Soda Blasted Carbs - Oil, lube, Loctite?

[ryamatt]

The next in my series of dumb questions....

I just finished soda blasting and cleaning 30 years of crap off my BS38 carbs. They are probably cleaner then they have ever been.

Now that they are all de-gunked, should I wipe the carb bodies off with any kind of oil or something? I have some small parts/gaskets on the way to rebuild them, but they won't get tested until next spring. It feels weird to leave bare metal sitting exposed for months without at least giving things a wipe with an oily rag or something. They look so naked now that they are soda blasted. (I know they are aluminum and brass, and won't rust, but still...). Are they cool to leave as is?

Also, are there any carb parts that require a bit of lubing - like the choke plunger, or the throttle spring, or around the connecting rod? If so, what should I use?

And lastly, do you guys use any Loctite on things like carb tops, float bowl screws, throttle/choke screws? I know not to use anything on jets or the internal parts exposed to gas.

Thanks.

(The resurrection of my new/old 76 is fully underway. My wife feels like a widow - she has totally lost me to the garage!)

Ryan

 

[jd750ace]

I try to make sure everything I use on a carb is safe to go through a running motor. For instance, you can fog those carb bodies with WD40, and it will prevent oxidation of the surface. Just put the whole housing in a big zip lock. Safe for all your surfaces, and makes a good safe starting fluid for diesels too. Next, I install the choke plunger with just a touch of vaseline. Petroleum jelly or motor oil are both pretty good, but the petroleum jelly stays in the tight places longer. Both are fuel soluble, and will not clog anything up. No the subject of loctite on the carbs, in my experience, a resounding NO. Carbs are fun enough to get apart the first time. You could, I suppose, but I would not use very much, and I would swap all the screws to allen head cap screws if I were going to do that.
One man's opinion is Gospel, but I'm not That Man!

 

[weekendrider]

The only place I might use loctite is if you replaced the the throttle plate/butterfly screws and weren't planning on staking them.

 

[5twins]

Yes, no loctite on any of the screws except as WE mentioned. Use anti-seize on the bowl, choke body, and top screws, heck, on any of the external screws. I wet things down with WD40 when assembling, like the slide, choke plunger, any o-rings. I don't like assembling things dry.

You have washed the carb bodies in hot water to remove any residual soda, right? Then blow all the passageways clear again too.

 

[ryamatt]

You have washed the carb bodies in hot water to remove any residual soda, right? Then blow all the passageways clear again too.

Yeah - I gave them a thorough rinse with hot water and blew them out with the compressor. I've done this twice now - there was a little residue after the first rinse/drying, but we're all clean now.

Thanks for the help everyone. 5Twins' comment about not assembling things dry is the reason I asked. They look so clean and dry, it seemed weird to assemble them like that. (I was hoping 5Twins would chime in - he seems to have most of the answers around here! Thanks.)

R

 

[Aucbar]

Hey ive been surfing around the forum and had a question. Im going to soda blast my block and with my understanding since the soda only removes organic material i shouldnt have to worry about it exposing the engine to the environment. I cannot find a straight answer on what I am thinking so my question is.

Once my engine is blasted I DO NOT need to put anything on it? Perhaps wipe it down for WD-40 for piece of mind but it should be fine? or do i need to clear coat it and go the whole nine yards to keep it good?

thanks guys

 

[jd750ace]

So, where did you hear the soda only removed organic material? It does not erode the metal, but it removes all kinds of coatings. It removes polyurethane paint from aircraft parts. Your motor will be bare aluminum when you're done.

 

[Aucbar]

I read it on another thread. What would you recommend I do for protection after blasting?

 

[XSLeo]

The original heads and cylinders were just plain aluminum. The cases they painted grey. I think the left and right engine covers were clear coated. On the later engines they were painted.
I think you can leave them as is or paint them. A clear coat will keep them looking good a very long time.
Just use a high temp paint or clear coat, don't want it burning off.
Leo

 

[ryamatt]

Clear coat seems to be hit or miss. Often it ends up going yellowish with heat/time. I like the look of my soda-only top end. Engines hit with glass beads look better in terms of polish/shiny bits, but I like the idea of using a rinse-able blasting media that won't wreck my engine if I don't get it 100% clean after blasting. And over time, if it needs a spruce-up, just blast it again in the frame with soda and rinse in the driveway - no special cabinet is needed to contain your blasting, unlike with glass.