Guys,
I had my body painted and they got, what I think, is overspray on my chrome engine parts. To the touch it's like I'm reading Braille
The engine parts are new and I don't want to use anything harsh that will destroy them.
Any ideas on the best way to clean and maintain chrome in the engine compartment area.
I hate to fire the engine up and make the problem worse.
Thanks,
jack

Some OO grade steel wool and some chrome polish should take it right off


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70 Impala Sport Coupe (283)"Green Goddamn!"
63 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 (394)"Hoopty"
61 Chevy Stepside Pickup (350)"The Pickle"
49 Plymouth Special Deluxe (427)"The Mayflower"
77 Chevy Blazer (350)"The Moo Machine"
66 Chevelle (I wish, still looking)
http://www.geocities.com/ledsled_26m

Jack -

Lacquer thinner on a rag should clean the paint off of any chromed metal surfaces rather easily. Good luck.

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Rainer Seitz
Vancouver, WA
Team Chevelle Gold #50

'68 SS396 (soon to be for sale!)
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
'70 Malibu convertible 350/300hp
rseitz@chevelles.com

Don't use the 00 steel wool, go all the way up to 0000. Or use "correction clay".

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

Jack, lacquer thinner and a shop rag should be all that you need, just be careful with it around that fresh paint!!! If the suff is really caked on then hit it with the steel wool first.

You got your body painted, in this day when everyone else is gettin tattoos? Wow. How about your car? Anyway, if your paint is lacquer, then lacquer thinner will be the answer, followed by chrome polish. If the paint is not lacquer, then stronger measures are needed. There must be some good stuff available to remove other paints, but most of it is hard to get, like nitromethane. I suggest trying a small inconspicuous spot of paint remover. If that does not give good results, try a dose of brake fluid as it seems to kill most paints.

Lacquer thinner will work on more than just lacquer. It also makes short work of many enamels. And when I bought urethane primers and top coats at the paint store, they sold me lacquer thinner to clean the spray gun. Worked great. Maybe some of the body guys can chime in.

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Rainer Seitz
Vancouver, WA
Team Chevelle Gold #50

'68 SS396 (soon to be for sale!)
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
'70 Malibu convertible 350/300hp
rseitz@chevelles.com

Anything with a hardener like urethane primer "cures" it dosn't "dry". Because of this a properly cured urethane will laugh at lacquer thinner. That is why the 0000 steel wool or correction clay is the way to go. The lacquer thinner may work on somethings because the overspray is so thin (read that small drops) that the overspray can't hold on.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

So the key with the urethane is if its "properly cured," which must be why I can still clean it out of my gun - it hasn't had a chance to cure. No sense in arguing with a paint rep! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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Rainer Seitz
Vancouver, WA
Team Chevelle Gold #50

'68 SS396 (soon to be for sale!)
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
'70 Malibu convertible 350/300hp
rseitz@chevelles.com

I appreciate the feedback.
I thought using steel wool would leave
micro-bits of steel that may rust later??.
Thanks,
jack

if all else fails, try a strong acetone put it directly on a rag not on the parts

I figured something out when I painted my 69. I hosed the engine, and bright-stuff in WD-40. Just not anywhere where I'd get it on the body. Most of it evaporated, but it left enough of a lube that all of the overspray wiped off with a dry rag; and by the time I got the engine started again (a week later) any excess was evaporated.

It worked just super on all of the chrome parts. Overspray is inevitable on the engine unless it's housed in another room when you paint.

Wes

Thanks for the info,
That's my project for the weekend.
Jack