HELP??? Polishing cases

[Foxrage]

I started to take off my cases so i can strip them. it was pretty easy. Can you give me step by step instructions. Should i take the stator or what ever its called out of the left side case to strip the paint or can i leave it in there. just some step by step instructions and hints to make this work. How long does it take for service honda to ship out things. thanks

[crday98]

i would take it off.i wouldn't want to chance ripping out a wire by letting the cover hang from thewires+the stripper you will need to use will definitely dry out everything including wires and any rubber seals so make sure you remove all rubber seals before stripping.you might have to buy a new seal where the clutch pin goes in the cover because i don't think you could get it out without destroying it but they are very cheap from our sponsor MARCUMS ATV.you are going to be handling the covers a lot so it would be just plain easier too.there are only 6 bolts in all to take out inside the cover.i don't know if you know about the product called AIRCRAFT STRIPPER or not but this stuff is truly the best to get the paint off the covers.it is specifically made to take paint,epxoy,primer,and all other coatings off aluminum surfaces.you can get some at the local paint supply shop and i had seen some at walmart too.

[Foxrage]

Will they send it through the mail or through ups or fedx. Where should i get it from service honda or marums. thanks

[crday98]

i got mine from marcums,he sent it through fed ex.i paid for 2nd day air because i needed it for the weekend and i ended up getting it the next day.he sent it in an envelope so i guess you could get it through us priority mail for a smaller fee in 2-3 days.i paid about 10 bucks for 2nd day air but i had a big ride planned so i had to have it ASAP.i would order from marcums,i think with the discoiunt we exriders get,it is cheaper than service honda.

[Foxrage]

I was wondering if i could sand blast my cases i have a sand blaster will it work. Thanks

[RideRed04]

I wouldnt, it could pit the aluminum. Use the aircraft stripper (that sounds dirty...:D)

["BLAHH"300!!]

what are ya'll talking about- dont laugh

what are you stripping the paint off of:confused:

[Foxrage]

I am strippingthe paint off the side cases on my 400ex

[crday98]

hey nacs,did you get that stuff yet?how did they turn out?

[Foxrage]

Im still looking for the stripper that you guys recomend. i ahve tried everywhere but walmart and im trying tonight. I am still waiting for my gaskets and some guy told my mom they dont make aluminum polish. When i get it done i will take pics of everything and show you how mine turned out.

[Foxrage]

I found the aircraft stripper at the all mighty wallmart and some mothers aluminum polish im hoping it will turn out good. it amazes me a hardware store or paint shop wont have it but a walmart will have everything i need to do my projects.

[smokin01'400]

hey guys, i am also thinking about doing this, and what kind of polish do i need? i thought it was like a special polish and you need a cloth wheel too like a dremel, like the kit the SKEMP had gotten. but NACS400EX is using Monthers Aluminum polish. will that work? what's the best and where can i get it? i need to replace all hte gaskets right? if i dont have to i wont but i will if needed. thanks guys. later. sorry for posting on the topic again.

[400exRacerX]

this winter i am tearing my 400 down to the frame and powder coating it and polishing my cases and motor mounts.

[smokin01'400]

i want to powder coat mine too but i dont have the money. yes, i am doing the engine mounts too along with the cases. so if anyone has the answers to my questions in my last post, feel free. i need help ASAP!!!!!!! later

[crday98]

Originally posted by smokin01'400
hey guys, i am also thinking about doing this, and what kind of polish do i need? i thought it was like a special polish and you need a cloth wheel too like a dremel, like the kit the SKEMP had gotten. but NACS400EX is using Monthers Aluminum polish. will that work? what's the best and where can i get it? i need to replace all hte gaskets right? if i dont have to i wont but i will if needed. thanks guys. later. sorry for posting on the topic again. i use a product called "speedy metal polish",on my opinion it is far better than mothers.mothers is too pasty and takes forever to use.the stuff i use is a liquid,it is much easier & faster to work with.it also gives a nicer finish but i hear people are very satisfied with mothers.you won't need a special wheel for a dremel or drill but it will definitely save you some time and sore fingers:Dyou will need to replace the case gaskets for sure but you might get away with saving the starter gear cover gasket.hope this helps!

[Foxrage]

The mothers didnt work the greatest except on this one part it worked great. There is better but some might be more i didnt want to pay 30 like skemp did.

[smokin01'400]

hey guys, thanks alot. where can i get this polish stuff. i dont mean the mothers, but the other good stuff? thanks guys. later.

[smokin01'400]

also, how long does the chrome finish look last? does it burn off and get dull? later

[crday98]

Originally posted by smokin01'400
also, how long does the chrome finish look last? does it burn off and get dull? later

i will get the phone # for the customer service dept. off the bottle of stuff i use.they should give you a list of retailers that sell it.

the shine is holding up really well on mine so far but i still like to polish them after a good bath anyhow.i always want it to look perfect:D

another trick i found to work for touch up is a product called "never dull".it is a wadding(cotton ball on a roll looking stuff with chemicals added to it)polish.it works nice for getting in those tuff sections where you can't rub the normal polish directly on a surface like behind the oil lines and such.;)

[smokin01'400]

hey CRDAY. thanks. so if you basically polish them after you wash the quad the finish wont dull? oh yeah, there is some stuff at wal mart that i saw, it was a aluminum or metal polish. it was called like liquid metal or liquid something. if you know what i mean, will it work? later

[liltazz]

hey is that stripper a spray or brush on

[liltazz]

How much are the gaskets for the sides

[crday98]

you can get either spray or brush on and the gaskets are around $10 a side give or take a dollar or two.

[beerock]

EVERYBODY LISTEN!!!!

polishing ANYTHING is more detailed then buying some polish and rubbing the cases to get them shiny.

here take a look this is a cylinder after cleaning it up with a carbon stell wire brush and using a dremel with a emery impregnated polishing pad(dremel part# 425)
http://www.donzi.net/photos/case5.jpg

After that I use 220 grit carbon wet/dry SANDPAPER and worked my way up to 660 grit.(the cases dont need 220 grit, you can use 600grit from the start. just make sure you get any scratches out.

Then I used a dremel polishing tip(dremel part # 422) and a heavy duty polishing compound
and it came out like this
http://www.donzi.net/photos/jug.jpg
this took more than 4 hours to do.
there is no quick way to polished cases, well there is no quick way to "text book polished cases"
I could polish my cylinder and cases with mothers, but then they wouldnt come anywhere close to the shine i have.

Usually you need a high speed standing buffer to do polishing work.
I used a dremel on my enntire cylinder and head.
I will probably use a electric drill with a buffing pad on the end, for my cases.
I may just strip the cases and paint them black.
polish on the cases is very hard to keep clean, there are lots of nooks and crannyies for dirt to hid on the cases. maybe not though

[400exRacerX]

If only skemp was around.....just look up his name in the members section and go to his webpage.

[crday98]

Originally posted by beerock
EVERYBODY LISTEN!!!!

polishing ANYTHING is more detailed then buying some polish and rubbing the cases to get them shiny.

we all know it takes some time and elbow grease to get a nice finish.at the time this thread was posted there was another by skempt.he has instructions on his site.i got very nice results just using some stripper,fine sand paper,fine steel wool and a polish that works 10 X better than mothers.

[beerock]

I looked at skemps webpage. and his cases look great.

Don't take this the wrong way but, those cases are really not "text book" polished cases.

polished cases are pretty much prepped with sandpaper(to get any deep scratches out) and then polished on a HIGH SPEED BUFFING WHEEL.

the buffing wheel spins so fast that it burns the paint right off the cases and it uses rouge and polish.
the buffing wheel can also melt the metal you are polishing if you keep it in one place to long.

Now dont get me wrong, my cylinder and head did not come out that great, But I used a dremel on the whole thing.Which is no where near as fast as a high speed buffer.
Which is why the cylinder and head dont have the luster of a mirror(like my clutch and break lever have which were done on a high speed buffer)

If any of you think I am being harsh please step back and think about it.

I have seen cases first hand that were polished at a polish shop
and they look like mirrors.
anothter thing, the polish used on a high speed buffer can not be applied by hand, the polish is pretty much liquified when pressed on to the spining wheel.It is more abrasive than any hand applied polish. it also gets the job done faster.

You can actually get polished metal to look better than chrome.

So instead of just using sandpaper and steel wool, think about getting a dremel and a high speed bufffer.

i always feel great when I am done making something that was once dull shiny ;)