Re: MC I5 cylinder head: aluminium or not, and cleaning the oute

["Douglas Hurst Quebbeman" <dougq@iglou.com>]

> Just want to know if the MC engines have aluminium (aluminum)
> cylinder heads or are they a alloy? I'd like to do some cleaning
> of the head to get rid of some rusty looking bits. I've found something
> called "aluminium paste" which supposedly does a good job of cleaning
> up aluminium parts. Also, the black paint on the valve cover has
> been removed in some places and some surface rust has formed so I'm
> going to clean and paint in a aluminium shade (metallic silver or just
> silver?)
> 
> Anyone ever used a special compound that cleans aluminium and removes
> forms of rust and oxidation? Any care to be taken with stuff like this?

For cleaning alumin(i)um on the engine while in the car, I use a 
number of preparations. Various makers sell "Foaming Engine
Cleaner" which removes grease and brightens alumin(i)um nicely.

If I have a head off the car, I just take it to a machine shop and 
have them clean it. They start with the biodegradeable
non-petrol based solvent cleaner, then lightly sandblast it. 

Another preparation that is excellent at removing the white
oxidation that builds up on alumin(i)um is sold here in the
USA as "C.L.R." (which stands for Calcium, Line, & Rust).
It contains a mixture of acids and godknowswhat that remove
those three compounds. Its the best I've found yet for copper
oxidation, too. Green just disvolves and disappears!

But with any of these chemicals, you want to be very carefull
not to splatter any on your car's paint. And, wash it all off
quickly.

hth,
doug q
--
-Douglas Hurst Quebbeman (dougq@iglou.com)            [Call me "Doug"]
    QuattroClub USA# 4536              Audi International # 100024
       74 100LS Auto, 77 100LS Auto, 84 Coupe GT, 86 5Kcstq   
"The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away."  -Tom Waits