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Polishing a Drop Tank?

Started by _LH8VD69_ , Dec 22 2010 09:12 AM

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30 replies to this topic

#1 _LH8VD69_

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 09:12 AM

Hey guyz i'm just wondering what to use on my drop tank to bring up an awesome shine. It's not to bad now but can be improved. Autosol scratches it ive found out :S
Anyhoo im sure someone out there has just the right ingredient. Posted Image

Cheers,
Ken

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#2 _Herne_

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 10:11 AM

Buy one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com....=item27b6dd06e8

and a stick of this white rouge:

http://cgi.ebay.com....=item5d2a8411e0

Put it in your electric drill and buff.

Expect black gunk to keep coming off, polish this off with a clean soft rag. The black gunk keeps coming so dont worry about it.

The whole job should not take long at all, depending on how bad the alloy drop tank is to begin with.

It should come up like this.

[attachment=11115:tank 1.jpg]

My gear used:

[attachment=11116:tools 1.jpg]

The wire brush is used to unclog the buffing wheel.

The extra polish Mirror Finish helps protect the polished area but is not essential.

Cheers
Herne

Edited by Herne, 22 December 2010 - 10:23 AM.

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#3 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 10:30 AM

Results will vary depending on the alloy used to make the tank.

The first step is to remove the grain from the alloy by sanding with 400 through to 2000 wet and dry. You can also use fine steel wool to sand alloy. Once the alloy is flat it only requires a small amount of polishing to bring up the shine.

I sanded then polished this tank by hand with Autosol liquid polish and Purple polish.

Sanded
Posted Image

Polished

Edited by ls2lxhatch, 22 December 2010 - 10:35 AM.

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#4 76lxhatch

That was easy!

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 12:22 PM

Autosol shouldn't scratch, what are you using to apply it?

Mine's stainless, easy

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#5 _tomo123_

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 12:40 PM

has anyone used that clear coat stuff, you spray it on your clean/polished'/ brushed finished aluminium. its suppose to stop it loosing its shine etc.

i think its a por15 product i seen it at my local paint shop

any reports?

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#6 76lxhatch

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 05:44 PM

Clear coat works well enough on wheels etc, not sure about polished surfaces though as there isn't much to adhere to

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#7 Ando

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Posted 23 December 2010 - 04:53 AM

A timely subject.
I'm about to polish my drop tank over the next week or so. I've been polishing at piece of off-cut material so I can get my method/procedure sorted first.
Just a tip for anyone interested but don't think I'll bother polishing where it's not going to be seen though.

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#8 _LH8VD69_

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Posted 28 December 2010 - 09:42 PM

Autosol shouldn't scratch, what are you using to apply it?

Mine's stainless, easy

Using the Autosol paste in the tube with a microfible cloth to rub on and off. Not good. Im interested in the purple polish people seem to be going on about. Where can i buy it from?
Cheers,
Ken

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#9 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 28 December 2010 - 10:36 PM

You will often find Purple Polish in truck stops and truck parts suppliers.

I think I bought mine from Truckline.

Truckline Truck & Trailer Parts

10 Dobra Rd
Spearwood
WA 6163

08) 9434 1588

Edited by ls2lxhatch, 28 December 2010 - 10:38 PM.

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#10 _eh-buddy_

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 06:55 AM

its been more than a few years since i worked as a polisher for a chromeworks but back then we used to clear them but like i said it was a while ago

if the tanks out off the car its much easier with a bench grinder fitted with a spindle and cloth wheels that way you can use the stick polishes and get the metal to "flow" but the drill trick works it'l just take longer

you can by the polishing "kit" from bunning's or most tool shops can get it in

a good bench mounted belt sander with a fine grit belt is good to smooth out cast marks in manifolds and brake master cylinders before you polish them as well

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#11 _Herne_

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 07:15 AM

Spot on ^^^^^^ I use the drill and buff wheels because the tank is left on my car and to be honest I only polish what can be seen when standing at the rear and the side of my car/tank. The underside of the tank gets gravelrash because my car gets driven, if it were a trailer queen then all would be polished

I have not found the need to use sand paper on the tank at all. Bugger hand sanding, let the buff do the trick.
I have also found that Autosol can scratch certain alloys so I never us it for a final finish, hence the bottle of Mirror Finish Metal Polish, its far less grainy than autosol.

The down side of polishing the tank is at night you tend to blind any car following within a 'closeish' distance with reflection lol

Cheers
Herne

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#12 _eh-buddy_

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 07:53 AM

herne your right about the shine i remember polishing a truck bullbar for a bloke it was that bloody good the guy got defected for it i couldnt believe it when the guy came back in with it painted black

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#13 _LH8VD69_

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 08:41 AM

Thanks very much guys i think ill give the truckline place in Spearwood a go as its local. My tank is in as new condition and theres no way id take any sort of sanding to it. It has just dulled off over the last year and is in need of a polish is all and the trusty ile Autosol let me down. Ill see how i go next break. Hopefully its not 4 million C and i melt whilst doing it.

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#14 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 29 December 2010 - 08:47 AM

Aluminium sheet has a grain from the mill rollers. If you do not remove the grain you will not get a mirror finish. A couple of minutes sanding with 800-2000 is worth hours of polishing.

It is no different to polishing paint off the gun. You have to get a flat surface before you start the polishing process.

Edited by ls2lxhatch, 29 December 2010 - 08:50 AM.

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#15 _LH8VD69_

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Posted 22 January 2011 - 11:31 AM

You will often find Purple Polish in truck stops and truck parts suppliers.

I think I bought mine from Truckline.

Truckline Truck & Trailer Parts

10 Dobra Rd
Spearwood
WA 6163

08) 9434 1588

My search is over !! Thanks to all for your input but the Purple Polish mentioned by ls2lxhatch is fantastic to say the least. Minimal effort required for awesome results. I couldnt believe how easy it was to bring the tank back to its former glory. I had the same results with my bumpers and rims ! Its a sad ole day for me as ive been using 'Autosol' since 1988. R.I.P
Cheers

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#16 Statler

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Posted 22 January 2011 - 12:23 PM

As the label says.... results may be addictive.

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#17 IMORAL

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Posted 21 March 2014 - 10:38 PM

Autosol shouldn't scratch, what are you using to apply it?

Mine's stainless, easy http://www.gmh-toran...DIR#/tongue.gif

I am getting a stainless tank made. What did you use on yours to get the mirror finish?

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#18 76lxhatch

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Posted 22 March 2014 - 04:51 AM

Autosol as mentioned, the stainless is pretty forgiving as long as its not damaged to begin with. It actually came with a protective film on it, I just scuffed up the very edges along the welds with scotch-brite

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#19 Tiny

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Posted 27 March 2014 - 06:04 PM

Can i ask who is making your stainless steel tank?

What grade of stainless steel are they using?

I know that 316 grade stainless steel WORK HARDENS as it flexes which means it loses its ductility and becomes brittle and eventually cracks.

I would be VERY careful using stainless steel for any kin of fuel tank.

I think this is the reason (other than cost of course) that people dont use stainless for tanks!

(Think of the weight of the fuel sloshing around under driving conditions and that cyclic loading against folds, sides, large flat areas, welds etc. these are the forces that will cause this work hardening and potentially lead to cracking!)

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#20 IMORAL

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Posted 02 April 2014 - 11:55 PM

A mate of a mates son. He did a great job. Now I just need to polish it up. I am not to keen on the extra 10-15kg it added but to late now.
I'm not sure what grade stainless he used.

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#21 Tiny

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Posted 06 April 2014 - 06:03 PM

Cool mate!

All the best with it!

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#22 _Viper_

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Posted 06 April 2014 - 06:28 PM

I know that 316 grade stainless steel WORK HARDENS as it flexes which means it loses its ductility and becomes brittle and eventually cracks.

I would be VERY careful using stainless steel for any kin of fuel tank.

I think this is the reason (other than cost of course) that people dont use stainless for tanks!

(Think of the weight of the fuel sloshing around under driving conditions and that cyclic loading against folds, sides, large flat areas, welds etc. these are the forces that will cause this work hardening and potentially lead to cracking!)

Hey Tiny? Alloy is much the same if not worse, If you fold it 90 degree (depending on the thickness and grade) it will split straight away thats why AFAIK its illegal to have any 90'bent sections in a alloy drop tank

I would not think the fuel sloshing around would cause any issues? you would actually have to be bending the stainless back and forth to make it crack. Every time you bend a material you are actually stretching the outside radius which in turn thins it out.

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#23 Tiny

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Posted 06 April 2014 - 06:38 PM

Hey Viper!

Fully agree with you mate, Alloy DOES do the same thing!

Alloy will do it differently though, (Depending on the alloy and more importantly the temper!)

I think that the fuel sloshing would actually cause small movements in the walling, and therefore small movements at the folds / welds which accumulate after time which is where the fatigue cracking would begin!

I'm concerned about the stainless as 316 grade can be very "brittle" straight off the bat, and I've not seen many tanks (especially large tanks in cars or boats) made from stainless, and the main reasons i can think of are cost, and fatigue cracking!

I'd be happy for someone with more knowledge than i to set me straight on it! but i just wanted to make sure that the knowledge and concerns i have were put out there!

Cheers!

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#24 IMORAL

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Posted 07 April 2014 - 09:31 PM

If it falls apart I will let you know. At $2.50 a litre I haven't filled it yet.
Only put 40l in it to go get it tuned. I don't get to drive it much so hopefully it will be ok.
I am concerned at 150mm off the ground it may just get ripped off before the material fails if its going too.

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#25 _judgelj_

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Posted 07 April 2014 - 09:32 PM

you can get buffs for 9" grinder/polishers which shit all over a drill attachment, especially for large jobs you obviously cannot use a bench grinder for. I still dont know where to find such a thing but i do see the professionals use them for big jobs, especially things like diesel tanks for trucks.