Engine Cleaning

[Bones]

My engine is badly oxidized and I was trying to find a way to clean it up so I can paint it. (High Temp Aluminum)

I have read other posts and did some hunting and found out that some people use Navel Jelly to remove the oxidation on the engine. I went out and purched some and then read the directions. I noticed that it says do not use on aluminum. Can I still use it? If so, then how?

Please help

Thanks
Bones

[Nessism]

Naval Jelly is not appropriate to use on the engine. Not sure who suggested this but it’s not good advice.

Suzuki painted the head, cylinder and upper crankcase half with silver paint before the engine was assembled. The engine cases are clear coated after polishing.

You can paint the engine but you should use scotchbrite pads or similar to remove the white chalky corrosion first. Most people remove the engine side covers first and mask everything off. The engine covers can be cleaned up by stripping the clear with paint stripper and then polishing the covers to restore their luster. Tons of threads on these subjects so I suggest you go back to the search function and dig deeper.

Hope this helps and good luck.

[Bones]

Cool, Thanks for the info. I will delve deeper into the relm engine cleaning.

[bonanzadave]

Yep, A quick search of Engine cover polish gives you a whole lot of info.

Apparently this procedure also requires copious amounts of beer......

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=119048&highlight=engine+cover+polish

[Suzuki_Don]

Ideally if you are using high temp paint then you should bake it an oven at around 100 degrees Centigrade. Although some people believe that running the engine will bake the paint on just as well. The only thing I would say to that is that this procedure is not so controlled as the oven method. If you intend to spray the engine in the frame without disassembly then it is a bit hard to use the oven method. If you have stripped the engine or have it out of the frame then the oven method is a possibility. I bought an old kitchen oven on EBAY for $9 and it works fine.

Also I found that using kero, diesel, degreaser, etc would not remove the grime and stuff that was baked on over 30 years of use. The thing that worked for me was to use one of those tubs of hand cleaner that has a gritty feel to it. You know like someone threw a handful of sand into it. This and using a scrubbing brush and Scotchbrite pads as Ed said ripped all the stains and other stuff off. Worked for me. Remember though that I have my crankcase halves split and are therefore easier to work on.