shot410ga

My alternator is original in my 03 ZO6, and it looks it. I've been detailing my engine compartment and would like to sparkle up that crusty looking aluminum or whatever its made of. Any suggestions on what I can use to make it look good again? Likewise, for other aluminum parts that aren't painted under the hood. Thanks.

dbgoodwin

I've seen a few people polish it, but personally I would be too scared of damaging the internals if something fell in. You can get a cover that goes over the alternator, which would be a safer option.

hope2

Get a rebuilder to make it new, inside and out.

~Josh

Can't be polished unless its taken apart.

For a quick idea you could put a wire wheel in a drill and try to keep the scratches going one direction. You could paint it. Won't hurt the internals getting oversprayed.

Vetteman Jack

A cover or what ~Josh mentioned are good ideas. If you use a cover, make sure there is ventilation between the cover and the alternator to allow heat to escape.

knewblewkorvette

this isn't cheap but it looks nice.




https://www.texas-speed.com/p-3637-m...-corvette.aspx

Patches

I've seen a couple of posts with pics here of painted alternators where the owner's have not disassembled before painting. Some have just used some Scotch Brite on the casing and gotten a surprisingly nice finish.

I went the disassembly route and had the casing powder coated since I was doing other stuff at the same time. I admit it was a mini-project unto itself so I can understand not wanting to pull it apart.













From BLOWNBLUEZ06:
"You'll need to clear off that coating where the bracket interfaces the block and the alternator chassis. Those need to be clean metal or else you're going to have serious electrical problems. The alternators chassis is what is called absolute ground. Not the frame of the car and not the battery negative post."

You can see most of the areas I ground the paint off of to ensure electrical continuity from the alternator to the head.

sloopdawg

would love to do that to mine
looks great
Just have a cover for mine

Patches

Pulling it apart and re-assembling it are not for the mechanically shy. It requires de-soldering some heavy-duty wires and then re-soldering when reassembling with a stout soldering iron. The end bearing needs to be pressed out and back into the housing as well. Note in the pics above that I masked areas of the casing before powder coating to maintain electrical continuity and keep the threads clean.

Pounder

just wire brushed mine and painted it !!! (blew it with air after)

neutron82

if you want to powdercoat it I would go the route patches went, I wanted mine polished so I decided to go with a billet tech alternator... the higher amperage was also a plus with my setup

Shaolin Crane

Brass brush on a dremel and 10 minutes of your time.

mstromquist

I also took mine apart and had it chromed, along with a few other items. It had a few miles on it anyway so I just had it rebuilt after the chrome process. The 1997 & '98 have an alternator that's proprietary to those years so I found a used one and have it for a spare just in case. I don't think you can go wrong whichever way you decide to go. Cleaner is always gooder.

ALLEGRO

You would be surprised at what a green "scotchbrite" pad will do to improve the look of your alternator and any other parts made of aluminum.

Amazed

Patches

The first pic I posted above - those raw AL pieces are Scotch Brited.

Mayor111

I used a brass brush and mine looks brand new now...

Dave1998

You could try your wife's toothbrush and simple green

works for me

Omaha Flash

That's funny right there!!

leadfoot4

A shop rag, a tooth brush, and some acetone. Just don't pour the acetone directly on the alternator.

Omaha Flash

Be sure to use your wife's toothbrush!!