Cleaning Engine Cooling Fins

[cpsiohio]

I'm open to all suggestions on how to make my 82 750K engine fins nice an shinny (or at least brighten them up some).  Not enough space for dremmel or rotozip with a felt tip.  Don't have a compressor big enough to do soda blasting.  Thought about power washing with soda but thought I would ask for suggestions first.  Saw comments on Easy Off but wasn't sure if it would take the oxidation off.

All suggestions would be invited!

[sgtslag]

If they are painted, any abrasive applied, as well as Easy-Off type solvents, may remove the paint.  If they're aluminum, then perhaps a metal polish solution?  Tough part, of course, is getting inside the fins.

How big is your compressor?  Mine is around 12 gallons.  My gun runs out of soda within one minute, but my compressor runs for several minutes before kicking on to build up pressure again.  If you have not read the Soda Blasting thread on the home page yet, I highly recommend investing the few minutes to go through it.  You don't need much of a compressor, or money, to get the job done, as long as you are willing to refill your blaster gun frequently, like I did.  Otherwise, someone else may have a better solution than me.

Have you tried the automotive engine cleaner sprays yet?  I get mixed results with them, but they help.  Cheers!

[cpsiohio]

Thanks for the insight!  My fins are just aluminum; no paint, just a 30 oxidation that leaves them looking very dull.  My compressor is much smaller but I know a couple of guys that have the 12 gallon size so I will have to give them a call.

What size is the air pipe that comes out of your gun?  Maybe I'm pushing too much air through my feed tube for the pressures that I'm producing.

Thanks!

[Piute]

Nothing like good "O" elbow greaseI picked up 2 brushes at work (Lowe's)isle #12 (cleaning supples toletbrushes/brooms) There about 1 1/2 " x 1/2" and brushes are about 3/4" ,there like 2 bucks ,Brushes are some type of stiff plastic or something.(plastic handle),and for cleaner ,I'm cheap ,Ya-no just soap N hot water does wonders,even greater if soap is to cut grease like good quality dish soap,.
   2 brushes
1 is for greasy / oily spots (I use hand cleaner on these spots) remember to clean brush afterwards.HOT water n soap
2nd brush is for places that just have road grime and such(pretty much no oil)and around thing to be plished (chrome,alluminum,glass).
  "O" yeh your bike should not have any oil on it put in rear swing-arm section,from from chain and blowby .
   BEST KEPT SECRET: if you clean your bike at lease once a week ,It's like a maintenace check cause you will be able to tell if something ,leaks or seem out of place.>>>Piute<<<

[sgtslag]

I believe the correct size opening, for soda blasting, is 3/32".  Here is a link to my gun, which seems to work well enough for me:

http://www.harborfreight.com/gravity-feed-blaster-gun-93221.html

Piute is also correct:  elbow grease, degreaser, hot water, and a brush, will do wonders.  Me, I look for the easy way, though.  

I never thought about it until I read Piute's post:  hand cleaners, like Goop, and Orange Pumice, will likely do a very good job, with a scrub brush of some sort, at removing engine grease and grime (probably best to avoid the pumice stuff, though...).  I will have to give that a try this weekend.  Thanks, Piute!  Cheers!

[Piute]

 IFI was able to take off the parts (easy enough I'd blast them,But for cleaning and small ajdusments rather leave on and work my OVERSIZE toothbrush,
 my comp. press. at 200 psi and water just gets into everthing >>>piute<<<

[shinyribs]

I used a 4" wire brush on a drill on mine.Dont use a steel wire brush,get the soft bass ones.They're gold looking.Worked great and removed the paint i had on mine as well.Same as Piute...just a lazy way of doing itSee Piute?It was always polished.I was gonna paint it....its Tools fault

[Piute]

its Tools fault

................................................................................................................................................

 Thought you poilished all your covers and powder coated them clear
can't tell in picture
  wire brush that will / may work if you can get to it ( your engines pulled),don't think he will make it in there with a tooth brushgoing to have to blast it (not sure ?).

[shinyribs]

That pic is when i painted all of it.I came back later and started polishing covers.Good point about being in the frame

[Piute]

 Unless it's a cover that I can take off easly it stays on,almost couldn't get the starter cover and lil box on top of rocker cover off But did and they get a scuff and nother coat(tonight) ,back on in morn.

[shinyribs]

Yeah the breather cover on mine busted when i removed it...Tools saved my butt there. Everything else came off easy.But that one long bolt on that breather.That was the ONLY rusty bolt on the whole bikeThe starter cover on yours chrome? I saw a guy that polished his oil pan.????I didnt even know it had a removable oil pan utnil i laid down.Thats too much

[shinyribs]

Cpsohio.Sorry for hi jacking your thread.You asked about the oxidation.Easy off will not remove that.The only thing i have ever seen remove oxidation is abrasives.Whether it be soda,sand paper,wire wheel...gotta use some sort of abrasive on that

[cpsiohio]

Hijacking is ok!  I have learned a bunch about what to and what not to do!  Got a compressor from a friend that would push a sodablaster.   It doesn't seem to get all the way down through the oxidation, but looks much much nicer!  

I like the idea about brass rotary brush between the fins.  

Also I have found that with a grey stick polish and a rotozip with a 2" felt disc I can turn any aluminum surface on the bike to a mirror finish.  (Portion below and above the gasket looked the same)  The trick is getting the polishing head all the places you need for a clean cut off line.



 

[shinyribs]

I love polished aluminum!  If you have access to a bench mounted grinder you can get a buffing wheel from lowes for about $5-6. Just put your compound on there and go to town.If you sand it with 320 of better grit first,nothing major,just sanded by hand til most of the scratches are gone,it doesn't take long at all to polish something out.I did my stator cover in about 5 minutes.Looks good