Soda vs bead blasting?

[racingtothecafe]

I was hoping to get a definitive word from the professionals or someone with hands on experience. There's just so many contrasting opinions out there.

I have the option of getting my engine bead blasted by a professional, OR diy soda blasting for roughly same price (since I have to rent a higher capacity compressor).

Are beads really as bad as they say? On top of plugging the holes, do I need to tuck away all the hoses/wires so the beads don't chew through them? If I'm not mistaken, soda is relatively harmless to those. Can an engine be done in a day granted I do all the prep work / sealing beforehand? For that matter, is a 10 cfm compressor enough for the job?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[Grumph]

Depends what you want to do after blasting...Soda will just clean it but not remove paint or a lot of corrosion.
Bead will give you a surface for paint but yes, the engine should ideally be stripped for that job.

Personally, I'd never bead blast an assembled motor. But i'm not afraid of doing the full strip on one pre bead and the thorough wash afterward.

A 10cfm compressor will do the job if it's a good one - but there will be pauses for it to catch it's breath...

[Motu]

You'll be working harder (or paying someone for longer) with soda as it's not as aggressive as bead or sand.

[bogan]

What condition is it in, and what condition do you want it to be in? Each process has its pros and cons, we can't recommend one or the other without knowing more job details.

[ellipsis]

What condition is it in, and what condition do you want it to be in? Each process has its pros and cons, we can't recommend one or the other without knowing more job details.

...I saw some pretty pristine finishes to a couple of engines while playing at the CAMS Southern Classic at Levels...he's not far up the road and is worth checking out...

www.vapourblastsc.co.nz

[F5 Dave]

For ally soda blasting is great, just had an engine done. Goes grey super matt. Great for painting. Rubbish for an unpainted surface, at least without polishing, but. . .

Second But. Its oh so tempting to do a whole engine. Letters pages in resto mags are littered with damaged engines. Most places stop the practice after a few complaints. Virtually impossible to mask properly. Even stripped you will need to spend time blowing, washing and scraping it out of threads and recesses. It gets in every where and you can see why masking is doomed.

With any abrasive technology.

Strip the engine, don't ostrich. You'll have to strip it when its fckd anyway but with much more expense.

[racingtothecafe]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I'm a bit hesitant to pull the engine apart because the whole bike is in pieces as it is. Last thing I want is more work, especially when a. the engine was running very cleanly and smoothly, and b. the time and $$$ is much more needed elsewhere.

So the idea is just to get it stripped for the painting at this time.

The reason I was looking at soda is because the general consensus seems to be that soda will just dissolve and wash away if it gets inside the engine, or any soda outside will evaporate due to heat. But I'm hardly certain if that's true or a myth.

Then again, judging by what you guys are saying, beads sound like a definite no-no so soda might be my only option anyway.


...I saw some pretty pristine finishes to a couple of engines while playing at the CAMS Southern Classic at Levels...he's not far up the road and is worth checking out...

Ellipsis, I looked into vapour blasting but the closest one I could find was Christchurch. So thanks for pointing out the one in Timaru. A 2 hour drive is a lot better than a 4 hour drive after all. Which is why I'm definitely looking at that option, granted the cost is relatively comparable.

[tri boy]

Saw some wicked work from Vapour Blasting at phreaky phils place. (he is modifying a air head beemer)
The Bings came up like new, and the the engine block is pristine.
Don't know the costs though.
PM him.

[F5 Dave]

Soda is gritty, real gritty. G-r-i-t-t-y-y.

Vapour blasting I've never used but seen pics in mags for natural finish. But surely to remove oxidisation it has to be abrasive.

[Grumph]

Soda is gritty, real gritty. G-r-i-t-t-y-y.

Vapour blasting I've never used but seen pics in mags for natural finish. But surely to remove oxidisation it has to be abrasive.

The soda I've used is actually pretty soft and the only way to get the finish you describe getting is apparently to use very high pressures.
Bead is typically done at around 75-85 psi. Sure the guy who did your soda didn't put a handful of grit or bead in with it ?

My only personal experience with vapour blasting is a set of cases a customer had done in Auckland, very nice indeed.
Talked to the Timaru guy at levels, for the race engine i wanted done it was too dear - but for a restoration probably worth doing.
Yes, it's mildly abrasive but for best results you need to degrease really well - and paintstrip too.

[F5 Dave]

I'm just trying to put the very real fear into him about assembled engines.

But certainly there was lots of residue.