Cleaning & Painting aluminium engine parts

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ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90

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This maybe one for the rebuild gurus out there....

I want to clean up and paint some of the alloy engine parts on my 300tdi I've got stripped down. Items such as timing cover, waterproof housing, inlet manifold, cylinder head etc.

All of which have 20 years worth of oil and grime on. I can get that off no problem. It's the corrosion and oxidising of the alloy that's difficult along with the only engine laquer out the factory.

I've tried a wire brush in a drill, and it does work with immense perseverance on the tiniest area. It's not going to work for all the alloy engine comoments, I'll still be there when I'm a pensioner.

So to the question (atlast)... can anyone recommend a way of cleaning the etched in corrosion so that I can prime the components and paint with a heat proof paint.
Would an acid of some sort do the job?
Also, how clean does the alloy have to be for the etch primer to Work, obviously clean of oil/grease/dirt and any lose corrosion, but is cutting it back to the bear shiny alloy really necessary????

Finally, do you think an etch primer and a heat proof paint would do the Job?

Thanks a lot
 
Sand blasting!
I used etch primer and a silver topcoat.
Think I might have a pic somewhere...
IMG_20160820_151726026.jpg
 
:eek::eek:Thanks chaps. Only thing is the rear timing cover is staying in place so that's out the question for that item.

Also, how do you get on with the blast media with bearings in the timing cover (such as the fan hub idler ). And what about the blast media getting in the nooks and crannies of the cylinder head?

So could I have cylinder head, timing cover, water pump housing, thermostat housing and rear bell housing cover all blasted?
Then I could clean up the rear timing cover manually, it's not going to be as good though

Apologies, new to engine refurbs.

EDIT: just had a price for the head blasted, and they want £50:eek:. I think I'll give that a miss:rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
It looks a little tatty now, sort of yellowy and grimy but no corrosion.
The only bit I didn't blast was the head.
Bead blasting gives the best finish and won't damage the parts, do not let any body near alloy with iron grit.
Saying that, it was all done 14yrs ago and I've had the engine out and completely stripped down twice since it was painted so the paint suffered a bit from being degreased twice etc.
The quote for the head was expensive because it would have needed vapour blasting (micro beads in high pressure water jets) and that is more labour intensive than dry media, dry media will be fine for the other bits and is quicker to do.
 
ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Thanks discool. Have you any experiences with that? Will it work on an old land rover? ..
I'll cut through the grime with brake cleaner anyway, but if that stuff can deal with the corrosion ready for etch primer it would be perfect.
Click to expand...

Don't know about old landys, :) but it removes the white corrosion from my 19 year old engine that I have after a winter standing outside on stuff such as power steering pump, alternator, plenum chamber and rocker covers, all ally bits really, somehow the block doesn't seem to suffer.
Corrosion that a wire brush doesn't remove it just polishes it. :D
 
discool said:
Don't know about old landys, :) but it removes the white corrosion from my 19 year old engine that I have after a winter standing outside on stuff such as power steering pump, alternator, plenum chamber and rocker covers, all ally bits really, somehow the block doesn't seem to suffer.
Corrosion that a wire brush doesn't remove it just polishes it. :D
Click to expand...

That sounds like just the stuff I'm after. Do you think it would clean up that front timing case cover in the link on previous reply?
If so I'll order some now. Thanks for you replies all
 
ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
This maybe one for the rebuild gurus out there....

I want to clean up and paint some of the alloy engine parts on my 300tdi I've got stripped down. Items such as timing cover, waterproof housing, inlet manifold, cylinder head etc.

All of which have 20 years worth of oil and grime on. I can get that off no problem. It's the corrosion and oxidising of the alloy that's difficult along with the only engine laquer out the factory.

I've tried a wire brush in a drill, and it does work with immense perseverance on the tiniest area. It's not going to work for all the alloy engine comoments, I'll still be there when I'm a pensioner.

So to the question (atlast)... can anyone recommend a way of cleaning the etched in corrosion so that I can prime the components and paint with a heat proof paint.
Would an acid of some sort do the job?
Also, how clean does the alloy have to be for the etch primer to Work, obviously clean of oil/grease/dirt and any lose corrosion, but is cutting it back to the bear shiny alloy really necessary????

Finally, do you think an etch primer and a heat proof paint would do the Job?

Thanks a lot
Click to expand...
Soda blasting is the least destructive on oxidised alloy.
 
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