Cleaning aluminum, what solvents to use??
#1
12 Second Club
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 836
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cleaning aluminum, what solvents to use??
Im in the process of rebuilding a LSx engine and I wanna clean all the road grime and tarnishing off the oil pan, water pump, valve covers etc. What do you guys use to get aluminum back to a nice new appearance? I was thinking of taking the parts I want cleaned, to a shop and have them clean them.
I just want that new, bare aluminum color so I can clearcoat the parts!!
What cleaners do you all use on aluminum??
I just want that new, bare aluminum color so I can clearcoat the parts!!
What cleaners do you all use on aluminum??
#2
TECH Regular
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Augusta Ks.
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Do you have any place around there that can hot tank your parts as this will clean them up like new.Brake cleaner,gunk,scotchbrite pads,wire brushes will get most of the age off along with a lot of time.
#4
TECH Regular
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Augusta Ks.
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My wife came up with an idea and that was to use Easy Off the stuff used to clean ovens. I don't know but it does get stuff cooked on so might be something to look at.
#5
TECH Addict
iTrader: (5)
Oven cleaner, or any other drain cleaner -type product (lye), will pit and turn aluminum black. If you could soak your oil pan in a vat of oven cleaner, it will eventually dissolve the oil pan. The best thing would be to wash it in petroleum-based parts washer, steam clean it, and treat it with hydrofluoric acid. I don't think that is easy to come by, so sandblasting or bead blasting would be a good alternative. If you had it clear coated with powder coat, the blasting will be included in the powder coat price. I did exactly what I described using sandblasting and clear enamel spray, and the part looked as-sandblasted for about a year, and then began corroding right through the spray-can coating. I think clear powder coat is the way to go.
#7
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (96)
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
Posts: 24,240
Likes: 0
Received 79 Likes
on
70 Posts
we wash aluminum parts at work with a powered precision cleaner called Alconox. all our parts are fresh out of a CNC machine and have coolant residue on them and thats what we use.
http://www.alconox.com/static/sectio...en_catalog.asp
http://www.alconox.com/static/sectio...en_catalog.asp