Newby in Cumbria

[Octane]

Hi All,

Joined a couple of months ago but have been lurking in the background sucking up all the good advice on this forum!

I've not long put a deposit down on a GD Jag chassis and have managed to source and strip the Jag components I need. I'm left with what looks like a pile of scrap! Ho hum...having what's left shot blasted at the moment. Can't wait for painting and rebuilding..... I've also had some chats with a guy on here with regards refurbing the power lock diff and easing off the LS effect slightly for the lighter car.

So, I've turned my attention to stripping off the excess "Stuff" from my recently acquired and very mucky Monaro LS2 and T56 combo! Does anyone know an easy way to remove aluminium oxide and staining from rough cast aluminium? Something that can be done in the garage? I've tried some acid based cleaners but they don't touch it! Also destroyed a few wire brushes but can't get into the nooks and crannies. Any advice on the LS2 would be appreciated as it's a new engine to me and even getting service parts seems awkward.

I've had some help from some great lads on here with regards the engine wiring, thanks Happy Jim and Terry!. I've come up with a spreadsheet (based on info supplied by Terry) with all the pinouts for the E40 PCM for the Monaro if anyone is interesred in a copy, I intend to update it as I remove/discard circuits not needed for the Cob.

Well that's me for now, look forward to posting in the future

Cheers

Tim

[Lloyd Barnes]

Welcome Tim,

Another Cumbrian! Not there any more but grew up in Ulverston.

Re the aluminium, the guy doing the shot blasting may have a vapour blaster. Better for aluminium. I had some old spinners done and they came up a treat.

[britbits]

Hi Tim, welcome, once you have all the mucky stuff out the way the fun of re assembling and the built process begins, (then you have to keep popping in the shed for all that money your going to throw at it ),hehe, have load of fun regards Dave B

[cobracol]

Hello and Welcome Tim, i found white spirit with an old tooth brush very effective at cleaning cast ally, badly oxidised alloy will need harsher treatment of course, i recon a little wire brush on a dremmel or similar, should work for the fiddly bits, unless you are taking it off the engine, in which case Lloyd has the best suggestion, imho it would look better polished/or chrome anodised, similar to a permastar finnish, or maybe coloured to match the car, a local firm does this:

Contact | A Quality Service For Your Quality Product | AnoChrome Finishing (http://www.anochromefinishing.co.uk/70002/contact.php)

HTH Regards Col

[britbits]

Frosts do an exelent ally cleaner just brush on leave a while and wash off. used it quite a bit in the past. Dave ps dont use on polished ally it dulls the finish.

[Happy Jim]

Hi Tim,

Thought you might pop up here eventually :-)

i wouldn't go too mad beyond a good scrub up and degrease, once in the car there isn't much left visible beyond valve covers and water pump.

Regards

Jim

[Octane]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

I can get carried away when I look at sites like the link Col sent! Might use that company for a few bits that need refurbing on the bike....

Jim, you're absolutely right, you won't see a lot but it's nice to know it's all clean and shiny under the bonnet. I've actually decided to enamel the block but no "bling" I was even thinking of some retro "Crinkle" finish for the rockers etc.

I've got some acid cleaner but as mentioned by Britbits, I saw the alkaline based cleaner on the Frosts site, I'll give it a try. It's not so imperative to lose all the staining if I'm coating the Block/Pump/Heads and Rocker Covers in Enamel. Just to make sure it's clean and prepped for the enamel. I've read that you don't need to etch prime the ally if it's been acid/alkaline cleaned, is that the opinion of the forum?

Thanks again

Tim

PS. I'll post up some photos when I'm done.