Re: Cleaning engine parts and cooling system

[Todd Young <tyoung@wamnet.com>]

How about using a brass brush, kind of like the ones you can buy for suede shoes
and some aluminum polish?

OorQue@aol.com wrote:

> > 1. I need to clean the engine on my car. The intake manifold (the big
> >  one with "turbo" on top) is dirty. After removing and doing a heavy
> >  wash with degreaser and stuff, I got all the dirt away, but it's still
> >  not clean. It has got small black/yellow dots, just corroded. Due to
> >  the uneven surface of it, I can'nt use the normal metal polish and a
> >  cloth. Anyone BTDT? I want it clean and shiny, like it is underneath
> >  the hose that connects the turbo to it.. Possible at all? Any tips on
> >  getting it nice?
>
> Find a machine shop that uses a "jet cleaner" or "storm cleaner" to prep
> parts ... this is basically a high-performance dishwasher and when used with
> the proper chemicals, it can restore aluminum to nearly factory new
> condition.  Your other option is to bead-blast it but because of the
> possibility of leaving glass beads inside, I'd tape off all the openings
> first.
>
> >  2. A cracked head blew a lot of soot into the cooling system. I've
> >  cleaned out the radiators, engine and tubes pretty well (not that
> >  bad), but the expansion tank is covered with some black goo on the
> >  inside, and due to the "wall" inside, I can't get a brush on the side,
> >  and no brush big enough to use into the small hole on the underside.
> >  Will a normal cooling system cleaner (the kind you pour into the
> >  coolant and leave the engine running for a while) remove this? I think
> >  it's more a "looks" problem, as it doesn't look like it will make any
> >  damage, but it looks like I'm driving with a engine on the edge to
> >  breaking down.. :-) I've tried leaving the reservoir for a few days
> >  with both dishwasher and degreaser, and it made the goo go easy away,
> >  but not without using a brush to loosen it first. Boiling water didn't
> >  help either.. What can I do to remove that gunk?
>
> I had some success with pouring a bit of coarse sand inside the tank, capping
> off the openings so I could pressurize it then swishing it around and around
> and around.  In the end, though, I replaced it because the plastic had turned
> yellow and it looked out of place in the shiny engine compartment.  If you do
> use sand, be sure to rinse it out thoroughly...
>
> JG
>
>

--
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Quote for the day:
Of course I don't look busy, I did it right the first time.
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Todd Young              WAM!NET Inc.
tyoung@wamnet.com       655 Lone Oak Drive, Bldg#A
651-256-5051            Eagan, MN 55121
800-585-1133 ext.5051   http://www.wamnet.com/
'93 Audi 90S(|___\====OOOO====/___|)