Hello, everyone
I haven't posted much to the list lately but I am still out here- I
just have the cloaking device engaged. Larry Macy almost baited me with
his delusional talk about Midget superiority (to a RBB :-o ). Larry,
if you had included the A in that derogatory comment, then I would have
had to defend the honor of the pinnacle of MG development, the
beautiful, graceful MGA.
But back to the topic in the header. I have been cleaning buckets of
Bee's bolts and other parts for the XK project. Like many on the list
have written, Castrol Super Clean is the elixir of the gods when it
comes to removing grease. I have a one gallon plastic food container
into which I dump a batch of bolts or parts and let Castrol do the hard
work. This stuff will take the hair off a cat's gonads.
Two nights ago I was cleaning and polishing aluminum parts. One of the
aluminum fan belt pulleys had some grease caked on in a hard to reach
area. Being naturally averse to extra work, I threw the pulley into the
vat of Super Clean, gave it a good shake, and left it until last night.
Approaching the container, I saw some whitish froth on top of the
cleaning fluid. Upon retrieval, I found the pulley covered with hard
brown-grey-black oxidation about .010 inch thick. It looks like a
failed attempt at anodization.
Luckily the part in question is not ultra-precision or highly visible.
The pulley and I will be paying a visit to a neighbor's garage and his
sandblaster. After getting over the initial shock, I did the manly
thing and read the directions for use (this act was manly because it was
done after I screwed up rather than before using the product) and sure
enough there is a note cautioning prolonged use on aluminum or painted
surfaces.
So, the moral of the story? Don't soak aluminum parts in Castrol Super
Clean.
Regards,
Bill Eastman
61 MGA- design tour de force
WARNING- the above document includes references to several well
seasoned list running gags- read at your own peril (I probably should
have put this at the beginning, eh?)
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