powder coater and get a decent price, but they are weeks out and also like to have the ability to do my own stuff.

Are there other clear coats that have been recommended?

Steve - do you just re-buff annually, as needed or do you clear coat yours? I

wonder if the less smooth surfaces/more matte like factory type finish like Ed's (without a clear coat would hold up better in the long run or if the mirror like finish would?

Here's mine from last year and I rode the bike yesterday (59 degrees who-hoo!!!) and it doesn't look as good as it did then:

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Here's a Roloc type wheel only with a once over on my VC, still needs polishing, but similar to the engine in the background it was DINGY and crusty:

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[Steve]

Steve - do you just re-buff annually, as needed or do you clear coat yours?

No clear coat, just a little elbow grease now and then. :-\\\

.

 

[trevor]

Yes, don't clear coat! It will eventually do the same thing (yellow, chipping and fading) again. Once the parts are done it takes very little effort to keep them looking nice.

 

[Big T]

Hello out there I am new to this forum just looking for a little help. I have a 1981 GS750e it is a really great bike but it has some oxidation on the engine covers. I think it still has that original factory coating that came on it.I was looking for a way to polish that up a bit and make it look nicer. A friend of mine was thinking very fine steel wool but was not that sure.If anyone has a product in mind or a process please let me know. thanks Much Brian

While all the information above is correct, you need to chemically strip the part first and see what you actually have as a surface. The factory coating can appear really bad until you strip it. Use aircraft aluminum stripper, which is available at most auto parts stores in a big blue spray can.

Once you can see what the aluminum actually looks like, you can take it from there. I've had parts where the aluminum just needed the sisal wheel and black after getting stripped, others needed bead blasting to start.