Topic: Bead blasting cases vs. aircraft stripper

[bistromath]

I've got the cases off and degreased, and I want to prep them for paint. I'd like to go the bead blasting route, but the thought of millions of glass beads getting stuck in all the little crevices in my motor scares the crap out of me. I also don't know what should be masked off: should the crank bearing seats be masked off? The oil passages? Should I put screws into all the threads to prevent glass from getting in there?

All of this made me consider just getting some chemical stripper and doing it that way. Thoughts?

[MRieck]

Do all the things you mentioned and bead blast them. I've bead blasted many, many cases. Just wash them thoroughly. Knock the aluminum plug out of the main galley too.

[bistromath]

Is the 550 different than the 750 in this respect? I don't recall seeing a main oil galley plug, but I could be missing something.

[KRONUS0100]

not sure about the glass bead blasting.....I have used fine grade sand for sand blasting....a real thorough wash job and pipe cleaners thru the oil bores and another wash job...good to go

[mystic_1]

Stripping the crankcase chemically is an arduous task.  If you can get it blasted, go for it.  Even all the scrubbing afterward is less effort than chemical stripping.  Stripper saves a few bucks but time is money!

mystic_1

[nokrome]

blast them, do all the things you mentioned in the op and then blow them out with compressed air then run them through the dish washer on the super pot scrubber cycle a few times......worked for me

[bistromath]

i think i'll just get them bead blasted and take them to the local water park, go down the waterslide a few times with my crankcase in tow. that ought to do it.

 

thanks guys.

[Turbogrimace]

I bead blasted my cases, but then made sure I cleaned every surface.  I hot tanked them for a few hours, then scrubbed everything, then took a pressure washer to all of the surfaces and the oil passages (2400psi). 

[NitroHunter]

blast them, do all the things you mentioned in the op and then blow them out with compressed air then run them through the dish washer on the super pot scrubber cycle a few times......worked for me

+1, just remember to unload the dishwasher before wifeypoo gets home... Trust me on this one...

[lone*X]

Soda blasting media resolves the bead residue issue if it worries you.  Give this a try.  I have used it for several years on soft metals that I didn't want to erode the surface details, like aluminum.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=65929