TECH TIPS

The key to using Magic Mix® Metal Polish is letting it dry. If you let most other polishes on the market dry, they become very difficult to remove. Not Magic Mix! With Magic Mix, you simply rub it on, let it dry, and when it becomes powder-like,dust it off.

Need to polish diamond plate? If so, use a cut piece of deep pile carpet. Deep pile carpet makes Magic Mix Metal Polish easy to apply without tearing up rags or knuckles. After the Magic Mix Metal Polish dries, use another piece of carpet to simply dust it off.

Detailing shortcut! Mix two parts Magic Mix Speed Wax and one part Magic Mix Body Wax in a spray bottle for a simple way to get a quick, long-lasting shine. This combination makes it easier to remove the wax without much rubbing. You can also use Speed Wax to aid in removing Body Wax after it hazes.

Valco’s Magic Mix Phase2™ detailer is great for cleaning any rubber or vinyl. In addition, it is good for removing tar and diesel fuel from fuel tanks. It will even remove oil blow-by (including synthetic) on racecars.

Are you a swap meet bargain hunter? When you buy aluminum intakes, heads, or old cast wheels do not bead blast them to make them look better. Bead blasting will make the surface look unnatural and cause it to attract dirt and grease. Use Magic Mix Aluminum Prep or Aluminum Brightener to clean and remove rust stains from anti-freeze, etc.

Use Magic Mix Phase2™ to clean your engine compartment! Open hood, wet down everything with Phase2, close hood, let vehicle idle 5 to 10 minutes. Open hood and hose with high-pressure water hose. After rinsing, mist lightly again with Phase2. Your engine will look like new.

Do you have black streaks on your semi-trailer, motorhome, etc.? This phenomenon is from the aluminum rivets and rain gutters oxidizing. Polluted rain facilitates the process. Use Magic Mix Polish and Magic Mix Body Wax to clean. Mix the two products together to make 16 ozs. Clean vehicle as if waxing. You'll be amazed by the results.

Do you have a vehicle, boat, or hot tub with oxidized (chalking) paint or fiberglass? Use Magic Mix Metal Polish and a soft cloth. With light to moderate pressure give these surfaces a finish that looks like new. Always reseal the surface with Magic Mix Body Wax to keep it looking nice.

To protect brand new chrome wheels or highly polished aluminum use Magic Mix Body Wax. Its high carnauba content and specialized polish leaves behind an incredible shine. Magic Mix Body Wax is also a delight to use on paints. It protects and keeps things in a great looking condition.

Try HV-350™ as a body seam sealer. When used with a Tube-Grip applicator, a 3.35 oz. Tube-Grip can work in tighter spaces than with a caulking gun. HV-350 is perfect for seam sealing due to its flexibility and strength. It can also be painted.

Using MAGIC MIX TO CLEAN HEADLIGHTS
On many vehicles made after the mid 1980's it is popular for manufacturers to use plastic headlight lenses to change the look of cars and trucks by making almost infinite combinations of shapes possible.

Unfortunately for vehicle owners the lights will only look new for a few years unless a vehicle is garaged constantly and babied. The fact is UV rays from the Sun and the constant abuse while driving from Grit and Debri will take its toll on the surface of the headlights. Sometimes lights can be so damaged that they only “Glow” like a nightlight making nighttime driving very dangerous…During the day these same lights almost appear “Tan” in color and give the vehicle a very “Aged Look”.

While headlight replacement can be a option, most find the pricing to be more than expected. But all hope is not lost. Anyone with some time and a few simple items can make their headlights clearer and more attractive that before! A list of materials will be added below for your task. The first step is to clean the surface, I mean REALLY clean the surface. This means removing the Sun UV damaged coating and all the dried on bugs & pits in the surface. This must be accomplished using sandpaper. FINE is the word I emphasize with the sandpaper too, No….120 grit has no place in this story.

Even for a very damaged headlight I would not go more aggressive than 400 grit to start with. Using a mixture of Hot Soapy water and a Wet/Dry Paper I would move in a side to side or up and down motion only. You don't want to mix it up…Just pick one. It will make the later steps easier and the clarity of the lense will be better.  Sand using the soapy water as lubricant until the surface has a dull even look to it. Then upgrade to a finer yet grit of sandpaper like 800 grit. Repeat the same steps again. Finally, using a very fine paper 1500 grit or finer repeat for the last time. When you are finished the light will have a very even dull but clean look to it. Now take MAGIC MIX metal polish and shake it well. Apply it to a Cloth and rub it in the same direction that you sanded the light with. Once you have a fairly heavy coating of it on the headlight you can rub it out by hand but that is more work than I want to do. So I recommend using a Small buffer with a loose string or wool pad. Using moderately high speed and light pressure the polish will very quickly remove the remaining scratches and make the plastic appear almost glasslike smooth. Hard foam pads will also work quite well. The final buffing will not take long since the plastic lense cannot take large amounts of heat the buffer must use light pressure and let the polish do the work. When you are finished the lense will appear shiny and the “Tan” and cloudy look will be gone. Turn on your lights and admire that beam!

If you're not happy with the final outcome. It is easy to resand the surface using the 1500 or finer grit paper to bring it out even more clear and repeat the process of buffing the lense. When you are finished just wash the front of the vehicle and your ready to go.

Items needed.
1
) Small bucket
2) Warm water
3) Dishwashing soap
4) Wet/Dry Sandpaper in Grits 400-800-1500
5) 710XX611 MAGIC MIX Metal Polish 8oz. Bottle
6) Cloths, Cotton/wool/ or MAGIC MIX Polish Cloth
7) Buffer (Available at Harbor Freight for under $40)
8) Wool pad
9) Assorted items like rubber gloves, safety glasses & towels to dry car afterwards

 

Silicone needs humidity to cure properly. That’s why Valco advises mechanics to apply silicone and allow it to set for 10 to 15 minutes before assembly. During this time, silicone absorbs moisture out of the air. This permits polymer “cross-linking”— the process that allows silicone to become rubber-like. If parts are put together while silicone is wet/fresh, it is likely the silicone will never set properly.

With Silicone tubes, once you remove the original screw-on cap, throw the cap away and put your nozzle on the tube. Between uses, cap off the current nozzle with a second nozzle from Valco’s Six Pack Replacement Nozzles™. For day-to-day use, this will prevent the silicone from curing. However, if your nozzle does plug up, take it off and replace it with a new nozzle. Set the plugged-up nozzle aside for a week or two and allow the silicone in the nozzle to fully cure. Once the silicone is cured, simply pull the silicone plug out with a pair of needle-nose pliers and the nozzle becomes re-usable.

Ever use a ThreadLocker™ to loosen a bolt? Consider this: low- to medium-strength ThreadLocker are great for applications where a ThreadLocker may not ordinarily be used. Lower-strength ThreadLockers protect, seal, prevent corrosion and lubricate during assembly, but still permit disassembly at a later date. With a reasonable amount of effort, the seal will come apart using these ThreadLockers. Always make sure parts are degreased before using ThreadLocker.

GelLube™ is an excellent engine assembly lube that comes in an easy-to-use aerosol spray can. It has many other uses as well. You can use it on chains, sprockets, hinges, or any other area where metal-to-metal contact occurs. Using a paint-can nozzle for a wider spray pattern is a good way to apply GelLube to large metal parts for rust protection.

Wet hands with water prior to mixing Epoxi•Putty™. Moisture keeps the putty from sticking to hands and enables easier application.

Mix HV-350™ with Solvent 184, or any other fast evaporating solvent. Make viscous liquid that can be brushed on. Use as a water proofer, sealant, or on porous materials as glue.

Do you have an old car or motorcycle with carb settings that always seem to change mysteriously? Use Hylomar, coat the screw threads, and allow the material to cure into a tar-like consistency. This will prevent the screws from turning due to vibration. It will also prevent fuel and air leaks.

Use GelLube™ in odd places like car door locks, padlocks, and all window and door automobile mechanisms. GelLube is a synthetic material and is not affected by cold or wet weather.

Do you have a vehicle where rubber hoses have to be removed occasionally? Use Hylomar (part # 71285) to coat the I.D. of the hose at the connections and it will take less clamp pressure to seal. As a result you won't have to break out the razor knife to get the hose off… a must for motorcycles with delicate radiators.

The Powered Peeler™ works well with a 9/16" box wrench to get into tight spaces, or with a right/left angled handle. You can also use the Powered Peeler between your fingers for light cleanup of gasket residue, so don't overlook using your Powered Peeler with an air ratchet.

The hand-held Peeler™ also works great at home. Use it to trim wallpaper near woodwork, remove tub and tile caulking, and clean bubble gum and tar off shoes or mud flaps. It also removes sticker glue from glass or metal surfaces.

ALL-IN-ONE Testimonial (muffler assembly) from Stainless Works: Muffler Assembly