Head cleaning...the easy way

MikeG · Feb 1, 2017

When I got my Commando the PO had painted the head and polished the fin edges. May have looked good once, but not now. Soda blasting in place seems to have worked OK. Just plug all the places where it can get in and water rinse when done. Even cleaned up the chrome hardware and polished aluminum.

jimbo · Feb 1, 2017

cool! what kind of blaster tooling did you use? Does it clean off oil, grease burned on stuff?

BritTwit · Feb 1, 2017

Mike,

From your photo looks like you did the process in your shop.
What kind of a mess did you have to cleanup afterwards?
I would like to use soda blasting to clean items but was always concerned of the amount of dust produced throughout the work area.

MikeG · Feb 1, 2017

I bought a cheap Home Depot 15 pound blaster for $110.00. Blast media is another $40 from Harbor Freight(can get the same blaster there too) You do need a big enough compressor to run it. I had to take it up to my buddies shop as my 5HP 40 gallon compressor would not keep up. I did it outside, it really is pretty dusty, but the dust just washes away. It will clean off most anything if you keep at it. It's not as aggressive as glass or coal slag media so plan on using more soda than you think. Next place I plan to try it is on aluminum Land Rover body panels. I did a few with conventional sandblast and it warped the hell out of the panels.

I was inspired to do it on the bike after seeing my buddy weld in a new exhaust port with the head still on

BritTwit · Feb 1, 2017

Great.
Thanks for the info.

Burgs · Feb 1, 2017

Hi
+1 for the soda blasters, but be warned they make the wife cranky :evil: when you don't control the dust which kills the grass pretty quick.

I now have learnt my lesson and put a ground sheet down and only use it on still days.

Burgs

kerinorton · Feb 1, 2017

I was advised by a panel beater to never blast panels on a vehicle because you remove the surface tension and the panels start to distort. Makes a bloody big job for the panel beater. I saw what happend to the roof of an "E TYPE"
Dereck

JimC · Feb 1, 2017

The idea is to make air faster than you are using it. Most blasters need a 2 stage compressor to make enough air to keep up. How many CFM @ xx PSI is the spec you want to look for. Anything less than 15 CFM @ 90 PSI probably won't keep up. 5 HP is quite enough to power a 2 stage compressor capable of producing enough air to run a blaster. A pump with two cylinders of the same size is NOT a 2 stage compressor. Tank size is not that important. Big box stores love to advertise horsepower and tank size, but this has nothing to do with the ability of the pump to make air.

gripper · Feb 1, 2017

I used a tiny compressor and home brewed rig for small items and to brighten up my engine cases from old oil and road muck stains. Need to pressure wash the whole lot down after though. Yes it kills grass :lol:

bill · Feb 1, 2017

I am with you on this. the ratings on most of the junk sold as 5 HP is a joke. the biggest is the 5 HP oilless units on a big tank. IMHO a single stage should not be pushed past 125 PSI and most motors that run @ 3450 RPM is a sneaky way to up ( fudge ) the rating's. a real HD compressor is 2 stage wet sump iron pump and a 1725 RPM motor.

JimC said:
The idea is to make air faster than you are using it. Most blasters need a 2 stage compressor to make enough air to keep up. How many CFM @ xx PSI is the spec you want to look for. Anything less than 15 CFM @ 90 PSI probably won't keep up. 5 HP is quite enough to power a 2 stage compressor capable of producing enough air to run a blaster. A pump with two cylinders of the same size is NOT a 2 stage compressor. Tank size is not that important. Big box stores love to advertise horsepower and tank size, but this has nothing to do with the ability of the pump to make air.

auldblue · Feb 2, 2017

bill said:
I am with you on this. the ratings on most of the junk sold as 5 HP is a joke. the biggest is the 5 HP oilless units on a big tank. IMHO a single stage should not be pushed past 125 PSI and most motors that run @ 3450 RPM is a sneaky way to up ( fudge ) the rating's. a real HD compressor is 2 stage wet sump iron pump and a 1725 RPM motor.

JimC said:

The idea is to make air faster than you are using it. Most blasters need a 2 stage compressor to make enough air to keep up. How many CFM @ xx PSI is the spec you want to look for. Anything less than 15 CFM @ 90 PSI probably won't keep up. 5 HP is quite enough to power a 2 stage compressor capable of producing enough air to run a blaster. A pump with two cylinders of the same size is NOT a 2 stage compressor. Tank size is not that important. Big box stores love to advertise horsepower and tank size, but this has nothing to do with the ability of the pump to make air.

Click to expand...

All very true , however it is the volume of air delivered that makes the difference . A comp with a 150l tank with a FAD CFM figure higher than that of a similar machine showing less FAD CFM may produce a fair bit less air at pressure simply because the motor is running at a slower speed rpm. So I would look for the best L/Min in relation to the Fad CFM . And the higher the motor rpm usually means more air. And if you prv on the tank goes up to 145 psi that's a big plus, if it's 110 then it will be shit, as mine is.

Jg

bill · Feb 2, 2017

the trouble is the marketing dept has figured out that that most consumers are lured in by HP numbers and tank size. it is crazy to watch what is called a 6 HP oilles pump on a 40 gal tank struggling to reach 150 PSI. some of this junk would make a deaf mans ears bleed.

auldblue said:
All very true , however it is the volume of air delivered that makes the difference . A comp with a 150l tank with a FAD CFM figure higher than that of a similar machine showing less FAD CFM may produce a fair bit less air at pressure simply because the motor is running at a slower speed rpm. So I would look for the best L/Min in relation to the Fad CFM . And the higher the motor rpm usually means more air. And if you prv on the tank goes up to 145 psi that's a big plus, if it's 110 then it will be shit, as mine is.

Jg

JimC · Feb 2, 2017

All very true , however it is the volume of air delivered that makes the difference .

And the higher the motor rpm usually means more air.

Not true.

CFM, cubic feet per minute is a measure of volume. As to motor RPM, Bill is correct. The 1725 RPM motor is used on all compressors that can deliver enough air to keep up with a blaster, D-A sander, grinder, die grinder, etc.

To keep it simple, if you want a compressor to do something other than inflate tires and run an air brush, get a 2 stage compressor. It will have a 4 pole, 1725 RPM motor and more than likely a 80 gallon tank. A smaller tank is fine, it's just that the compressor will cycle more frequently under continuous use, such as a blaster. If you are shopping for a new one and the price is less than $1,000, you'd be better off to pass. BTW, a 3450 RPM motor has half the torque of a 1725 RPM motor rated at the same horsepower.

MikeG · Feb 2, 2017

Burgs said:
Hi
+1 for the soda blasters, but be warned they make the wife cranky :evil: when you don't control the dust which kills the grass pretty quick.

I now have learnt my lesson and put a ground sheet down and only use it on still days.

Burgs

I was warned about the dead grass issue. In my case the only place grass does grow is in my driveway, my lawn looks like the Saraha desert. :mrgreen:

texasSlick · Feb 2, 2017

EZ-Off oven cleaner is sodium hydroxide, NaOH, and will remove organics, i.e. oil, grease, carbon, etc. Being alkaline, NaOH is safe for most metals, but must be rinsed when used over aluminum and brass. Avoid getting on paint, but powder coat is OK.

The rinse water will kill the grass.

Slick

Head cleaning...the easy way

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