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Sand blasting Oil pan and valve cover


bob duffer

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I think bead blasting or chemical removable would be more advisable. I've noticed that whenever I've sandblasted sheet metal and then try to fill with lead the sheet metal won't "wet" or tin. The lead just beads on the sheet metal. It appears the sharp sand fractures and small sand particles embed themselves in the steel. Would that be a bad thing inside an oil pan? I don't know but I don't think it's a good thing................Bob

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When sandblasting I have learned that washing the parts with water after blasting is the only way to get the sand residue washed out. Thinner doesn't do it. I have a friend who builds race engines and after honing cylinders he washes the cylinders with warm soapy water. He swears it's the only way to get the grit from the ball hone out. He rebuilt the engine in a National championship drag car that held it's record for several years. I've found the paint has adhered much better to my parts since i have been washing them with water. It also helps wash out any Soda residue if you soda blast in your cabinet as well. You could fill them or soak them in evaporust as well. That will clean them out.

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Guest prs519

This rinse question is interesting. Do those posting comments regarding the superiority of water recall if you are referring to distilled water or hard water? Maybe the polar ions in hard water defend the interface against the less polar distilled water??

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Bob,

You could just scrape the thick stuff, and then use HOT water with DAWN dish detergent and stiff scrub brushes and scrub pads. This stuff really lifts oil and grease. That is what we used to clean pelicans and gulls who were immersed in crude oil after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Follow-up washing with more water finishes the job.

Just my 2 cents...

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Interesting. Paint on the INSIDE of the engine.

There was a trend of thinking among race engine builders some years ago that painting the inside allowed easier drain-back. I think some used Glyptol and also some Zolotone. Even if it didn't work, those were a couple of great product names.

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We have found that Glyptol works well, but on cast surfaces only. Glyptol does not seem to adhere to metal surfaces (ie valve covers) or maybe we just had a bad experience, but suggest keeping the glyptol only on cast surfaces. C49 suggested a plated surface, if one has that readily available in their area that is a great suggestion. I will admit I am not crazy about powdercoating internally. Just a feeling, have not tried it on valve covers internally, any thoughts on this or results seen from doing this. Rob

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You would probably have really good adhesion on the inside of the valve covers after sand blasting as it leaves a pretty coarse finish. Bead blasting probably wouldn't roughen it up enough as Vintchry mentioned. I have used black beauty in my cabinet for a few years and it leaves a great surface for adhesion especially finished with the water rinse. I use air then throw the parts on my wood stove in the colder months. That really dries them well.

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I never felt comfortible with a painted surface inside of the engine. Some bad adheasion and "flap" of paint is sitting over the pick-up screen. Race engines are torn dorn and inspected, so if a problem is begining it will be corrected. Also I don't think any of us are reving our engines that high or using a high volume pump that exceeds the return flow of oil. I was told many years ago by an ald machienest, "only over build it it if you are going to over use it, otherwise your looking for trouble, it lasted all of these years with no problems"

I had used the Glyptal product some 30 years ago, it was part of a spec for an electrical installation I was involved with, it really did not make sense to use in that application also. I found out it is also used on the windings of armatures to protect the wire wraps around the core.

Edited by Biscayne John (see edit history)
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Painting the interior of engines and gearboxes is pretty common on industrial stuff. Either Glyptol or zinc chromate. The paint seals the casting and also keeps crud from sticking. I know Ferrari paints the indide of their engines - at least in the past. I feel they dont do it for no reason. However, it is an added expense, so it isnt seen on typical production engines

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Blasting steel parts shouldn't cause a problem, just rinse well as others have said. You really need to be careful blasting aluminium and other soft alloys. The media can get embedded in the alloy and then dislodge when the part gets warm and expands. When I blast aluminium I put it in the over for about 10 min @350 then quench it in water to flush out the particles.

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I don't understand the value in painting the inside of the valve covers or the oil pan. The inside of the engine block yes. The cast iron is porous, I have seen a couple of blocks that actually weep oil from the inside out.

As mentioned above, the inside of some blocks, transmission cases and rear diffs. are coated from the factory for this very reason. I use a PPG product DP40 Any DP product will work, it is only a color difference.

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