Rear end cleaning question

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Rear end cleaning question
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chad Marchees on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 05:11 pm:

Hi all, been quite awhile since I have been on here, but trying to get back to working on the Canadian T again.

Anyhow, We disassembled a 26/27 rear I have and I am trying to get the parts clean. Well, the actual internal parts are fine, but things like the housing halves and driveshaft tube I have spent a bunch of money in degreaser and at the power washer at the car wash. It barely looks as if I have touched it, even though the car wash bay looked like a grease bomb went off inside.

So I had an idea, my machinest has a bake and blast machine that will bake the gunk out and blast it so it looks like brand new. However, it will literally melt anything out that basically isn't steel/cast iron. My concern is the fit between the tubes and center were it is rivited, is there any brazing or lead around that seam that seals the tube?

Also, the parking brake shoe levers, there looks as if there is a bonze/brass bushing in there on the backing plate. How do you get those apart to get at the bushing?

Anything else I need to look for or any other ideas on how to get this stuff clean? Even If I have the longer tube blasted, I still need to get it clean to get the grit out. That is some thick lube in these things. Even the clean parts days later still seems to ooz lube from the surfaces.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike_black on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 05:29 pm:

I have a local source for Purple Power that waters your eyes. I remove bearings, sleeves, and seals and soak the parts down good with that, then pressure wash them. Inspect and repeat as necessary. Ready to prime and paint, or mediablast and take to the powdercoater. Powdercoating won't melt brass--That's what I did with my 15 differential halves and drive shaft tube.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott McBrook on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 06:31 pm:

Chad, purple power is good. But for big time degreasing, try concentrated Gunk mixed with diesel fuel to make a solution. You will have to use a crud brush/scraper with it. And you rinse with water, could use a pressure washer. Back in the 60's and 70s when engines routinely had oil caked on them 3/4" or more thick when we got them that stuff would cut it. We'd rinse with water and the stuff going down the gutter of our suburban street was black - in days before anyone knew better. In long run its biodegradable I imagine as they still sell it.

I just cleaned my engine and transmission with just the purple power hand sprayer, 1 bottle used. Got it clean enough to paint. But I combined with a brass brush and steel brush, it won't fall off my itself. Some stuff has to be scraped off with like a flat screwdriver if you really want it off. I rinsed rinsed with a hand sprayer of water (no hose action where I was).

My fatherinlaw has a steam jennie as he calls it a hot water pressure washer - that SOB will clean off nearly anything. He works on heavy equipment that has been abused/used/mudded/greased etc and that gets right down to it in no time. However it may penetrate seals, just thought I'd mention it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 06:36 pm:

Chad,

To remove the levers from the brake cams you have to drill out the little rivets. Then they come right off. Mark which ones came from where, they are left and right side specific.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chad Marchees on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 08:18 pm:

SO if I send the halfs out to the bake and blast, the tubes where they are riveted in won't leak after? They are just pressed in and riveted?

I just want to be sure but this is the best way to clean with the least amount of effort. You should see some of the modern muscle car blocks and heads I get back, they look like brand new.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By jack daron-Brownsburg,In. on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 08:25 pm:

Not everyone can do it ,but I remove sleeves and burn mine out. I then have them sand/media blasted and then paint. I tried powder coating on one once,but never again.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Jablonski on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 08:48 pm:

Upon advice from a good friend, I used 2 gallons of lacquer thinner as solvent with a toilet bowl brush with attached longer handle on the axel half innards. Worked great.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 08:52 pm:

I used a plastic brush on a long handle to wash out my axle housings with used paint thinner. It worked fine.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Philip Berg on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 09:01 pm:

I've had good luck with Purple Power and hot water. Seems like the heat will soften the gunk and then you can brush/wash it away.

WD40 works good but is expensive as a cleaner.

Philip


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Hoshield on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 09:05 pm:

My brake cams were very sloppy, so I ordered the bushings and cams to replace. I only briefly thought of drilling out the pins holding the levers on to the cams, but I I could picture myself doing was braking some drill bits and probably messing up portions of my hands or eyes, etc. So, I broke out the trusty electric grinder. After closer inspection, it looked like most of the wear was actually on the cam bolt/pin, so I wouldn't be cutting up a part I'd want to keep, anyway. I got them both out without buggering up the back plate.

As Royce noted .. take note of how the existing ones are mounted. The levers (that the pins go in) are the same, but the cams are different from right to left. When you get the new ones mounted, the cam lever should be pointing around 'up and back' towards the back of the vehicle, when looking at them from the outside of the backing plates. So .. the driver's side is is somewhere around 2:00, with the cam horizontal .. and the passenger side is about 10:00.

Hope this helps,
Dennis


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Scott Owens on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 09:19 pm:

Hi, Iam with Steve. I got a brass wire brush and drilled a long rod and bolted the brass wheel to it and the inside shines in minutes. I did also oil the inside of the tube. No harsh stuff to breath that way and lots cheaper and reuseable on the next set. Scott


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Jablonski on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 09:20 pm:

Yeah, Steve.... that's the ticket !!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Hjortnaes, Men Falls, WI on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 01:26 am:

My local Farm and Fleet store had brushes like the one Steve is using. Worked great with kerosene. That is how I got my axle housing all cleaned out. No chance of sand being left in the wrong place.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Stroud on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 04:19 am:

I had hoped that Steve would chime in on this. That's what I would do. MUCH better than blasting. JMHO. Dave


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 07:41 am:

In the interest of full disclosure I have to confess that I blasted and painted before washing out the housings.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 08:45 am:

"Easy off" oven cleaner was designed for removing crusty baked on cooking grease and is great for removing old crusty auto grease, oil, and road crude buildup from the rear end, engine block and underside, down to the original paint. Just spray it on and let it sit, then scrub with a parts cleaning end brush and hose off. Several applications may be necessary. Be sure to wear eye protection to protect from splatter and spread plastic under your car to keep the drippage off your driveway or floor. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erich Bruckner, Vancouver, WA on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 10:07 am:

I was afraid this topic was about T.P. but, even better, it has been a good learning experience instead. I enjoy examining a problem and finding an answer that works and, obviously, many of you do as well.

I am always pleased and impressed with the range of creative and effective T repair/upkeep maneuvers this group comes up with.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 10:50 am:

Here is the type of parts cleaning brush I like to use on a job like this. With its' rigid end bristles, it can poke into hard to get to places that other brushes can't. It is about 14" long including the bristles with a thick, easy to grip handle. Jim Patrick




Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 11:28 am:

I just had the rear end apart from a model A I am restoring.
I took the half housings to a machine shop to have cleaned in their hot pressure spray tank.
Then I made a round plywood disc to cover the ends. I used threaded rod with a washer under the nut on each end to hold the discs against the ends tight enough to seal them off so no sand gets in..
I put a little RTV under the plywood and the washers.
Then I took them to get sandblasted. No trace of the media blast stuff anyplace.
The driveshaft housing is another story. It is too long to put in the washer. I will have to do a SteveJelf on that one.
What is Purple Power?
I have always used oven cleaner. Or Gunk engine spray.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chad Marchees on Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 06:48 pm:

Thanks for the responses guys.

I think as soon of our local chapter members get back from the MTFCI tour in Vermont, I will have whoever has the tool remove the other sleeves still in the housing and tack them to my machinest. What I will spend in chemicals and time will be more than he will charge me.

The driveshaft tube I will I will have to clean myself though, so I will have to get dirty.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian Holcomb, Watertown WI on Friday, July 20, 2012 - 08:28 am:

just a thought, will your hot bake guy get it hot enough to warp the tubes??? If its hot enough to melt anything but steel or iron, its hot enough to warp tubes!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike_black on Friday, July 20, 2012 - 08:38 am:

AAron,
Purple power is probably not allowed in CA. What you get from the parts stores isn't that great. I go to the local guy who puts on his rubber gloves and dips my jug into his 55 gal drum. $5.00/gal and you have to use it outside or it will choke you!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve McClelland on Friday, July 20, 2012 - 10:58 pm:

We use a local engine rebuild shop they dip both halves in the engine tank. $20-$25 bucks and they are squeaky clean.
Lot easier than a bucket of diesel or gas and a mop but we've also did that way.... Not fun!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Warren W. Mortensen on Saturday, July 21, 2012 - 03:29 am:

I use one of those rubber "pressure test" caps (available at most home improvement stores and some hardware stores -- I think they put them on the end of drain pipes so they can fill them and look for problems at seams) I clamp this on the outside end of a housing half, fill the housing with solvent, then use Steve Jelf's brush approach or wind an old rag on the end of a broom handle That way it doesn't use so much solvent & the tubes come out sparkling clean.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Stroud on Sunday, July 22, 2012 - 04:14 am:

Warren, that is a great idea! Dave


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R.V. Anderson on Monday, July 23, 2012 - 12:21 pm:

To soak a driveshaft housing, make a frame from 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 just a tad wider and longer than the housing. Assemble it with deck screws. Buy a cheap blue 6 x 8 tarp and lay it out evenly atop this wood frame. Tuck the tarp down into the frame (you should fold it several times for added thickness but make sure that all edges of the tarp hang out over the outside edge of the frame). Carefully lower the housing into the frame on top of the tarp. Pour in a couple gallons of low odor mineral spirits and let 'er soak a week. The crud that doesn't fall off will wipe off.

As an extra precaution, I lay a strip of scrap plywood on top of the tarp and then lay the housing on the wood. This keeps any sharp edges on the housing from cutting into the tarp and letting all the solvent leak out. Don't ask how I learned to do this.

When you're done, bucket out the solvent and fold up or pitch the tarp and dismantle the frame. No expensive tank to buy and have to store.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Russell Day on Friday, July 27, 2012 - 04:53 am:

Purple Power? I've seen the stuff but use one I haven't seen listed here called Super Clean made by Castrol. It is a water based purple solution as well but is essentially a Lye solution and available at your local Wal-Mart for $6-8.00/gal. I used it to clean everything from my differential to frame and even the wash-out before final assy of my engine. The stuff is fantastic. I remember spilling some on some car paint one time and quickly wiped it off, I noticed it not only dulled the paint but removed the crud from it as well. A buddy was repainting a car a few weeks later and asked me if I knew of anything he could do to ease the burden of sanding the surface. I told him what I discovered and he put it in a pump sprayer and hosed it off. It gave enough tooth to paint and the new paint stuck like glue! That was 10 years ago and he still talks about it. Great stuff! You will need to scrub no matter what for anything immersed in ancient gear oil.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chad Marchees on Friday, July 27, 2012 - 06:21 am:

Update:

I used the heated parts washer at work. I plugged the end with rags to sort of dam up the fluid coming out of the fluid hose. I got one done yesterday, plan on doing the other today.

Then It looks as if they will fit in my blast cabinet, so I will blast them myself. My compressor is on the small side for bigger jobs like this, so its just going to take awhile. But I couldn't find anyone reasonable enough to do all this for me in a timely manner as we have an upcoming club session on putting this together.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Danuser on Friday, July 27, 2012 - 01:18 pm:

Before you blast them block off all holes and the ends are you will get sand in it


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