Glass beading crankcase

[Steve Galli]

Hello all,
Have an 1958 FL that needs going over....
Is glass beading the cases a good idea are there other methods the way to go...
Worried about left over debris causing harm to new internal engine parts...
Thank you!!

[T. Cotten]

Welcome, Steve!

Just coat the insides...

(Unfortunately, both Gasoila and Glyptal failed in my fuel immersion tests, which would simulate a bad petcock on an OHV. So I haven't many suggestions..)

...Cotten

[govmule84]

Hot tank? Vapor blasting?

Depends a little on your aesthetic desires a bit, I think.

[Steve Galli]

Yes... I was looking at vapor blasting... just need to find a vendor for it... definitely want to clean up the outsides
Thank you!

[Steve Galli]

Thank you! Last time this engine was done was the eighties... hope I like what I find....
thank you all!

[larry]

Simply scrubbing with detergent and water will make a big difference. Abrasive blasting should be avoided. Baking soda blasting is safe, but will change the appearance somewhat.

[T. Cotten]

Golly Steve!

I'd certainly throw detergents at it before money.

Pine-Sol!

Some swear by it.

....Cotten
PS: But they say its got to be the real thing.

[Steve Galli]

Thank you! This is what I was thinking....

[Steve Galli]

Golly Steve!

I'd certainly throw detergents at it before money.

Pine-Sol!

Some swear by it.

....Cotten
PS: But they say its got to be the real thing.

Thank you! Will try this...

[T. Cotten]

And please note, Steve..

HD coated inside their cases,...

Even though they were (probably) never blasted.

....Cotten

[aumick10]

Welcome, Steve!

Just coat the insides...

(Unfortunately, both Gasoila and Glyptal failed in my fuel immersion tests, which would simulate a bad petcock on an OHV. So I haven't many suggestions..)

...Cotten

Cotton,
Have you done any tests on Ethanol free fuel?

[exeric]

Simply scrubbing with detergent and water will make a big difference. Abrasive blasting should be avoided. Baking soda blasting is safe, but will change the appearance somewhat.

Good advice. I don't glass bead any motor parts, and particularly aluminum castings. I clean castings in our laundry sink and use anything from TSP, Comet, Dawn, scrub brushes, scouring pads, and tooth brushes. You'll never make your cases look like they did when H-D put them in a frame, but you can come close.

[kitabel]

I've found embedded glass beads in the surfaces of carefully cleaned aluminum castings, and in other very bad places (behind races, blind threaded holes, inside oil passages, snap ring grooves, etc.).
A few thousand vibrations later, they reappear and flush through the oil system as an abrasive slurry.

[Steve Galli]

I've found embedded glass beads in the surfaces of carefully cleaned aluminum castings, and in other very bad places (behind races, blind threaded holes, inside oil passages, snap ring grooves, etc.).
A few thousand vibrations later, they reappear and flush through the oil system as an abrasive slurry.

Wow.... exactly what I feared... Does not sound like a recipe for a long running motor... Thank you!

[larry]

A friend, as an experiment, blasted a piston. He then scrubbed it with detergent and hot water. He then put it in a pot of water and boiled it. When he finished, there was sand at the bottom of the pot.