cleaning old engine
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cleaning old engine
I'm restoring an old cub (61" wingspan) that had been sitting in an attic or garage for many years. The covering was shot, its elev. and rudder were missing, and it had this ratty old K&B 65 on it. It's never had servos installed in it, the tank was installed incorrectly, and the glueing in the fuse was atrocious. If there was a piece in the way all you had to do was just pop it out. I haven't de-skinned the wing yet. I felt so sorry for the poor thing I decided to restore it to something attractive. I sick of cub yellow (and cubs) so I going to do it in red ekono-cote with white trim; maybe even convert it to tricycle gear. But I'd like to spruce up the engine. I read somewhere that someone used a crock pot to clean an old engine. Does anybody know about that or any other tips for making an old engine pretty again? thanksArn
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RE: cleaning old engine
Dismantle the engine completely. The bearings can be left in place if they are not rusty. Get a crockpot that will never again be used for cooking food, unless of course you want the ultimate high. Set it on medium heat. fill it with the cheap green anti freeze, not the red stuff. Submerge all of the engine parts, except rubber, in there. Leave overnight. The antifreeze will remove all of the burnt on grease etc. Rinse under a tap. Dry, oil and reassemble.
Depending on the case material the may be some discoloration.
Ed S
Depending on the case material the may be some discoloration.
Ed S
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RE: cleaning old engine
What he said. I do the same. Sometimes there will be a spot or two that stubborn but a little tooth brush or wire brush action solves that. Dont leave it in for too long. I did that for about 4 days and the aluminum turned dark grey. Doesnt affect the running, just appearance.
Edwin
Edwin
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RE: cleaning old engine
Ed, I've never taken one apart. Don't you have to be worried about head bolt torque and crankcase bolt torque or do you just tighten 'em down and get the motor running and retighten them when the motor's hot?
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RE: cleaning old engine
Are you a gear head? If not, leave the head on, take out the glow plug , remove the back plate and take off the carb and muffler. When done, rinse with water real good and re-oil before assembly (liberally). I use marvel air tool oil. After assembly (and oiled up) rotate the engine to move the oil around. Its a good idea to run the engine pretty soon afterwards in case you missed some water someplace. Unless you're cleaning carbon out of the heads on a 4-stroke, theres not really a good reason to clean it unless you want to, or its been sitting awhile and might have some aluminum oxidation or rust on the bearings inside from being improperly stored. I just like to clean them once and awhile when I do high time maintenance.
Edwin
Edwin
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RE: cleaning old engine
Hi,
There are many ways to clean a motor ranging from an ultra sonic bath at a hydraulic specalist, a tooth brush elbow grease and solvent or the crock pot method. I've used them all with various degrees of success and satisfaction however if you wish to restore the shine of a new motor the only method I've found that gives fantastic results is soda blasting. The metal shines like new and with a coat of engine clear from the auto parts store will retain its' lustre for years. Do a search on soda blasters in your area on the net or the phone book, the cost is minimal if the motor is disassembled and the results are well worth the few dollars IMHO .
Cheers,
Colin
There are many ways to clean a motor ranging from an ultra sonic bath at a hydraulic specalist, a tooth brush elbow grease and solvent or the crock pot method. I've used them all with various degrees of success and satisfaction however if you wish to restore the shine of a new motor the only method I've found that gives fantastic results is soda blasting. The metal shines like new and with a coat of engine clear from the auto parts store will retain its' lustre for years. Do a search on soda blasters in your area on the net or the phone book, the cost is minimal if the motor is disassembled and the results are well worth the few dollars IMHO .
Cheers,
Colin
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RE: cleaning old engine
i have some powdered chem that i put in hot water or ultrasonic that takes the caramel coating off in no time and will not harm alum. and leaves it bright alum color as new
#12
RE: cleaning old engine
ORIGINAL: Wonder
Dawn Power dissolver!
No crock pot needed.
Dawn Power dissolver!
No crock pot needed.
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RE: cleaning old engine
I've always used the automotive parts cleaner in a bucket with the metal basket. The only problem is you don't want to soak the aluminum parts for too long because it can turn a dark from the chemicals. Also you want to remove all the gaskets with the dental pick because the chemicals will eat away at the rubber. I'll try the other methods mentioned in the above Posts. They all look like a good idea.
A clean engine is a happy engine. Plus they run cooler and have less issues. I just had to replace the carb on my 1984 O.S. FS-120 (Before Surpass) because the original owner didn't keep it clean. Dirt also got in the barrel and because of that air was leaking into the carb. So clean your engines or try to keep them clean. I also run a fuel filter and air filter on all my engines. The R/C car guys do it for their mud boggers, why not us pilots? I'm sure we suck in bug guts, pollen, dirt and dust? I also inject quite a bit of Hobbico After Run Oil in them when I'm done flying for the winter season or if I'm not going to fly a certain model for a month or more.
Some of my engines look as good 4 years ago like they just came out of the box, and I hope to keep it that way.
Just my take on it.
Pete
A clean engine is a happy engine. Plus they run cooler and have less issues. I just had to replace the carb on my 1984 O.S. FS-120 (Before Surpass) because the original owner didn't keep it clean. Dirt also got in the barrel and because of that air was leaking into the carb. So clean your engines or try to keep them clean. I also run a fuel filter and air filter on all my engines. The R/C car guys do it for their mud boggers, why not us pilots? I'm sure we suck in bug guts, pollen, dirt and dust? I also inject quite a bit of Hobbico After Run Oil in them when I'm done flying for the winter season or if I'm not going to fly a certain model for a month or more.
Some of my engines look as good 4 years ago like they just came out of the box, and I hope to keep it that way.
Just my take on it.
Pete