transmission facelift

[dorsel]

Stupid question, but, any thoughts on bead blasting a completely assembled tranny, filthy with silver paint baddly done on it, don't really want to take it apart it shifts good, and looks good inside.
any thoughts on best way to do this, or even if should
thanks

[AdminGuy]

I would think to avoid contamination, disassembly would be best.

I like a combination of paint stripper and boiling in water, wire brush scrubbing- to clean up aluminum cases.

Or..... enjoy the patina?

[Kojack]

I'd never bead blast an assembled. tranny. Get some of the good etching type aluminum wheel cleaner from the auto parts store and go at it. The hardware store will probably have some little toothbrush sized brass wire brushes that will be easy on the aluminum but effective on crud. If it was painted over the filth, most of the paint will come off easily.

[AdminGuy]

Better answer. Thanks.
I'm wondering if the paint was to hide something. weld marks?

[Kojack]

AdminGuy, your paint stripper and boiling suggestions are great, but since he doesn't want to dissassemble the trans I made the alternate suggestion. Dishwashers also do a nice job on empty cases and I believe Kiwi reccommends that bead blasted parts be put through one to remove grit. A friend of mine who does a lot of rebuilds likes to go one step farther and he paints the inside with Glyptol to make sure any imbedded beads stay where they are.

[dorsel]

Thanks for the help, I am working on several others also, cleaning an empty case in dishwasher? what soap or detergent would you use with that. Also what kind of aluminum wheel cleaner would you think is best. I am probably going to blast the heads. Lifter blocks also so I can repaint them silver which I understand is correct for 62 panhead

[swall]

Two blasting options that would leave minimal damaging residue are plastic bead blasting and carbon dioxide pellet blasting. The latter leaves no particulate residue. The former might leave plastic residue, but that would not pose much harm to tranny internals if some found its way inside. I would still rely on an initial cleaning with paint stripper to get the major crud off first. And yes, what might be lurking under that heavy paint? On my '52 Chief primary drive housing, it was four cracks at the generator drive shaft hole.

[dorsel]

Thanks for everyones replies. that is one of the big reasons i want to get this tranny cleaned up, if anything is under that paint i want to find it now, not latter.

[Paps]

After you get the paint off of it, you could also give it a good rinsing with brake cleaner [use the leave no residue type] and then score some of that miracle paint off of Cotten for a great looking trans finish. I did a big twin and a 45 with it and they came out great. The brake cleaner removes all oil and finger prints. Leaves the casting dry too. The paint bounds well with its use. Cotten ....What was that coating called again ??? You know my memory at times. Paps

[T. Cotten]

I wuzn't gonna watch this thread, because the thought of blasting anything without absolute disassembly and prep makes me very queazy, if not angry.

The "paint" is an isocyanate urethane watertower coating called "Poly-ura-Prime Aluminum" from Tnemec

It even resists P4Gas.

I only considered retailing it. But postal restrictions on volatiles took all the fun out of it.

....Cotten