The seat cowl bolts.

Is there any way to clean/shine them up? Mine are looking very worn out with a few specs of rust on them. Slap them in a glass of coca cola maybe? lol.

 

You could take the steel wool to the rust, then try a metal polish, such as a chrome polish. If you do not see a good result after putting some sweat into it, then you are probably seeing that the original finish is worn off from the rust and exposure. The next idea is to use something like a Krylon silver paint, although you would have to do that periodically if you load up the screws with hooks.

My bike did not come with the frankenbolts so I invested the $22 or so for them. I would not necessarily recommend this cost to normal thinking people though.

 

Good idea. I didin't know chrome polish might work on these. I have Mothers chrome polish that has worked amazing in the past so I'll give that a shot. Thanks brother.

 

I use da wifes cooking to remove rust from mine :tongue-new:

 

Naval Jelly + 0000 steel wool

 

Naval jelly is not recommended for a fine finish, like a chrome or nickel plated part. If these screws have any areas that are still nicely finished, naval jelly will remove that plating.

 

I have had great success with shining up the fairing hardware and the franken bolts I think you are referring to in your post using red jewelers rouge and some cotton buffs than can be attached to a drill. You can purchase a small polishing kit for relatively little from Princess Auto. Here is a link to the kit I am referring to. If you want to do larger areas or have access to a bench grinder you can also get kits that have a larger sewn cotton buff and various compounds. Check it out.

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/7-pc-metal-cleaning-and-polishing-kit/A-p8535577e

 

Just finished polishing them up! Worked like a charm. Thx everyone.

 

Bullshit. I've been using it for decades.

 

I don't care what it says

 

Take this as a technicality, since obviously this has worked fine for all of your jobs. I strongly believe in the correct tool for the job. I was more reckless in youth but try to follow the instructions nowadays.

If these bolts are nickel plated, they may survive just fine. But there are several fastener coatings such as chrome and zinc that react with acids (thus the warning on the bottle.) All you need is for someone else to read this, and leave that stuff on a decorative part for a little too long, and it turns black and ugly. Naval jelly is designed for raw steel and iron instead.

Also you know how some people are, they may be working near the bike and they may not be neat like you. Better to start with something more innocuous that can still get the job done.

Looks like those spokes are steel. If they ever had chrome on them, it was a long time ago!

 

I re-laced the wheels.

When I started using Naval Jelly 40 years ago, there was no warning about chrome. That's what it was intended for. I have a hunch they don't want to be responsible for the chrome plated plastic used these days.

Phosphoric acid is expensive. They skimp on it. Now it takes 3 applications where 1 would have done it before. It's not as aggressive.

If you don't let it dry, you won't get discoloration.

But by all means, don't use it if you have doubts.

 

There was a dude on here awhile back that was making some aftermarket bolts from stainless.

Phosphoric acid is not only expensive it is hard to buy. Naval Jelly (as opposed to Navel Jelly which is a great party game played wearing sailor hats and bobbing for tequila shooters that look like jelly) according to LocTites website is between 10 and 30% Phosphoric and a small fraction of sulphuric as well. Great stuff if used correctly if one R'sTFM. On chrome, and here not that shit chrome that is popular in some places, the label on my really old bottle of the stuff says not to be left on chrome more than five minutes.

The manual also sez, not to be used on aluminum, paint and some other surfaces. ...and wouldn't ya know it, they got aluminum jelly too.

...and unless ya really got to have the OEM stuff that once corrosion starts is not going to stop on, stainless bolts of many lengths will fill those threaded holes. Got me a set for when I need some a bit longer than the stockers.

 

Coca Cola might work better than you think..Just don't drink it afterward.

Once oxidation starts on ferrous metals, it's pretty much there to stay. Buff those bolts up on a buffing wheel with jewelers rouge like zoom dude recommends. Paint or powdercoat is not going to stick to OEM bolts for long. Kind of a waste of time unless you never use the bolt for anything but the cosmetic.

There are products for converting ferrous oxide. Works great and you can get a sample here for freebies:

http://store.roddapaint.com/corroseal-rust-converter-sample.html

The stuff is made in Seattle and Rodda Paint is Washington State based. I have used the stuff on all sorts of ferrous metal as a prep for painting. Fuzzy on this one but I think I spotted a rattlecan version by Krylon at Wally Mart..