Paint prep / cleaning for engine / exhaust

[Clumzi]

How should I go about cleaning the engine and exhaust for a VHT mate black treatment? What sort of cleaning/solvent stuff should I use to get all the muck off the engine? I'm assuming I want to sand the exhaust before paint, would the same go for the engine? Don't think I even could, could I? Help me get an idea of what I'm getting into here, what the process is like. -nick

[renobruce]

For the engine, I used Simple Green concentrate, tooth brushed, baby bottle brushes, and wire brushes. I tried alot of different cleaners, but found the Simple Green worked just as good as any, and it's biodegradeable. After the engine was clean, I removed all the oil residue with MEK. Then primed and painted. Here's some pics:

http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/renobruce/GS1000E%202/

I would think you would need to sand or sandblast the exhaust to get any chrome off.

[Bruno]

I used heavy duty engine degreaser, a plastic scraper and a tooth brush. Simple Green is probably the better solution. Lots of nooks and crannies. Once clean ( a process that took seemingly forever considering it's state) I lightly scuffed everything using a blue dico wheel on a drill for better adhesion. If there are easier ways, I would and would not like to know.

[Nessism]

Spray engine degreaser is quite a bit stronger than Simple Green. The cheap Gunk type spray cleaners are harsh but they work well if your engine is really cruddy. For about one dollar more per can, the citrus spray engine cleaners smell quite a bit better than the kerosene based stuff. Just don't leave this stuff dwell too long on the engine or it will eat the paint Suzuki used.

Hope this helps.

[briyenkieth]

If you have a local smart and final store, they sell a couple of amazing degreasers. One is for cleaning the vents and hoods in resturant kitchens the other is labeled floor degreaser, if I remember. I use the floor one on most everything, my dad uses it in his parts cleaner. It's biodegradable but I'm not sure about the stuff it takes off. Don't get it on your hands, it will dry them out to the point of cracking, even kinda burns.

[hampshirehog]

I tried blasting mine with baking soda and it worked very well. It was a bit slow to do but I was only using a cheap compressor that isn't really up to spec for blasting. Plus I used 'proper' baking soda - the stuff you bake cakes with (at least that's what I think it's for). Supposedly this stuff isn't a patch on blasting soda but as I was sceptical that it would work and couldn't buy it locally I went with what I could get from Tesco.

You should have seen the face on the checkout girl when I bought their entire shelved stock (around 20 pots at 40p a pot). I bet she thought I was off home to make a bomb or something!