hi all
what is the best way to clean my tranny so that i can re-paint it?all ideas entertained.
my tranny is covered in road glue and pitted alot.
arc914

Use the search function...

There are several (many) threads on the subject..!!!!

Unless of course you are talking about the other TRANNY'S.

Then MattR wil have to step forward and explain that to all of us....

Twystd1

Do not use the commercial engine degreasers. They "will" pit the mag. case. Basically a lot of elbow grease. If you'r looking for the 'new' look then 'walnut' media is the best.

I like easy off oven cleaner

or pressure wash. that's what i did. got it done for free at school. the wash was hot water w/ some light detergent. cleaned the transmission up pretty well.

I used Easy Off too.

Worked good.

Why do you want to paint it? Walnut mdia blast wil make it nice and spiffy looking. then all you need to do it keep it leak free and clean.

I would warn against painting it......
Everything that hits it (stone, gravel, stc) will chip the paint & you'll eventually wind up stripping it all again because it will look diseased (don't ask how I know). have it blasted (walnuts) & let it be its natural color.
Too many nooks & crannies to get paint to adhere to anyway.

I have used simple green and a scotch pad, worked on the bumper, and I was laying there anyway...topped it up about 50 ml after I cleaned it and took it out for a stellar 70 degree day. Needed to burn some gas out of it as I am changing the lines under the tank this weekend. If you take a hand towel, wrap it around your wrist and secure it with a rubber band, the simple green does not run down your arm, which I found annoying

Get it blasted. Here's my case after plastic bead blasting. I couldn't believe the difference.

You need to grind that VW logo off.

brake cleaner and simple green cleaned mine...


gunk foamy engine cleaner wasn't strong enough...

Thanks for the input.That pic of your tranny is exactly what i am looking to do.I thought that i would have to paint to get that effect.
I will not paint only clean then blast.
arc914

So Okay. If one was to go the media blasting route, would there be any benefit of doing a clear coat afterwards to make it easier to keep clean down the road?

Also, is there any special prepping that needs to be done to protect the innards?

whatever you do, DONT touch the tranny with your bare hands. Metal splinters hurt.

b

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 29 2006, 11:02 AM)

whatever you do, DONT touch the tranny with your bare hands. Metal splinters hurt. b

what?? ...you've been touching the "wrong" kind of tranny


adding a clear might work, issues would be yellowing and it could still chip due rocks and such....once the clear is chipped away, the surface will be exposed to the elements and start to tarnish

How long do you think the media blasting finish would last before it would start to tarnish again without a clear coat? I ask cause I really like that clean look but if the "Bang for the Buck" isn't there (ie, starts to tarnish after a month or so) not sure if it would be worth the hassle.

QUOTE (Grimstead @ Mar 29 2006, 11:13 AM)

How long do you think the media blasting finish would last before it would start to tarnish again without a clear coat? I ask cause I really like that clean look but if the "Bang for the Buck" isn't there (ie, starts to tarnish after a month or so) not sure if it would be worth the hassle.

i heard the "secret" is to apply a liberal amount of WD-40 to the case right after media blasting.....

DO NOT under ANY circumstances use sand blasting or glass bead blasting. Just don't. You HAVE been cautioned! The Cap'n

QUOTE (Joe Ricard @ Mar 29 2006, 05:35 AM)

...........then all you need to do it keep it leak free and clean.

My transmissions have always been gunked up with ENGINE oil, never gear oil....


Now the TRICK is how to keep that VW from ever leaking oil.....

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 29 2006, 01:02 PM)

whatever you do, DONT touch the tranny with your bare hands. Metal splinters hurt. b

where did you find splinters on a tranny?

as my dad used to say: "you're the kind of person that could fuck up a ball bearing with a rubber mallet!" aren't you?

I used a can of Brakleen for mine. It was pretty clean when I installed it about 6 months ago for testing, then day one the trans overflow puked fluid all over it, so in one day and about 7 laps at the track, the trans was damn near black again.

I cleaned it about a week ago. Word of caution - use some eye protection. I wasn't and right about the end of the task, one of those "nooks" spit the brakleen right back into my left eye not good, but I had a diet coke nearby so I started flushing immediately until I could make it to the sink. I am a dumbass sometimes Diet coke fizzes and stings a bit, but doesn't blind ya

Sorry I don't have a good before shot, but suffice it to say that 10 minutes and a can of Brakleen works wonders.

edit - whoa, forgot to resize, here is resized image. Oh yeah, and I agree with the Cap'n on the blasting. I know it has been done, but it is that one time that one of those little pieces is missed in cleanup and wipes a gear out. I knew a place that would blast engine blocks. A couple engines failed and an inspection of the oil pump would show a particle or two that got trapped in "one of those places you don't see"