Originally posted by Bucky: We are disassembling an engine that has significan carbon. Having run alky for so many years, I haven't seen carbon in forever.
I have heard oven cleaner works wonders, and also ultrasonic cleaners. Any experience? What budget ultrasonic machine and what fluid in them?
Also, the crank has some rust...not on the bearing surfaces but on the counterweights. How do you go about removing that?
I'm out of my element with "dirty" parts here. LOL.
Bucky, Just find a shop that has one. It is a 15 minute job. You dunk it in the water and turn it on...all done. We got a new one at the college I work at...it amazed me how good it works. Owning one can be a lot of maintenance...seals go bad if you don't use it enough...then it is the bearing if you don't get right after the leak.
Burt
I'm So Proud To Be An American And Not A Democrat...
Posts: 1240 | Location: Clinton Township, MI | Registered: September 16, 2002
I haven't run across anyone with one yet. We are rural. I have heard of guys using the harbor freight deal. Soaking in the parts washer isn't touching it. LOL.
Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Posts: 6519 | Location: Illinois | Registered: July 08, 2004
I cleaned countless heads and other parts in my engine building days and still do sometimes.
Glass beads in a bead blaster
Nothing could be worse than a Mack cylinder head after about 500,000 miles from a UPS truck.
Hot tanked first and hot water rinsed. That would not touch any very heavy thick carbon built up in intake ports. I used a hammer and a screwdriver or scraper to bust out as much carbon as possible before the hot tank.
Glass beading won’t cut thru gummy carbon. I scrape as much as possible and use solvents that dissolve carbon again before beading.
Alcohol burning engines leave smeary carbon in the exhaust ports. Solvent gets most of it. Even mineral spirits cuts it if it’s thin.
I glass beaded heads of all kinds. Iron and aluminum and any other part that needed cleaning. I’ve even done carburetors that were in rough shape. Turn the pressure down on parts like that.
I still have a big compressor and a beader cabinet that is the size of a 275 oil tank hinged upper half. Works good but is not fun and is a dirty process unless you have a very good reclaimer/vacuum system..
Posts: 2735 | Location: Where ever I am, I'm here and it's me | Registered: March 15, 2007
