what would be the best way about getting surface rust off engine rotors..i dont want to damage them...thanks in advance jr

 

A brass brush will do best, it is soft enough that it will not damage the rotors themselves. Just don't get near the "Soft material coating" near the side seals, the FSM warns against it.

Vince

 

replace them :P

 

use a rotary wire brush on a drill or die grinder. When you get near the side seal grooves, don't push very hard, and also be sure to go WITH the direction of the groove and not across the groove...this can distort the groove. The rotor material is quite soft and sensitive and it doesnt take much to throw groove clearances off.

I soda blast all my rotors now, because it takes care of the external AND internal groove cleaning all in one step, plus it's less messy to the person doing the cleaning. But before that, I used the wire brush method for several years and never had a problem when the above steps were followed.

 

I wouldn't use a die grinder or a dremel type anything on them, unless you got the right brush for it... I personally recommend soaking them in "purple power" or something similar, and hand brushing them with a brass brush, as stated earlier... It takes a little longer, but it's the safest way to insure success without damaging anything...

 

That stuff chews the coating off the bearings. I wouldnt use it unless I planned on replacing them. Even so, it takes 2-3 days to eat all of the carbon off of most rotors in a bath of that stuff, while you can wire brush it off in about 5-10 minutes and go on about your business.

 

I didn't mean soak them for days...

Use the solvent as an accelerant while you brush them is all I was saying... And shouldn't you replace the rotor bearings anyways?

 

i use a brass brush and do them all by hand to save the zinc plating, it is a great rust inhibitor and not something you want to lose.

 

It doesnt help much to have the cleaner on there for just a few minutes anyway...in my experience I had to let the rotor soak in a bath of the stuff for 1-3 days to get it to the point that the carbon would clean off by hand, depending on how bad the rotor was carboned up.

You only need to replace bearings if they are worn. About 90% of the rotor bearings I see are perfect to reuse. Unnecessary pressing out and in of bearings can contribute to a spun bearing in the future. I see a lot of spun bearings on rebuilds and remans, but almost never on an original engine. Each time you press out/in a bearing, you take some of the soft rotor material with you. This makes it more likely to lose it's grip later.

 

carb dip works wonders for cleaning the carbon off but it is a little pricey for how much you will need to soak the rotors in and it will not hurt the bearings.

 

Yeah just do the soft brush. another thing to do is let the rotars soak in simple green solution for a day then brush them.

 

what if i soak em in CLR for a couple days? then scrub em it should work ok...i can use the wire wheel on the face of the rotors though cause there suspended by the apex seals right? just not the side!!

 

I've cleaned hundreds of rotors in my time and I've given you my take on it...believe whoever you want.

I've never tried CLR, but it would probably have the same affect as purple power, etc. Fine for the rotor, bad for the bearing.

 

ok,thanks alot

 

I like the title. Other wise you would have had people say just drive the car and ride the brakes for a few seconds. i love the seven. You have to specify brake or engine rotors.