Tranny cleaning, Want to shine mine up! Options

[IanStott]

I'm sure I am not the only one who has cleaned a few pounds of grease off their transmission. Have new flywheel etc., just wondering if anyone has a relatively easy way to make the transmission look presentable, it doesn't have to gleam like it has been chromed but nicer than the dullness I have now would be good!

Ian Stott
Moncton

[turboman808]

I kinda started mine because it's exposed. Just got a polishing wheel on a drill and went at it. Workes fairly fast. I'd say 2 hours and it should look real nice.

I only touched it slightly to see if it would work in this picture. Really only like 3 minutes.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-5505-1158524054.jpg)

[John]

I don't believe that it will hold a shine for long. The best looking trans in my opinion is a nice dull grey finish that is DRY and void of dirt.

just my $0.02

[william harris]

Well now, mine may be an extreme approach, but remember my transmission was painted, twice, first red and then black on top of the red. The paint and grime had to come off. I used brake parts cleaner, lots and lots of it and a cleaning wheel on drill. Then I kinda polished it ( really just cleaned better ) using lots and lots of steel wool, very coarse grade. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[URY914]

I used Easy-Off Oven cleaner. Worked good.

[Dr Evil]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) easy-off works great after you knock the chunks off (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[brer]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) easy-off works great after you knock the chunks off (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

is this the ticket for magnesium then?
what about mag cases?

[jsf322]

I used Simple Green and a scrubbing sponge and took a lot of grease and dirt off. Worked pretty well.

[jsteele22]

Well, if you want it to look nice, don't use the generic "degreaser" (e.g., Purple Power) that they sell at FLAPS. It will make your aluminum (mag ?) turn cloudy and look cracked. I like the spray can carb/choke cleaner, but not sure how it affects seals/gaskets. And one tip I recently learned that suprised me, is to use foaming tire cleaner. Spray it on, wipe it off. It's great at getting that last greasy film off, and leaves things looking really shiny.

[So.Cal.914]

Any degreaser works fine, easyoff is a cheap version but works well. The trick is

to remove any remaining chemicals and petrolium product. I have used rubbing

alcohol and clean rags the alcohol will evaporate and leave it clean. Don't smoke.

[Pat Garvey]

Oven cleaner does work, but be careful where you slosh it. Fact is, you're not going to get a shiney case for very long before it re-oxidizes - alum or mag.

I once spent 2 days with Simichrome & a Dremel on mine. Looked plated when finished. By the time 2 weeks had passed for reinstallation, it was back to gray. Thankful for that! Looked like some sort of Corvette part.

[Dr Evil]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) easy-off works great after you knock the chunks off (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

is this the ticket for magnesium then?
what about mag cases?

Brer,
Excellent quesiton! If the quest to debunk the myth of, "The Easy-Off will eat your case!" I did a little experiment. I took a junk intermediate plate and coated it with way more easy-off than anyone would use and kept it drenched for a whole day adn forgot about it so that it dried.

Verdict? It would have made boring TV. Yes, it will etch the mag under these conditions, BUT it only etched a little and this little bit would only matter on the mating surfaces.....the ones that are not exposed to the cleaner.


So, just follow the instructions on the can and leave it on there for like 15 min or so and rinse and repeat.

Fitsbain actually had great success with the purple stuff on his engine case. He said to submerse the case in warm water with the purple stuff and let it sit for like 30 min. Do a search for his post on it. The results are very convincing.

[914werke]

Ok so Mike busted that Myth so what with the "Do not paint the case"
FUD that Aaron was spewing?

[Katmanken]

Didya use search?

We did this same conversation about a week ago.

Having designed mag parts to survive, you treat it with oven cleaner, grinders, wire brushes and the like, you take the protective "mag pickle" off. The pickle is a protective treatmet used on mag like anodize is used on aluminum.

First off, Mag's high up the periodic table which means reactive.

Second off, you are in a high salt environment about 9 months a year....

No "coating" read below....

Environmental Factors
Atmospheres. A clean, unprotected magnesium alloy surface exposed to indoor or outdoor atmospheres free from salt spray will develop a gray film that protects the metal from corrosion while causing only negligible losses in mechanical properties.

Chlorides (Salt=sodium chloride) , sulfates and foreign materials that hold moisture on the surface can promote corrosion and pitting of some alloys unless the metal is protected by properly applied coatings. The surface film that ordinarily forms on magnesium alloys exposed to the atmosphere gives limited protection from further attack. Unprotected magnesium and magnesium alloy parts are resistant to rural atmospheres and moderately resistant to industrial and mild marine atmospheres provided they do not contain joints or recesses that entrap water in association with an active galvanic couple (that would be a mud or dirt) coating).

Corrosion of magnesium alloys increases with relative humidity. At 9,5% humidity, neither pure magnesium nor any of its alloys exhibit evidence of surface corrosion after 18 months. At 30% humidity, only minor corrosion may occur. At 80% humidity the surface may exhibit considerable corrosion. In marine atmospheres heavily loaded with salt spray, magnesium alloys require protection for prolonged survival.

So it might survive in AArons hermetically sealed garage in the Cali desert, but in real life, humidity and salt will kill it. Paint it with a self etching primer with a little zinc.

Hey, I been to Moncton, Usta live near Limestone Me.

Ken

[brer]

I found this on Pelican.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread....+magnesium+case

The part about acids and such seeping into threaded holes and weakening the threads seemed relevant. None of this answer the question as it relates to a Magnesium engine case.

Except that bit about

"not removing the pickle".
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/slap.gif)

[Dr Evil]

The amount of exfoliating corrosion that I noticed in my test under rediculously egregious conditions would not result in such failures at the screw holes unless you washed your tranny with easy-off every day for years.

Realy the amount of exfoliation was negligable, not even photographable.

I am for painting the mag case. Not as a necessity, but if done right it will only help, IMHO.

[jonwatts]

I posted this about a week ago asking if anyone had tried it, no replies that I recall

http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/

I like the look it left on the magnesium case pictured.

FWIW, magnesium isn't considered a "brite" metal so you're not going to make it shine like aluminum or nickel.

[So.Cal.914]

Reading all these posts and takeing everything into consideration I've come to

the conclusion that it is better to just leave it Greasy

[GS Guy]

Hey Dr. E - after reading the sales pitch this Gibbs product might be the hot ticket for protecting a mag tranny case? Need to spray it down on another junk intermediate plate and hang it under your rear wheelwell this Winter. With the tonnage of road salt they load the streets down with here in MD/VA/PA - this would truly be the ultimate test!
I like the idea of not painting, but the mag needs some kind or protection here in the East. Otherwise, in short order it starts looking like (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif)
Jeff

I posted this about a week ago asking if anyone had tried it, no replies that I recall

http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/

I like the look it left on the magnesium case pictured.

FWIW, magnesium isn't considered a "brite" metal so you're not going to make it shine like aluminum or nickel.

[slivel]

I painted mine.