Triumphrat

SeaTac · 07-21-2008, 12:50 AM

Hi folks,

I'm looking for tips on what metal polish to use on the metal tips for the Trident Carbon Fiber exhaust. Are they aluminum?

This post (http://www.triumphrat.net/sprint-for...-question.html) mentions a few polishes, most of which I can't find. I was able to find the Mother's polish but there are a couple of different kinds, one was a billet metal polish, another a chrome, and yet a third is a mag and aluminum polish. Which works best for the tips of the Trident?

Thanks in advance.

One more thing, I'm currently in Canada for a couple of months so something available here would be great.

Garyhjd · 07-21-2008, 07:16 AM

Can't comment on what to use, but I have the mothers billet and mag & aluminum polish and I would swear they are the same thing. Don't waste the money on the billet stuff, buy the other in quantity it works really well on lots of metals. Use it on both the bike and the boat.

For stainless I tend to use Flitz, but that could be because we have a bunch around, oh well it works well.

gary

oldndumb · 07-21-2008, 09:00 AM

I have found differences in metal polishes, and their method of application.

After trying some of the available products on my Tridents, I have settled on Mothers PowerMetal for aluminum and Meguiars All Metal Polish.

The product data for the Mothers PowerMetal says it can be used for hand polishing, but I was not satisfied with the results when I tried using it that way.

I use the Mothers on their small Power Ball for machine polishing and the Meguiars for hand polishing. The Mothers Power Ball is perfect for cleaning the discoloration from the tip ends about every three hundred miles.

The Meguiars is used for hand polishing. I use a 12" long piece of 2" wide terry cloth (towel), and buff the tips individually. Think of a bootblack putting the final buff on a pair of shoes, and that would be the motion I use.

Those also happen to be the two polishes I use on my rims, with the only difference being that I finish the rims off with car wax after polishing. I don't use the car wax on the Tridents because I suspect the heat would tend to discolor a wax coating.

Garyhjd · 07-21-2008, 09:50 PM

OnD,

Do the tridents really need to be cleaned that often? Are they just dirty or is the aluminum starting to oxidize? Oh, and are the tips aluminum or stainless? Just asking as I start to look at after market pipes to lower the under seat temp.

gary

ricster · 07-21-2008, 11:40 PM

I have used kerosene...works like a charm...then just use wax as a follow up and its perfect. They tend to turn brown from the burnt fuel residue

SeaTac · 07-21-2008, 11:51 PM

I washed them off then used a dremel with a soft spindle to get the carbon off and that worked fine. I used the Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish to try and get the caked on gunk off but it didn't do a thing.

Here's a couple of pics of what I'd like to get rid of...

It's the mottled look that annoys me. And no amount of elbow grease seems to help. I'm afraid to use anything abrasive because I don't want to scratch them. They got this look just after they were installed. I thought it might have something to do with the smell they gave off, you know cooking away the stuff from fabrication and packing.

I haven't found the Mother's Powermetal or Meguire's all metal polish but I don't know that they would work. Kerosene might be an idea though.

Has anyone see this from newly installed Trident's? If so how'd you get rid of it?

oldndumb · 07-21-2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garyhjd

OnD,

Do the tridents really need to be cleaned that often? Are they just dirty or is the aluminum starting to oxidize? Oh, and are the tips aluminum or stainless? Just asking as I start to look at after market pipes to lower the under seat temp.

gary

It is an exhaust. I have never seen an exhaust that does not get dirty on edge of the pipe with three or four hundred miles of running. It is no big deal, just on the edge of the pipe and easy to clean. I also clean my windshield about the same frequency.

I have never seen evidence of oxidization.

The tips are machined aluminum.

oldndumb · 07-22-2008, 12:20 AM

SeaTac, what have you been doing! And what carbon are you talking about? What I see in the pics could not have happened overnight. It looks as though you have never cleaned them, and whatever accumulated on them supported the formation of the corrosion.

Aluminum polish is not going to remove what I see in those pictures. Polish is to put a finish on a smooth clean surface and remove microscopic corrosion/oxidization. When you use polish, the black residue on the rag is the corrosion and other surface impurities that were removed.

In your case, it looks as though you have surface pitting. I suggest that you remove the cans from the mid pipe and disassemble the tips from the individual cans. Then take the tips to a reputable wheel polisher for corrosion removal and polishing. Trying to fix them while still attached to the can will mar the CF.

Trying to remove that much corrosion yourself will probably lead to highly visible surface irregularities.

And if you are going to work on your bike, leave the Dremel tool on the shelf and get the proper equipment.

monkinwitz · 07-22-2008, 04:23 AM

im with them ,you do need to clean the buggers and it keeps them looking just dandy,i use Autosol Creme it cleans them up real good.The rag you use goes very black from the Alloy,on my old Norton i used to use the same stuff (AUTOSOL) and found a handy supply of good used rags, i would try first to buff them by hand as OND said just like polishing your shoes,

mglemans86 · 07-22-2008, 09:28 AM

The problem with the tips is they were not polished smooth during manufacturing. They appear to be spin formed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_spinning This process leaves small grooves in the part (peaks and valleys). Run your fingernail along the tip and you'll hear a sound similar to running it across an old LP album (for you yuts out there it doesn't happen on a CD)

So when cleaning and polishing you are only really shining the peaks not the valleys. Corrosion is left in the valleys and spreads quickly. The way to fix this problem is to remove the pipes and buff the surface smooth with a proper buffing wheel and compound. Once you have a mirror finish (no more peaks and valleys) it's alot easier to keep shinny.