Cleaning Aluminium Cylinder & Crankcase

[idb]

I am restoring my old Darmah at the moment and want to clean up the slightly furry engine.
Does anyone have any recommendations for tidying up the non-shiny bits of engine ally?

Thanks

[Kwaka14]

Use a bead blaster and recoat the engine afterwards....

[idb]

Use a bead blaster and recoat the engine afterwards....

Is there no way of doing it at home?
Maybe some chemical that I can wash down the drain afterwards?

[Motu]

Dr Emer's used to do a metal cleaning paste - it's pretty aggressive though,you'd need to do a test somewhere out of sight.I just use paint,but I'm pretty rough,nothing concourse for me.

[terbang]

I used a small sand blaster with "wallnut shell" to clean some casings once. I got the wallnut shell grit from a local sandblasters in CHC.

[Paul in NZ]

My own opinion is don't bead blast engine cases.... Beads get stuck to the cases and you will end up with them in the wrong places.

Give it a degrease, was with Simple green and when the wife is not looking - stick them in the dishwasher .....

ah hem...

Paul N

ps - anyone want to buy a used dishwasher? I need to sell it to pay the rent on the flat I'm now living in....

[nadroj]

Citrus cleaner then S100 engine brightener.

[ManDownUnder]

Sodium hydroxide (aka drain cleaner). Make up a weak solution (like a table spoon in a litre of water?) and apply it to the engine with a toohbrush. It'll fizz and pop and give off hydrogen gass (not to self... flammable as hell!).


DON'T let it near any machined surface. It acts by eating away the aluminium (actually converting it to Al Oxide) so put it on a little at a time and have clean water handy to wash it off.

When a patch is clean to your satisfaction, wash it off with fresh water, and move onto the next bit.

[Motu]

Yeah,I did that to clean my salt water damaged KT250 cases,but it made them go a dark colour.Maybe they could of polished up....but I'm a fan of the Plasticote cover up.DON'T do it with a carb.....fizz and pop - yeah right.

[ManDownUnder]

Yeah,I did that to clean my salt water damaged KT250 cases,but it made them go a dark colour.Maybe they could of polished up....but I'm a fan of the Plasticote cover up.DON'T do it with a carb.....fizz and pop - yeah right.

Interesting - I've done it to a range of aluminium bits and it worked quite well (no discoloration). I ca't recall the strength of the solution now though - but I know if you make it too concentrated it'll attack the aluminium too vigorously.

And no - don't put it near any machined or mating surfaces...

[idb]

Thanks all.
I think I'll try the cleaners recommended first and see how I get on before getting more serious with the toxic chemicals.

Cheers