Required equipment for polishing exhaust

[kinger]

Hey everyone, I would like to throw some elbow grease under the hood of my viper and get her all cleaned up and shiny. Can anyone give me a run down of equipment, discs, cleaners, polishes, etc that I would need to polish the alum heat shields around the stock single pipe on my sled?

Thanks!

 

[shortstop20]

I use Never Dull to clean all of the grime, dirt, etc. from the pipe. It comes in an aluminum jar and it feels like steel wool almost. Tear a piece off and put some elbow grease in it. Once you get all the grime, dirt, etc. off the pipes, I like to use Mothers Aluminum polish and a 3" buffing wheel on a drill or something to that affect. Hand shining will work fine too. Just spread some of the polish on a cotton rag if you're gonna hand shine. Shine, shine, shine, and you will be able to see your reflection in the pipes!

 

[yamaholic22]

I always use mothers aluminum polish as S.S. said. Stuff works great. Most of the time i do it by hand unless it is a big area, then use the air buffer.

 

[ModMMax]

We polish a lot of aluminum and stainless in our shop. If you are reallay serious about a chrome like finish, start with 400 grit wet and dry and sand, by hand, everything you want to polish. Next, visit your local Peterbuilt or similar dealer, and purchase a green cloth wheel and a stick of green compound. We use a Makita polisher when its easier to move the tool than the work and we use a 1 hp stationary electric motor when its easier to move the work than the tool. Use breathing protection and something to protect your eyes. The dust from aluminum is especially nasty. Finish by hand with a product called Flitz. It has a bit of rubbing compound in it and a lot of wax that keeps the finish from tarnishing. Truckers, aircraft and horley guys think its a prefered product. An easy piece to polish is the cap from your primary clutch. Enjoy.