hello all,

Ive done searches on the overall best way to clean the engine housings and havent really decided on the best tried and true method.

I have it all apart, and I have cleaned all other parts in my homemade parts washer using a 5 gallon can of parts washer i got at the auto store, then compressed air, and some hand wiping.

Now Im on on my housings, and want them to look good, not really olished but at least looking like new stock, you know what I mean.

Ive read about bead blasting, hot tanking etc { things Id have to pay someone to do, I dont have that stuff at home}

I guess maybe pressure wash with water at 1500 psi, then use parts washer.. go back and forth a few times.. thats my basic consensus

anyone have any tips they'd ike to share?

any info is appreciated, thanks.

 

I know rotary ressurection wrote up a great piece a few weeks ago detailing his preferred cleaning methods, it was written in a post as a reply.. I did a search but couldnt locate it..

 

I liked the pressure washing... worked really really well...

I painted mine though, so I guess that's a little different... I used scotchbrite pads (yes it took a long time) to get all the dirt out of it, and probably a tiny bit of the aluminum. =)

--Gary

 

I think one method discussed (and Kevin mentioned this) was to take an engine to a "DIY Carwash" in the back of a pickup truck and have at it. I'm pretty sure the same would hold for the housings. They're aluminum, so you don't want to be too rough on them chemicalwise, but a car wash should be fine. Make sure they're secured so they don't fly around and get chipped up though - that would be bad.

-=Russ=-

 

Take the pieces to a machine shop. They can clean in 15 minutes all the parts. It will take you hours and make your garage smell.

 

I did this btw, from Kevin's suggestion... easy as hell once the engine is apart... you don't need a pickup or anything... housings and plates are really light by themselves.

Take them all to the place, set them out.... and yes make sure they don't fall over from the blast of water, put them against a wall or something. The pressure washing car wash works really really well to clean them and is cheap.

--Gary

 

I go with pressure washer. that is how I cleaned all my engine housing, irons. it works well, and CHEAP!!!

 

Bead blast them. Thats what i did. turned out really nice. Thats actually a very common thing to do. Make sure you varsol most of the crap off your plates before you bead blast them. Do NOT bead blast the surface of the plates, just the outside of it. It is however a good idea to bead blast in the coolant seal grooves, just try to hit as little of the surface of the plate as possible. Id post a picture of my housings but the puter is being a bitch .

 

Go to the machine shop..........trust me.........go to the machine shop..

Other than the bead blasting thing I just did ALL the steps mentioned here. I finally gave in and spent the $30 at the MACHINE SHOP. 15 minutes later the plates and housing were ready to eat off of. I didn't serve food on thembut I did paint them.
see my thread and you can judge for your self