what method do you use to clean your rotors once everything is all apart?

 

Parts washer, cleaning solution, elbow grease.....

 

what do u use to get in the side seal/oil ring grooves?

 

for the side seal i take an old one grind one end to a point

 

A broken side seal, sharpened on an Arkansa hard stone

 

carb cleaner, MMO and kerosene.

i use an old side seal to clean all grooves (side seals, corner seals, apex seals, oil seals). use medium-to-fine wet sandpaper to clean rotor recesses and stubborn carbon flakes.

 

I used some royal purple cleaning solution from the parts store and let the rotors soak. This stuff doesn't stink. Then I get out my drill and wire brush adapter and go to town. The only problem with the purple stuff is that it's water based and will cause a tiny bit of rusting if you let the solution dry on the rotor. That can easily be solved buy spraying the cleaned rotor with some WD-40 and wipping it down. This method doesn't take much elbow grease and it looks great when done.

 

just thought you might look at some pics of my cleaning process. yes, i took it a step further, but there are some pics of where i usually stop before assembly in this thread: My 12A buildup

 

Dip in Hydroseal for 48 to 72 Hrs., wash with water, clean grooves with method mentioned by Diabolical 1

Carbon usually washes away after Hydroseal bath.

 

MEK in 15 minutes.......but watch the fumes!

 

Brass wire wheel on a drill, scrap rotor faces with razor blade, clean out side seal grooves with old side seals, pick for oil control groves, soak in kerosene for a few days....do it over again.

Then, wash it out in warm soapy water. Then blow dry it.

James

 

Yeah be careful with that stuff.

I was using MEK to remove adhesive from a helicopter leading edge blade tape, and found out that this stuff was actually banned from the navy 15-20 years ago!!

That stuff is bad, and is a known cancer causing solvent..


I personnally used a lot of carb cleaner in aerosol form, but recently found liquid carb cleaner in a container from napa, and just let it soak in it for an hour or so, and it takes everything off..

Not very good stuff either though..

-Justin

 

honestly i heard HOT WATER AND ENGINE DEGREASER & DISHWASHING SOAP DOES THE TRICK. I tried it on a past rebuild and man i never seen everything shine so naturally and beautifully

 

http://groups.msn.com/Shawnscarpages...oto&PhotoID=54

hope this works, all I did was have a machine shop boil these things for $20 a pair. If by chance you want to reuse your bearings, you better remove them first, all of the copper will show

 

http://groups.msn.com/Shawnscarpages...oto&PhotoID=53

Here is another shot

 

household oven cleaner, stronger than degreaser, gets off baked on grease, maybe not carbon build up though.

 

Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner does wonders for grease. I use it to clean greasy motors. A cleaner I found that works better is Zep http://www.zepcommercial.com/pages/c.../cleaners.html Don't get it on your hands because it burns like hell wear some viton or rubber gloves. Also if you plan on reusing your rotor bearings cover them with some grease or vaseline this cleaner will eat up your bearings if it gets on them. If your putting in new bearings than you don't have to worry about it. Stuff works great I don't use anything else these days cuts your cleaning time. You can get it at HOME DEPOT but make sure it's the Purple Concentrate they have two version the concentrate is the stronger of the two.

 

always use old seals for seal insert areas, wire wheel on side open to combustion, so u can get carbon build up off, carb cleaner, and air

 

I use a glass bead machine in all the grooves ,sides, apex , corners . some say its not good to do , but they say that about pistons too. but been doing it for 30 yrs. never had trouble from it, about 200 engines ago! of course you wash them out really good, blow out , spray them with WD-40 or somthing.