Home cleaning of the case interior can be accomplished with Lacquer Thinner
or other intense solvent then rinsed with plain old soap and water. (Remove
all oil, grease, dirt from the outside of the case with Gunk / Kerosene
mix.)
The coffee colored stains that will remain don't hurt anything.
If you demand the sparkle of a new case you'll need to take it to a
transmission rebuild and have the case cleaned in his giant $3500.00 Parts
washer.

Stan Wilder
http://www.engineceramics.netfirms.com/

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of John Rodgers
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2004 12:08 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Engine Case Cleaning

Soda powder is used by archeologists in small air powered air-brush like
tools to clean rock and mineral dposits off of fossil bones. Soda
applied this way can be used to frost glass, or to clean paint or metal.
It is a very fine abrasive and the abrasive action can be used for fine
cleaning and polishing. It is easily dissolved in water for clean up. It
would be ill advised to use it on mating surfaces of parts but it can be
used on other surfaces.

Regards.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

walt spak wrote:

>Frank,
>
>After you get the case completely de-greased, have it blasted with baking
>soda crystals.  Arm & Hammer make crystals that can be used wet or dry and
>are non destructive.  The beauty of them is that you can flush all of the
>media away with water.  It gives you a very nice bright surface.
>
>Walt Spak
>Pittsburgh PA
>b20swalt@city-net.com
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Frank Condelli" <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 6:43 AM
>Subject: Engine Case Cleaning
>
>
>
>
>>What's the trick to getting the engine case  sparkling clean when
>>
>>
>rebuilding
>
>
>>?  I have looked into this locally and have  been told by two engine
>>rebuilding machine shops that the chemical dunk tanks  they normally use
>>
>>
>are not good
>
>
>>for aluminium.  The chemicals they use will  turn the aluminium to mush
>>
>>
>they
>
>
>>say.  They also say there is no  aternative other than pressure washing or
>>perhaps oven baking.  I have  tried various engine shampoos and pressure
>>
>>
>washing
>
>
>>but the corrosion from oil  and salt deposits on the cases remain.  I
>>
>>
>think
>
>
>>there must be a chemical  alternative.  Anyone with suggestions please ?
>>Cheers,
>>
>>Frank  Condelli
>>Almonte, Ontario, Canada
>>_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
>>camping event, Almonte, ON, June 10 ~ 13, 2004
>>'87 Westy & Lionel  Trains
>>Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
>>(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  &
>>
>>
>_CCVWC_
>
>
>>(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
>>Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
>>_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
>>(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
>>_Frank Condelli &  Associates_
>>
>>
>(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
>
>
>>or  http://frankcondelli.com
>>
>>
>
>
>