Polishing Valve Cover.




Okay guys....here we go. This is how I polished my 2 valve covers. Understand that it takes A LOT of work and patience. It's going to look worse before it looks better. The more time you spend on it, the better it will look. First let's start off with a list of "what you'll need":



1. Aircraft Paint Stripper

2. Rubber Gloves

3. Old toothbrush or paintbrush (that you don't plan on using again

4. Dremel tool with the small sandpaper drum (for those nooks and crannies), and the polishing pads.

5. Hot Glue Gun

6. Coarse Sandpaper (5 sheets each)

200 grit

300 grit

400 grit

7. Fine Sandpaper (3 sheets each)

600 grit

800 grit

1000 grit

8. Heavy Duty Polishing Compound (red)

9. Light Polishing compound (white)

10. Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish

11. A polishing wheel is VERY helpful...but not necessary



Steps:



1. OUTSIDE (have a hose with high pressure nozzle ready). Put on the rubber gloves and brush the aircraft stripper LIBERALLY onto the valve cover. DO NOT

INHALE....NASTY STUFF. Make sure you got everything and let it sit for 10 minutes. Get the hose and spray it off (make sure there the residue doesn't fly onto any other painted surfaces...like nearby cars). Check to see that all the black crinkle paint is stripped off. If not reapply to the "stubborn areas" and wait another 10 min. Hose it off THOROUGHLY! Repeat until all paint is gone. Should only take 2 times at most.



2. Get the 200 grit sandpaper and go to town on all the "flat" areas. This will take some time and it a VERY laborous task. Take MANY breaks. Once you have all of the texture off. Go to the next step.



3. Take the Dremel sanding drum (remove the coarse sandpaper by loosening the screw) and wrap a small piece of 200 grit around the rubber drum. Use the hot

glue gun and glue the back of the sandpaper to itself. Make sure all glue is covered by sandpaper. Tighten screw and you now have a small portable high speed sander. Use this at the SLOWEST setting on the Dremel to remove the texture from the hard to reach areas (nooks and crannies). Be careful not to remove too much material. Move around a lot.



4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 with 300 grit sandpaper but since there is none or little texture to remove, simply work until the DEEP scratches from the 200 grit are gone.



5. Repeat step 4 with 400 grit sandpaper until the scratches from the 300 grit are gone.



6. Repeat step 4 with 600 grit sandpaper until all the scratches from the 400 grit are gone.



(YOU GET THE POINT). Repeat until you go through all grits (200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1000).



7. Now get out the heavy duty rubbing compound (red paste). Use the Dremel polishing wheel to apply this to the whole valve cover. Work it in real good. Be careful not to nick the valve cover with the Dremel chuck.



8. Remove the heavy duty compound with a clean rag.



9. Repeat steps 8 & 9 with the light polishing compound (white). The valve cover should be looking pretty dang good by now.



10. Repeat steps 8 & 9 with the Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish but after it's been worked in, remove it using a fine terry cloth or cotton towel.



Now wash the valve cover thoroughly (inside and out) and you're done.