Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-04-2017, 11:47 PM
w123fanman's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,699
Red face Did something stupid, any clue what's the best way to clean aluminium oxidation?

I goofed. I left the parts I was cleaning in the parts washer with some ZEP commercial degreaser diluted with tap water and this happened:


Now I have extras of all of these pieces except the alternator brackets. One of those is steel and wasn't affected as much but the other is aluminum. I'll certainly use the extra upper timing cover I have instead of reusing this particular one. These are off an early M103.

So does anyone know what exactly this is and how best to clean it? I'm assuming the degreaser was too harsh on the aluminum, I'll use something else in the future.

__________________
Current: 1975 450SEL, 83 300D, 88 Yugo GVX, 90 300D OM603 swap, 91 F150 4.6 4v swap, 93 190E Sportline LE 3.0L M104 swap, 93 190E Sportline LE Megasquirt, 03 Sprinter, 06 E500 4Matic wagon.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-05-2017, 12:24 AM
moon161's Avatar
Formerly of Car Hell
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Buffalo NY
Posts: 2,058
Looks like you're in a pickle. ducks
__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times
It's hard to
more likely to
concentrate on
have an accident
two things
when you're on
at the same time.
a cell phone.


www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-05-2017, 06:47 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
dieselarchitect
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
Posts: 38,938
Maybe just paint it with wheel paint.
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-05-2017, 06:59 AM
optimusprime's Avatar
Trevor Hadlington
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Worcestershire in England
Posts: 1,454
t-walgamuth best way .Good primer and spray with a chrome paint .Or go full hog and have them polished spray them with a clear varnish
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-05-2017, 07:48 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 5,338
Try glass bead, walnut shell or soda blasting.
__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-05-2017, 07:57 AM
oldsinner111's Avatar
lied to for years
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Elizabethton, TN
Posts: 6,307
Hydrochloric acid should remove the black,leave on no more than 1 minute. I go to dollar store and buy cheap acid toilet bowl cleaner,with acid.Some are just bleach.
__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-05-2017, 09:41 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 726
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike D View Post
Try glass bead, walnut shell or soda blasting.
Or if you are going to paint after, something more agressive such as aluminum oxide. Use a lower pressure than when blasting steel. Before I had a cabinet sandblaster I would take my parts to a local machine shop who would blast them for a reasonable price.

I paint afterwards with a non-smudge paint such as Eastwood Aluma Blast or Seymour Alumi Blast (Dynamic in Canada). I've had good luck with both.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-05-2017, 11:22 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: central Texas
Posts: 17,290
Harley transmission cases were aluminum.... and we used Semi Chrome polish on them..
probably too much effort....or maybe you should do it as penance .. LOL
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 01-05-2017, 12:12 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Wilmington, NC by the Atlantic ocean
Posts: 2,530
I really think a trip thru the bead blaster is your best bet. Some shops that do that will have options for the blast media and if they do I'd pick walnut shells but any of them will work though some (like sand) will leave a rough surface. You can have them powdercoated if you want but just have them do the outside - it might flake off on the inside and the flakes can get in the engine oil. Our powder coat shop does blasting anyhow so they'll kill both birds with one stone. If you look at my build thread (this will be near the beginning of the thread) you can see the upper oil pan and the cam cover all coated and happy - they've held up perfectly.

Dan
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 01-05-2017, 12:20 PM
Diseasel300's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 6,071
I've had good luck cleaning up heavily oxidized aluminum using a weak solution of citric acid in warm water. It isn't going to look new, but it'll get all that black stuff off with minimum effort. If you go this route, be sure to rinse it with a good bath in clean or soapy water.
__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 01-05-2017, 05:00 PM
t walgamuth's Avatar
dieselarchitect
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
Posts: 38,938
isn't already clean? Heck its acid etched. NO better prep than that is there? Prime and paint seems adequate to me. Keep your finger prints off it until the paint dries though.
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 01-05-2017, 05:39 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: West of Ft. Worth. TX
Posts: 4,186
This spray from Eastwood may do the trick. In the Customer Reviews, there is mention of someone making a similar mistake and this spray saved him from a possible irreversible problem. It's worth a shot.

Eastwood Aluminum Prep and Cleaner Quart Trigger Bottle
__________________
Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 01-06-2017, 08:40 AM
TX76513's Avatar
Platinum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Brandon, Mississippi
Posts: 5,209
Just media blast it and spray on a clear poly Quick and easy.

__________________
BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:26 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page