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Helpful Hints.
Cleaning Aluminium Engine Components:
Before you begin: WEAR EYE PROTECTION. WEAR SUITABLE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND/OR BREATHING APPARATUS AS NECESSARY. WORK ONLY IN WELL VENTILATED AREAS AND KEEP THE SOLVENTS AWAY FROM FLAME.
1. Pressure wash: Removes heavier dirt and oil but not any corrosion. Recommended only for whole engines. Avoid spraying at any exposed seals (like around the countershaft or tachometer pick-off, possibly the exhaust header seals, too). OK to hit normal gaskets.
2. Sand blasting: Sand (silica or carborundum particle) blasting will seriously remove metal and leave an un-corroded, but pitted surface. Particles may become imbedded in aluminium if air velocity used is too great and/or the alloy is particularly soft. Use with incredible care if at all, especially on pieces with oil/water galleries. If you do, mask off all possible entrances carefully since any grit that gets in will be difficult to completely get out and any left in will likely destroy something in your engine.
3. Bead blasting: Small glass beads which shatter on impact clean off surface crud and leave the aluminium looking like it was tapped with a zillion microscopic ball peen hammers. Same warning on keeping grit out of passages.
4. Shell blasting: Ground up walnut (or other hard) nut shells are the gentlest of the three blasting methods. Removes crud and shallow corrosion and leaves the surface looking the most like it originally did. Note that the blasting methods are the only ones that will get corrosion off metal in the nooks and crannies.
5. Kerosene, paint thinner, gasoline. Use to remove oil, oily dirt, and tar. Use a wire brush or toothbrush to assist in getting off thick gunk. Does nothing for corrosion. Build/rent/buy a parts washer to speed cleaning of disassembled pieces.
6. "Gunk" or equivalent: Gunk combines a petroleum-based solvent and a detergent in one can. Does a pretty good job on heavy dirt and light oil, nothing for corrosion.
7. "Carb cleaner": is xylene and/or MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), i.e. an active, very volatile solvent. Good for getting the "varnish" and "parafin" that form on the inside (and outside) of carburettors from old gasoline. Good as a general solvent, too.
8. WD-40: The solvent doesn't work as good on varnish as real carb cleaner, but of course WD-40 leaves the surface protected due to the oils in it. Use it immediately after you have de-crudded (like that verb?) and brushed/blasted to keep surface shiny.
9. Hydrochloric acid: Takes off corrosion (not oily gunk), bubbling as it does so, but leaves the surface dark grey. Use a stainless steel wire brush to expedite activity. Don't use it unless you really like this colour. Avoid the fumes.
10. "Etching formula mag wheel cleaner": Available in a spray bottle and labelled "B" on the ABCDE specifier for automotive cleaning products, it contains phosphoric and hydrofluoric acids and bubbles when applied. Use a stainless steel wire brush to expedite activity. Avoid the fumes. Leaves a dull light grey finish which can be lightened up by wiping with a paper towel/cloth immediately after brushing with the wire brush.
11. Gasket remover: Water-based liquid that softens fibre gaskets so they can be scraped off without damaging the machined surfaces. I mention it here because I found two uses for it: 1) it softens up the carbon and crud on the inside of the cylinder head, the ports, and the valve heads, which eased scraping those parts clean considerably. 2) It seems to soften/dissolve clear-coat (and other paint as well - be careful where you paint/spray this stuff!)
12. Scotch-Brite pads: Available in about 6 by 9 inch sheets for a buck, they work well on clean, smooth aluminium to brighten it up, don't do squat for rough-finished aluminium.
13. Polishing Aluminium: Simichrome works very well. There are a number of other commercially available aluminium polishing products.
Don't use steel wool on aluminium. Tiny bits of it will break off and stick in the aluminium. These then rust and you are left with "rusty aluminium".
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