What are some methods for removing paint from the housings without damaging them?

 

If there is nothing else to worry about just use paint stripper it wont hurt any metals for a short application time and does a wonderful job .. just use a small brush and the paint will wrinkle up and come off right before your eyes then just rinse off with water to clean residue off .. Take care not to get any on anything you don't want stripped .. Then just brush off with wire brush .. Sirca 1888 is my favorite product but there are many that will do an easy job like that ..

 

i tape the chrome area inteh housing and hot tank and sand blast mine at a buddy's machine shop. they look brand new when finished.

 

I've had a bad experience with blasting mine. Didn't get all the blasting media out and ruined a fresh rebuild. The way I do it now is to sandwich the irons and housing together and use a pnumatic die grinder with a wire wheel. The chemical stripper can also be used prior to the die grinder but make sure to wash it off completely.

 

Apparently, that happens a lot after having housings lapped, too. The lapping compound is very hard to get out of all the water hjacket and oil passages... and will wear out new parts very fast.

The paint stripper works very good, along with soft-bristle brass or fine stainless brushes. Stripper, then rinse, then degreaser, then rinse, compressed-air dry, then an acetone wipe-down and be sure to re-oil the working faces right after.

 

Do you have to tape when you hot tank? And are there any parts that shouldn't be hot tanked?

 

Soak it in the harbor freight parts washer overnight, with the housing propped up at an angle. With the sealing side of the housing facing down. The lapping compound comes out.

 

The hot tank will eat everything old gaskets etc. I have done sand blasting .. The particles are driven at a unbelievable speed , It has been noted that the sand will even pass by a double lip seal so anywhere it might go it will go and then some , forget about sand blasting .. Actually sandblasting is old school glass beads do a much better and cleaner job without leaving DIRT imbedded in the metal .Take a 30 power magnifier and take a look at something that has been done and you will see what I mean . JMO