How Do You Polish Valve Cover Lettering?????

[Zmann42087]

Simple Question....

How you "polish" the lettering on your valve cover?

 

[Tsi_User]

some people use sand paper very carefully and use finer grit sandpaper until it is smooth and then polish it by hand

the easier way is to use a dremel with a fine tip (can't think of the name of the bit right now) to polish them.

Either way take you time when doing it and it should turn out great

 

[Zmann42087]

I don't have a dremel, so I think I am going to go with sand paper. What grit sandpaper did you guys use to remove the paint on the lettering?

Would a dremel be alot better to use? If so, I could try and find somebody who has one...

 

[90blacktsiawd]

Start with something like a 250-300 grit and work your way up. You could finish with like a 500-600 grit and that would come out nice and smooth.

 

[Zmann42087]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

 

[90blacktsiawd]

Actually some fine steel wool and some metal polish will do wonders for polishing.

 

[Zmann42087]

Actually some fine steel wool and some metal polish will do wonders for polishing.

Yeah, but that is for polishing only. I still have to get the paint off with the sandpaper first. Correct?

 

[90blacktsiawd]

Yes the sand paper will get the paint off easier/faster.

 

[l3LacK Tsi]

i would start with about 400 grit for paint removal then move up to a 600 - 800 and finish the sanding with 1500-2000 then get some rubbing compound and a good cloth and polish each letter one at a time. mine came out really good but then i had to get a new valve cover so i went for the red lettering and gunmetal valve cover. dropper some stuf on it so it chipped might go with a black with polished lettering next

 

[Zmann42087]

Alright so what do you suggest I do....

Use the steel wool to remove the paint and to polish the letters.

Or......

Use sandpaper to remove the paint and just use the steel wool for the sole purpose of polishing the lettering.




Note: I will use metal polish to help polish it as well

 

[90blacktsiawd]

I suggest the sand paper then the steel wool and metal polish. Although I'm sure some rougher steel wool wood work fine too for paint removal.

 

[Zmann42087]

i would start with about 400 grit for paint removal then move up to a 600 - 800 and finish the sanding with 1500-2000 then get some rubbing compound and a good cloth and polish each letter one at a time. mine came out really good but then i had to get a new valve cover so i went for the red lettering and gunmetal valve cover. dropper some stuf on it so it chipped might go with a black with polished lettering next

Hmmm..... That sounds pretty good. But what do you mean "rubbing compound"? Do you mean metal polish? Also you wouldn't happen to have a picture of your valve cover after you finished your afore mentioned method. If you do have a pic, could you post it up?

 

[Defiant]

600-grit sandpaper wrapped around a wood block, and duct tape at the edges where you don't want to remove paint. Follow with 800-grit, then use old t-shirt cotton cloth on a block with Simichrome, polishing compound or similar light abrasive. Finish with a very light polish with fine automotive polish/wax.

 

[napkinthief]

im also thinking about doing this soon, does the valve cover just bolt off, or is there any precautions i should take? also any tips on keeping the stuff under the valve cover covered while the car sits as i work on the valve cover?

 

[Tsi_User]

yes, the calve cover should come right off. Honestly since yours is a NT i'm not sure what is hooked up to it, but on the 4G63 we have a line running from the back of it and from the side of it that runs to the intake. If you haven't replaced your valve cover gasket in quite a while, it is also probably not a bad idea to pick one up for $20 and slap it on there when you're done.

Also, when you take the bolts off it might still be prtty sealed on there, take the oil cap off and VERY CAREFULLY use a small flathead to get it loose. Make sure you don't scrape or mess up the VC/head becuase then you might not get a good seal anymore. Good luck!

 

[Zmann42087]

im also thinking about doing this soon, does the valve cover just bolt off, or is there any precautions i should take? also any tips on keeping the stuff under the valve cover covered while the car sits as i work on the valve cover?

Personally, I am not going to yank of the valve cover to polish my letters. I mean, I was going to, but then I ran across this thread Valve Cover Removal...

Ya, Defiant convinced me that if I am lucky enough to have no leaks, I shouldn't risk getting some....

If its not broke, don't fix it!

 

[Bohrn]

when I did mine, I used a "draw file" method.

With the valve cover facing the way it will be on the car, and you standing where you would be if you were in front of the car looking towards the window, take a med-large flat file with finer teeth. Nothing too rought or it won't look good, and too fine a tooth and it plugs up really easily.

Now hold the handle end of the file with one hand and the other end with the other. handle towards you, other end towards the windshield. Now draw it sideways across the lettering, keeping it flat and even. This is not the normal way to work a file, as we usually go forward and back. But this will cut very nicely and evenly.

If you take your time, this will look very professional and nice in the end, with no rounded letters or other wierdness.

no it won't be mirror finish, but it looks very nice, machined or brushed in appearance.

 

[Defiant]

when I did mine, I used a "draw file" method.

Load the file up with chalk, and card it after every pull. If it's a fresh, sharp, second-cut smooth file, the finish will be astounding. The chalk both lubricates the teeth and prevents the chips from having enough grip to be able to scar the finish. It will also help prevent the file from "chattering", which will leave a wavy-finish on the surface, much like a washboarded dirt road.
A file card is an odd little wire brush meant for cleaning out a file's teeth. Fifteen bucks should cover all you need at any decent hardware store.

It's probably best you aren't told about cleaning up heads and blocks with a file.

 

[l3LacK Tsi]

im going to pop off my valve cover this weekend and go for the black with polished letters. ill take a few pics of the process i use and post. pics should be up by sunday.

 

[SinEclipse]

i got the worst luck. i decided to go sand down the lettering of my valve cover just to find out there was another color of paint under. it was silver lettering that showed a bit of blue, so i decided to sand it down just to find out that it was actually blue at first. so i gave up on it.

 

[Zmann42087]

Like I said in my previous post, I would prefer to do this project with the valve cover left on the car. That said, do you guys see any problems with doing it this way??? Any chance some metal shavings could get into the engine through a loose seal and cause some damage???

 

[Rob98GST]

Like I said in my previous post, I would prefer to do this project with the valve cover left on the car. That said, do you guys see any problems with doing it this way??? Any chance some metal shavings could get into the engine through a loose seal and cause some damage???

Get some masking tape and your daily newspaper. Open your newspaper and try and cover the entire engine bay. Use the masking tape just outside the raised letters to hold it on.

Thats what I did.

 

[anubis]

i can't believe that no one has made this suggestion: use an electrical hand sander, the kind that rotate. that's what i've always used. if you want it to look polished, just use a fine grit. you can do all your letters in less than 10 minutes with minimal effort. then just hit it with some polish or clearcoat or whatever you want to seal up the metal and prevent oxidation. just watch around the ends of the "D" in DOHC and the last "0" in "2000" because those lines on the top of the valve cover come a bit close. also, pay attention to what you're doing so you can keep the letter faces level.

-DeXteR

 

[Bohrn]

the orbital sander will definately take off the paint, but you have to be careful no to round off the letters. If you draw file it, you will have crisp edges. See most sanders have a soft backing and while good on normal work, this will round the edges of your lettering.

Plus it will not leave that machined look because it is going in random orbits. Kinda ironic, do it by hand for a machined look

Not saying don't use a sander, perfectly good, but it will leave a different effect.

 

[anubis]

the orbital sander will definately take off the paint, but you have to be careful no to round off the letters. If you draw file it, you will have crisp edges. See most sanders have a soft backing and while good on normal work, this will round the edges of your lettering.

Plus it will not leave that machined look because it is going in random orbits. Kinda ironic, do it by hand for a machined look

Not saying don't use a sander, perfectly good, but it will leave a different effect.

yeah, it leaves a nice brushed aluminum look if you don't use a really fine grit. you're right about rounding off the letters. that's what i was trying to say at the end of my post about keeping the letter faces flat. as far as eliminating the random orbit, use a round sander and don't put pressure on it. if you don't put pressure on it, it will just spin in a perfect circle. once the sander is up to speed, use the edge to hit the letters. as long as you keep the sander spinning, you can get a nice, clean look on the face of the letters.

i'm not saying it's going to give you the best look, just that it is much faster and easier than using a file or taping off the letters. this is just an option. take it or leave it depending on how nice you want everything to look.

oh yeah, it's safe to do this while the valve cover is on the car. it's just going to get a little dusty. just blow it off with an air compressor.