Posted by oscar on Saturday, January 26, 2002 at 1:06PM :
In Reply to: Cleaning my newly machined engine posted by Matt Wilson on Saturday, January 26, 2002 at 11:39AM :
Lots of hot soapy water. When you rinse the parts try to use HOT water.Get the parts as hot as you can so the water will evaporate quickly. Rust will have less time to form. Start with the oil passages, move to the inside, then do the outside.
Use wd-40 and a soft cloth to oil the cylinders and machined surfaces.Diapers will have the least lint. A little light rust may form on the rough surfaces but that's ok.When you are ready to paint use CRC Brake cleaner to strip the WD40.Before painting clean the area you do not want painted. Mask with painters tape. To get a nice clean edge - Place the tape and overlap the edges. Use a plastic mallet to lightly tap along the edges and then remove the excess tape. Tapping along the edge cuts through the tape so the tape comes right to the edge. After painting the paint edge will be right to the edge of machined area with no overlap and no missed areas.
Don't worry about taking too long to clean. Just keep everything damp and soapy.If any rust forms you can gently wipe it off with a green 3M scrubbing pad without changing any surface dimensions.
Good luck
oscar