I bead-blasted my engine the other day, and it looks just about brand new. I was wondering if it was safe to bead-blast rotors. I soaked them in diesel for a week, then tried wet sanding them with 2000 grit sand paper. Still got some carbon that won't come off.

 

got any pics of the stuff after you bead-blasted them?
anyway ... i'm not sure what the bead-blasting process entails. is it like sand-blasting?

for cleaning rotors, i've found that i get the best results when i soak them in kerosene or carb cleaner. then, like you, i wet sand them (with machine oil) and i usually get them to a pretty good lustre - even the recesses. also, like you, it usually takes me a week to do each rotor.

so maybe try changing solvents and using steel wool to get the really HEAVY carbon flakes. but i honestly don't know bead-blasting would do any damage to them.

 

I wouldent beed blast them. The material is not super hard and i think that you could mess them up. I dont know i just wouldent do it. What i do is just soak em in gas for about 2 days and tehn just take some 400 grit and go over really lightly on the tips close to where the apex seals go. and the same on the sides. Of course all the places where the side seals and stuff goes need to be clean also, but dont worry so much about the actual fronts where the cumbustion is taking place. i dont clean the combustion pockets at all, other than just bruch em off and thats about it. About a week after the motor is run there will be carbon back on there any ways so its just a waste of time.

CJG

 

You now what works really well to get the carbon off is the Castrol super clean. Its pretty nasty **** on your skin so use gloves. Cleaned up my rotors with it easy, you just may have let it sit for like 10-15 minutes then go at it with a brush or scrubber, then let it soak again, then bursh.

Took me about 3 times before I got the rotors spotless.

Castrol super clean in the big purple bottls, and if you dilute it with water in a spray bottle it is the best household cleaner in the world. Makes 409 look like a pansy!

 

I bead blasted them at work. Its a concealled tank with a tub of very tiny plastic chips at the bottom, granulated like sand. You can see in through the window, and reach inside with the rubber gloves, kinda how Homer Simpson can play with that green thingy. I use the air gun to blow the beads at the parts and it takes off paint, grease and grim. I even blasted the machined surface. We blast machined aircraft parts in it all the time and it doesn't damage the surfaces. I know the rotors are kinda soft. I got them clean except for the carbon built up in the bathtup area. I didn't use a steel wool pad. I have some spray engine degreaser(didn't work) and some brake cleaner(haven't tried yet). If that fails I will buy the Super Clean. Also, I was told not to use any sand paper under 1600grit because the surface is so soft. That is why I was worried about bead-blasting the rotors. I didn't take pics of the engine cause my digi-cam is cheap and gets on my nerve with pictures coming out unfocused, or blurred. All the parts look like aluminum now, instead of brown greasy engine parts. I can handle them without getting filthy, not that I mind the grease, I am a mechanic. I will try some pics and if they come out ok, I'll post them here. Thanks for all the info guys.

 

I always use a tooth brush to work carb cleaner into the grime, then go over it with a soft wire brush on a die grinder. It blazes the carbon off and doesn't hurt the surface. Bead blasting works great, so does sonic cleaning.

 

Here is a pic of the front cover, and the side of one of the rotor housings.


Pretty sexy huh?

 

here's another