Ive had my block baking soda blasted and hot tanked several times. But it still looks like crap. Is there a way to restore the original cast aluminum finish?

 

My motor looks the same. I have been considering sandblasting it with walnut shell media.

John

 

why dont you just paint it?

 

I would consider painting it. Do you think I can get a paint color that would look like new aluminum? Im not one for stupid colors.

 

yes, you can find it an any Autozone/Pep boys... I believe its by Duplicolor, Hi-Temp too...

 

Looks fine to me. My block was painted red--AWFUL!! I stripped it with paint remover and now it looks like yours--I like it. Paint on alloy blocks isn't necessary and just winds up on gasket surfaces--I like it plain. You could take fine steel wool to the entire block --like 00 or 0000--that will give you a semi polished finish--it will look nice.

 

Have you tried steel wool?

My block looked the same way after I got it back from the machine shop. I took some steel wool to it, and then painted it grey. The steel wool did a good job of taking the oxidation off.

Try that first if you don't want to paint it. And even if you do paint it, it's a good idea to use steel wool to prep the surface so the paint sticks.

 

I tried steel wool on a small area and it left some nasty swirl marks. I think Im just going to paint it.

I see all these fockers from CA with perfect aluminum blocks and it makes me jelous.

 

get it shot peeed or bead blasted. Be sure to mask it off first.

 

you can use a soft brushed wire wheel and it will come out polished

 

If you are getting swirl marks from using steel wool, you are using to rough a steel wool. I am telling you start at least with 000 or even 0000--you won't have ANY swirl marks--it will come out nice. If you want it even shinier, after you steel wool it, take some metal polish (mothers or Fitz works well) and rub it with a rag---it won't be necessary to paint it.

 

Also, if you use a wire brush on a drill, DON'T use a steel wirebrush--always use a brass wirebrush on aluminum...

 

i used duplicolour high heat aluminium paint. it looks pretty nice......holds up well until you spill coolant and water and other crap on it then it starts to look like **** again.

 

That looks amazing. I def want to paint it now!

 

like i said.......it looks nice when you have it on the engine stand ...once inside the engine bay it looks good for a few weeks then it gets dirty.....and if you pour coolant/water/oil on it then it looks like *** again.....

and also i only painted the front of the block......no need to do the back since no one will ever see it.......

 

I'll take some pictures of my block tonight...

It's on the engine stand still, so it still looks nice and purdy...

 

Muckman....I ordered some super fine(0000) Steel Wool today to try out on my block. I figured I would give it a try since it was so cheap. I will let you know how it goes when i get it.

I bought it from here
http://www.briwax-online.com/rhosteelwool.html

John

 

I used a wire brush and it came out pritty good its just hard to get in the cracks.

 

anyone tried using anything like brasco?

 

high temp 1200F aluminum dupli-color spray paint, it looks just like brand new aluminum, but its paint so it will scratch off like paint.

 

Here are some pics of the block that I'm building right now...

Here's what it looked like when I got it back from the machine shop. The machined parts look awesome. The cylinders are money, but the outside of the block has oxidation on it.





I took some steel wool to it to clean it up a bit, then masked it off and painted it with high-temp, grey engine paint.





I also painted the valve cover and the intake arm the same color. I don't have any pics of the valve cover or intake though.

 

OK here are my two choices.
1.) Paint the long block AND tranny aluminum.
2.) Paint the long block aluminum and the tranny flat black.

Which option do you guys like best?

 

I personally don't like aluminum paint. I used some aluminum high-temp paint on my charge pipes when I first built them...

The aluminum paint that I used on my charge pipes had some sort of dust in it.. or something like that. Even months later when I touched my charge piping it would leave shinny residual on my hands.

I ended up repainting it a different color.

About the tranny. I am not painting mine because I don't feel like cleaning it up. LoL.. but if I were you I would go with flat black. But that's just my preference.

 

yeah that 500 degree aluminum paint rubs off. we painted chargepipes and some exhaust with it and every time you touch it it would rub off on your hands.

 

Heres some ideas, because Im a clean freak when it comes to cars.



^^^
http://www.flitz.com/
---------------------------------------------------------------


Can you <U>powdercoat </U>in Aluminum?
---------------------------------------------------------------

Other than that I would think a wire brush, fine steel wool, metal polish and alot of time and paintence for those harder to get to areas.


Good luck


Another thing I do when it comes to restoring parts is ask the old people (Old school hot rod guys)They always have a answer for anything and everything.