Posted by Joe Lorenzino on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 at 11:54PM :
In Reply to: Re: To bathe, or not to bathe... posted by Dana on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 at 9:10AM :
We use the "parts washer" at the engine rebuilding shop next door to clean all sorts of pieces before welding. They wash virtually every piece of an engine at least once in their rebuild process. The secret is to have a spray bottle of WD40 ready, and to spray/wipe down all of the Machined surfaces AS SOON AS IT IS ROLLED OUT OF THE WASHER. This is to prevent rust from forming as the parts dry off. If the water in the machine is hot enough, the pieces dry almost imediately, but the steam /humidity near the washer can cause a light surface rust if not oiled down.
From past experience, if you are going to wash the rocker gear, dismantle them completely first. If possible, take the plugs out of the ends of the shafts,and run a "gun cleaning" brush through them to make sure nothing stays inside. J.V.L.