Anybody Ever Polish a GS1100 Swingarm?

Hello All,

I'm working on my '78 KZ1000 A project and I've got a GS1100 swingarm for it. I've got everything ready to go now....reconditioned / painted / new: All bearings, sleeves, shocks, chainguard, brake caliper, 3.5" aluminum rim laced to a stock hub with a 150/70 tire, etc...

I'm ready for final assembly but I'm having a real hard time refinishing the swingarm. It's the last piece I need to clean up. There's a factory silver coating that won't come off! I've tried chemical strippers, sanding, etc...with no luck. I wanted to polish it but I'm thinking about painting it black or silver.....which I swore to myself I'd never do to an aluminum part. Or, I'd send it somewhere to be polished if I could find some place to do it. Nobody ever gets back to me? Any thoughts??
Thanks

A angled die grinder with a sanding disk will make short work of that silver coating. I just did a ZX11 arm and it was the same way.

I do have an angle grinder...will give it a try. I'm just concerned that it will leave the aluminum too rough and create a lot of extra work for getting it polished. I guess I don't have much of a choice though because that silver coating is tough stuff!!

I've done them by sanding with wet and dry sandpaper. lots of work though :S ....... after I did my last one a guy told me E Z off oven cleaner would remove the anodize :dry: ...... although I never tried it

I used a chemical stripper on a brake caliper I was rebuilding and it bubbled the paint right off....the same stuff didn't do anything to that silver stuff! Oven cleaner might be worth a try.

Dunno what's on your swing arm, but an old signwriters' trick...the Lye in "Easy-Off" will attack sign paint (Enamel), yet leave factory paint (Laquer, Base/Clear) alone...Worth a try, but wear gloves and eye protection. The Lye WILL eat skin!

It's clear anodize people.

The oven cleaner (EZ Off) can remove it but it will leave a black residue. Use the drain cleaner (lye) in the photo. You get it from Lowes in the plumbing section. Just fill a plastic tub with water and add about a cup of lye to start. It's going to be hard to see results since it's clear anno you're removing. I would let it soak for 30 minutes, then see if you can easily polish a small section with some fine steel wool. If it's the same, add another cup of lye and do another 30 minutes. Might bubble a bit, that's ok.

I picked up on these tips from a BMX site. They're constantly dealing with rust, anno, old chrome, etc.

This is a thick silver coating, not just clear anodize. I'm guessing it's paint since I don't think they were powder coating back then. Whatever it is, it's on there good. I've got to get to the bare aluminum to polish it.

By the way, I heard back from a local polishing place.....$375 to do the arm! :ohmy: Does that seem right to you guys? I can buy another swingarm for that kind of money. Wow......

i think it's the clear anodize you are calling a coating of silver......$375 seems like a lot. but after you do one it may have been money well spent. :whistle:

btw you only have to polish what will be seen...... not the under side or inner....lol :woohoo:

Thats anno.

I did one for one of my KX builds once. Like turboking said, just do what you see. In my case, the center section is cast and it was painted originally. So I just polished the extrusions (arms) and painted the center silver.

ZX636 Swing-arm count.... Black hard as hell to get off rims and swing-arm....
Here's what I used after trying several brands of stripper to no avail other than a mess....











Then buff the hell out of her..... Brown tripoli then white compounds, buff disk/pad on end of drill. Yes, it took some time, Ok was a PITA but was worth it...

OMR

If the heavy silver is anodize, it makes sense then why the stripper doesn't touch it. I need something caustic like easy off or lye, as has been mentioned.

I took Steele's suggestion to use an angle grinder and did a lot of sanding last night. It worked great on most of it but there are a lot of nooks and crannies that I can't reach. I might need the oven cleaner for those areas.

OMR - Wow, that ZX6 stuff looks great...thanks for the tips. Any idea where I could find abrasive wheels like those? Home Depot or Lowes maybe?