Polishing the engine cover

[mozic]

Hello everyone

I would like to polish the M POWER and other silvery-looking artwork on an Euro M635CSi engine cover (see picture); the "fading" (cannot exactly figure what it is) is not coming off by washing the engine bay or using mild solvents, but I would really like to make it shine once more and make it look brand new.

Does anyone have any good tips on how to do that does not involve stripping the engine out? Can this be done or is it beyond repair?

499101

Many thanks everyone!

[EuroGeorge]

The valve cover is aluminum, so I would first try some simple polishing compund and a cloth. Second try would be a rubber or foam sanding block and some 1200 grit alum oxide sand paper. Remove the oil filler cap and make certain you "plug' the whole so nothing gets in the head. Pull all the plug wires and loom tube. remove the 7 center cover nuts and you can sand it right in the car. Be careful.

That's all I got

Geo

[EuroGeorge]

Hello everyone

I would like to polish the M POWER and other silvery-looking artwork on an Euro M635CSi engine cover (see picture); the "fading" (cannot exactly figure what it is) is not coming off by washing the engine bay or using mild solvents, but I would really like to make it shine once more and make it look brand new.

Does anyone have any good tips on how to do that does not involve stripping the engine out? Can this be done or is it beyond repair?

499101

Many thanks everyone!

I just revisited this post and you dont have to remove the nuts in the center of the valve cover. Just pull plug wires and remove the loom and oil cap. I did this years ago on my M6 and had a moment of brain fade...

[mozic]

Thank you George, will try!

[Dash01]

On another website I found information on this topic. The guy said to do the metal finishing with high grit number wet/dry emory paper, wash or clean with solvent, then mask and apply the paint, then just rub the excess paint off the smooth upper surfaces with a clean lint-free cloth, leaving the valleys painted.

He'd previously painted the whole part, sanded the tops of the ridges to remove paint, but that wound up less clean in appearance as the edges were not crisp.