I have one that is grungy from gas stains, etc. I’d like to clean it up with ease and not elbow grease. I’ve used sand before, but looks kinda rough when done. I was thinking gl*** beads but don’t know how much would be needed (never used gl*** beads). I have 30/40 gallons of crushed walnut shells (Was a thing long ago) would that be a good option?
Gl*** beads has worked for me in the past. I have heard of some using walnut shells but I have no experience with that.
I like used 80/90 gl*** beads for aluminum followed up with some Gibbs. But if you have the walnut shells try it. Might be a bit slower but still should work.
As long as the shells a good they will work. I prefer gl*** bead. We gl*** beaded tons of engine parts when I was a CAT engine tech.
I used baking soda on my Harley engine parts and they came out great. Harbor Freight has special soda blasting media made by Arm&Hammer. The baking soda from the grocery stores is too fine.
If it's more stains and grunge you might try paint remover. I have a 1bbl flathead intake that was nearly black in some spots and didn't want to blast it and change the surface. I slopped on some leftover paint remover from something else I was doing. Magic. Let it soak, keep it wet, wash away. Next I hit it with a mild acidic cleaner (diluted JD I think). Looks OEM and no blasted look. Worked for me.
When using gl*** beads to clean the intake be sure you seal the holes. The beads will stick to the gunk inside the runners know of a guy who blasted the intake. He never thought about the beads sticking in the gunk. Cost him an engine.
Also tape off the entire bottom of the manifold, only blast the outside of the manifold, not inside or under
X2 !!!!! It's impossible to know for certain if gl*** beads, steel shot, sand, et al, are all removed from the interior of an intake manifold. Soda blast, tumbler or ultrasonic are safe methods. jack vines
They needed to clean the Statue of Liberty a few years back. They figured out that soda does a real good job without changing the surface. With the added benefit that if you do get it in some places it shouldn't be, it can be dissolved out. Also, counterintuitively, it actually leaves a protective coating that temporarily inhibits rusting. The parts can be left alone for a while until a good washing with water before paint. Probably shouldn't use your pressure pot system. Might clog up. I prefer a small safe and type blaster with the rubber hose attached to a footlong steel tube so I can manipulate and unclog.
Btw, it can be used wet or dry. And it's a one-time deal. Can't be reused. Not much more to know, but read up a little bit. Lots of info out there. Have fun.
These are in a big bag in a cardboard? Kinda barrel with a lid. Ill find out how well they’ve faired next weekend.
That will rule out me using soda then. My large compressor is down, my home built one has a tired compressor on it. It’s “okay” for sand, so I’ll give the crushed shells a try.
I used baking soda to boast some aluminum parts, it worked well except for one issue. I did it outside in the gr*** area next to my shop, everything was good until the next day when I noticed that the soda killed the gr*** right where I did the blasting. One of those O Sh*t moments.
Sounds silly, but years ago I cosmetically restored an original Holley for a GT 500. The throttle plate was aluminum, unmarked, but dirty and stained. I cut a slit in a length of plastic tube, slipped that over an air gun nozzle, leaving about an inch or two past the nozzle. The other end went into a box of A&H baking soda. Don’t remember the air pressure, but it sure cleaned up the carb base, and didn’t etch the aluminum like bead blasting would have. It looked brand new. The fella I did the carb for was quite pleased, as this was part of a high dollar restoration.
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