Cleaning up Bosch Relay Housings: Buff, Polish, Alum. Cleaner?

[Kayvan]

Anyone have any experience cleaning up the BOSCH relay housings?  How many are there (6-8?)

Mine are all oxidized (CAD or Alum?) and I thought it would be an easy DIY project v. Spending $100-125 new

I realize buffing with a  cloth wheel or  similar will most likely take lettering off.

Has anyone tried an Aluminum paste like Autosol or Simichrome?

As many of these are originals...I am worried that pulling them off may risk some breaking or connectors being pulled out; any trick to handling these? release tab, etc.


Thanks

[114015]

The housings are sheet metal - zinc plated.

You can buff-polish them to some extend but as you mentioned - the lettering will wipe off.

The relays are pretty easily to come by  - used.

On the other hand you can easily unplug them from the wiring harness; usually there is no problem with breaking the contacts or so. Just pull the plug carefully off from underneath, then you can unscrew the relay fropm the bracket.

If you want to go crazy (what I can understand) you can then pry the housing/cap off the relay chassis (bottom) with the help of a screw driver and have the housing newly zinc plated; but with silver color, not gold!
Then you can place on the lettering with the decals that another member here sells (is it Wheeler?).

Nice thing, and looks beautiful, but sadly the lettering/printing decals are not available for the early black relays which have the white lettering ...  :'(

Good luck!

Achim

[w113dude]

I have a small glass bead blaster, it does a beautiful  job of cleaning those connectors, just about all jewelry shops have them, it takes less than a minute to clean them both.

[wwheeler]

I have since run out of the transfers for the relays, but still have the grommets for sale. Someone else has taken over with the transfers and I can give you their contact info if you PM me.

Thanks,

Wallace   

[Frank Mallory]

I have a small glass bead blaster, it does a beautiful  job of cleaning those connectors, just about all jewelry shops have them, it takes less than a minute to clean them both.

Exactly! I've been using my bead blaster for those connectors as well as the zinc housings on, um ... lesser cars for years 
After blasting the connectors, swab 'em lightly with some "No-Ox" dielectric grease. It rejects moisture, keeps your contacts clean, and makes it easier to slip them on and off. Works great on battery terminals too...