Polishing the plenum *Pics Page 3 & final page 4*

[Ricey]

Buoyed by my recent successes with spray paints and recent acquisition of various tools I'm moving more technical!

 

I've had a searchy (before anyone shouts) and digested the info thats on there - unfortunately most of the piccies have been removed from photobucket so no visual guide

 

I've read about taking the plenum off and now that I'm fully equipt with a torque wrench I can safely fettle with it however I'm still a little confused as to the methods and what the best tools are to use to polish it.

 

Time and danger and expense wise its probably easier just to buy one but I really want to have a crack at this myself.

 

So;

1. I need a drill with a whizzery bit on it but I don't know what the right one is.

 

2.I need a Dremel style thingy but I don't want to shell out tonnes of wonga as I'm not going to be using it much - so will this substitute http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165557

 

3. If it do get it what bits do you use to do the polishing - I'm guessing the dremel thingy is for the more awkward bits of the plenum?

 

4. How long does the process take? Am I looking at the car being in dock for days?

 

5. Also whilst we're at it I might have a crack at polishing the OEM strut like Husky did...........can the car be driven (carefully) without the engine strut?

 

Fanks as always

[mattbowey]

my plenum has been machine polished and I am on with wet amd drying it. a very painstaking task. the breaks I am taking are longer than the polishing spells but hey ho, will get there in the end.

[Tarmac@TarmacSportz]

I admire your willing.

 

You will be polishing continuously for around 12 hours...

 

Drill with large polishing pad for the body

 

Dremel with small polishing pad for fiddly bits

 

Lots of time, patience and muscles. car will be driveable without strut bar

[Husky]

take both items to a polisher then give the plenum some extra special attention to bring up the best finish.

 

It's not fun and takes a long time

[Ricey]

So in short.........take it to someone else then finish it yourself?

 

Assuming its just quicker, easier and cheaper to buy one of Tarmac instead then!

[clarkie34]

Have a look here mate.

 

http://www.mr-fastner.com/products.asp?cat=10

[Ricey]

Cheers Clarkie - that could be useful as it saves me trawling through B&Q.

 

I know there are polished plenums like the Shires and Clarkies of the world have but I was reading Djrms thread with interest.

 

He appears to have got a clean and shiny plenum as opposed to a mirror finish jobbie - I was thinking this was more in my budget range.

 

He seems to be using a wire bush type attachment and spent a couple of hours at it..........this was more of the standard I was expecting to get it to. I can't really spend 12 straight hours on it or have the plenum off every 5 mins to do an hour hear and there.

 

Quick question then - if I had a crack for say a day or 2 putting a few hours in..............it surely can't look any worse can it?

 

Much as I love and support enterprising traders like our Tarmac I just can't warrant spending that kind of cash on something that sits under the bonnet! However in the same breath I've really tried hard with my spraying of the engine plastics so I don't want a grim looking plenum to ruin the look!

 

Huskys polished strut looked the bee's knee's too considering it costs no more than sandpaper, lacquer and time?

[Husky]

I do need to install that at some point...

[rothers2901]

Off to a professional polisher is my advice. Do the roughing down yourself with the Dremel. The better the roughing process the better the end result.

[Ricey]

I do need to install that at some point...

 

Dude why haven't you?!?! Its 8 bolts man!

 

Was the lacquering a biatch or did it go ok?

 

Also people need to comment on the Dremel replacement..........providing it doesn't get too much hammer I guess it does the same job?

 

Rothers that looks depressingly awesome!

[Wasso]

I have a spare plenum you could borrow

[Ricey]

I have a spare plenum you could borrow

 

Cheers bud I'll have a think what I'm going to do. I've still got pennies in the coffers from by birthday tool shopping fund so I might 'tool up' and have a crack.

[Wasso]

Just let me know when you're ready

[Husky]

I do need to install that at some point...

 

Dude why haven't you?!?! Its 8 bolts man!

 

Was the lacquering a biatch or did it go ok?

 

Also people need to comment on the Dremel replacement..........providing it doesn't get too much hammer I guess it does the same job?

 

Rothers that looks depressingly awesome!

 

 

i didnt laquer as i hadnt quite finished, then I moved house (when am i not) and it rusted slightly meaning i have to start from scratch again. :/

[Dblock]

could you not use a g220 or a das6?

[Ricey]

could you not use a g220 or a das6?

 

I think I can use the G220 for the finer polishing but the plenum needs de-burring with wire drill bits first (I think )..........I'm only looking for tidied up clean anyways so I might have a crack next weekend for a day.

[Dblock]

could you not use a g220 or a das6?

 

I think I can use the G220 for the finer polishing but the plenum needs de-burring with wire drill bits first (I think )..........I'm only looking for tidied up clean anyways so I might have a crack next weekend for a day.

 

a g220 is just a random orbital sander you get sanding pads for it and in all grits.

[BulletMagnet]

You do realize that the DAS6, and maybe the G220, can be used as orbital sanders

[Ricey]

could you not use a g220 or a das6?

 

I think I can use the G220 for the finer polishing but the plenum needs de-burring with wire drill bits first (I think )..........I'm only looking for tidied up clean anyways so I might have a crack next weekend for a day.

 

a g220 is just a random orbital sander you get sanding pads for it and in all grits.

 

I didn't know you could get sanding pads for it! Presumably I'd need a different backing plate would I?

[Dblock]

could you not use a g220 or a das6?

 

I think I can use the G220 for the finer polishing but the plenum needs de-burring with wire drill bits first (I think )..........I'm only looking for tidied up clean anyways so I might have a crack next weekend for a day.

 

a g220 is just a random orbital sander you get sanding pads for it and in all grits.

 

I didn't know you could get sanding pads for it! Presumably I'd need a different backing plate would I?

 

depends you can get some abralon pads which work on velcro for other sanding pads you may need a different plate.

[Chris`I]

The DAS6 is an orbital sander/polisher, so get the right pads and you can use it for sanding. Might be a bit bulky compared to a drill and especially compared to a dremel

[Dblock]

The DAS6 is an orbital sander/polisher, so get the right pads and you can use it for sanding. Might be a bit bulky compared to a drill and especially compared to a dremel

 

I think it would be better for the large flat bits but you probably would need a drill and dremel aswell for the other bits.

[spursmaddave]

Hmmmmmm this sounds dodgy to me....

 

Bashing the bishop,

 

Choking the chicken,

 

Polishing the plenum?

 

[Ricey]

I might even 'clean my lower plenum' .....errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

On a side note I found an amazing drill bit that looks like this

Before it started raining it was performing an amazingly quick job of stripping my strut brace down to bare metal! Definitely a quicker job using this and it wasn't leaving nasty scratches either!

 

Got this for the plenum

 

and

[Androo]

I can offer a service to polish plenums for people if they like - provided they send me a spare and not their actual one, as this takes time. Or I can offer an exchange service from about a weeks time. The key is to get EVERY dimple out... the smoother the finish, the higher the shine. These are ones that arent quite there but you get the idea

 

Can dig out pictures of previous work on other inlet manifolds if you like....

 

Edit - heres some - let me know if cluttering post and i'll remove