aam993

My car is in perfect shape, so I'm trying hard to find things I can make better(without spending money ).
I've got gray spots/discoloration on alumnium varioram intake. How do I clean/polish it? I can't use regular alumnium polish, can I? Well, I tried it(Mother's aluminum polisher) on a small area and got black/polished looked, rather than original matte alumnium finish.

Question is how can I make it all matte again?

Thanks!

zwoobah

try simple green to clean it well first. this worked great on the aluminum manifolds on several of my cars, turned out most of the discoloration was just dirt/grease/carbon. test it in a small spot first of course.

JasonAndreas

Odorless Mineral Spirits and lots of paper towels...

ppressle

Use an appropriate cleaner and a soft toothbrush to loosen followed with paper towels to remove the dirt/oil. Repeat until satisfied.

I usually try the following on different surfaces
Simple green,
cleaner wax
wd40
laquer thinner (aggressive! keep away from paint)
hand rubbing compound
machine rubbing compound

One of these usually works for me.

Pete

aam993

Thank you, guys, for the suggestions. I've tried cleaners starting from SimpleGreen, then Odorless Mineral Spirit and even Acetone. Nothing makes those dark spots to disappear. The only thing that makes a difference is aluminum polish, but it gives polished look to the aluminum manifold, while original finish is really looks like silver matte painted.
What kind of finish is that? It's not paint, is it?

jnor10

I use Meguiar's "All Metal Polish" . Apply with a soft cloth and then buff by hand with a clean soft cloth. I'm very satisfied with the results.

Jeff N.

ppressle

The intake is cast aluminum. I would avoid the whole polishing/abrasive route unless you want to polish the whole thing to a high polish. Bling!

I would keep working with different solvents and a soft/medium brushes. Clean off the residue with a white rag. As long as the rag keeps showing dirt, you are making progress. Remember that the stain is down in the crevices of the casting and you have to extract it.

Good luck.

Mark in Baltimore

I think a polished manifold would look great. If I had a bunch of spare time on my hands, I would do it. Come on, Alexander, blaze the trail for us!

Atgani

Like this perhaps ?