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Cleaning Aluminum Engines

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Jeff May

11-19-2002 02:22:51




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I am restoring several aluminum 2 cycle racing kart engines.
Anyone have any thoughts as to how to get that "factory new look" back into the alum.
I tried glass bead blasting and also using crushed walnut shells, the glass beads let the finish to porous, and the walnut shells don't clean as well as I'd like.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Jeff




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Richard

11-23-2002 15:23:12




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 Re: Cleaning Aluminum Engines in reply to Jeff May, 11-19-2002 02:22:51  
I've built allot of bikes from the ground up. On the AL if I have the engine apart, I bead blast everything, then heat it up to about 200 degrees, then spray with Aluminum High Heat Paint while it's hot. This allows the paint to soak into all of the pores. Looks great and holds up forever, and looks better than new. Don't get the Bright Gloss paint but rather the dull silver.



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John Ne.

11-19-2002 14:52:08




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 Re: Cleaning Aluminum Engines in reply to Jeff May, 11-19-2002 02:22:51  
The cylinder heads and parts we get that are (remanufactured) are painted with a type of aluminum paint. and like JDK said, go to an auto parts store and get a can of aluminum wheel cleaner, they do work very good. After cleaning I'd shoot it with the paint, believe that is as close to a New look as one can get. John in Ne.



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JDK

11-19-2002 12:38:58




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 Re: Cleaning Aluminum Engines in reply to Jeff May, 11-19-2002 02:22:51  
Aluminum Wheel Cleaner? I don't believe you're going too get the"original hot cast" finish back completely after aluminum has aged/oxidized.There are plastic blasting pellets made for cleaning aluminum/brass/other soft materials.If you can "polish" the surface,Simichrome or Mothers Aluminum Polish from cycle shops is mildly abrasive,will give almost a mirror finish.Flitz also is a very good metal polish for such uses.If all else fails a light coat of heat resistant aluminum paint may be the way to go.

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Dave

11-19-2002 09:22:16




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 Re: Cleaning Aluminum Engines in reply to Jeff May, 11-19-2002 02:22:51  
Jeff,
Your engine may be too large for this, but we us straight antifreeze in a crock pot to clean radio control alum engines w/o any fuss. Remove the seals..etc and heat overnight, rinse the next day and relube if needed. The antifreeze is no good after one use. Hope this helps



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TimC

11-19-2002 06:08:37




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 Re: Cleaning Aluminum Engines in reply to Jeff May, 11-19-2002 02:22:51  
You might try coil cleaner from the airconditioning industry. It is a mild acid. Test it one a test peice to see if it is what you are looking for.



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