MACHINE SHOP CLEANING OF ALUMINUM BLOCKS
 

I didn't know where to ask this but are aluminum blocks put through a high temp oven as an iron block would be for cleaning since it hnas some steel sleeves and that metals would react differently? Are they just cleaned wioth solvents? Trying to get a jump for the shop as they are so busy I don't want to call them! THX!

The shop I worked in had two different cleaning machiens, one for Iron/steel, the other for aluminum. The reason for this is becuase we used a caustic solvent in the iron cleaner, it would eat away at alum. parts. The alum. parts cleaner just used a basic cleaner and water. Both were heated of course. It depends on the shop you take it to and what they work with, but they should have different cleaning ovens/baths also. We also had a heated pressure washer that I would use whenever something was really dirty, iron or alum. becuase I just sprayed that stuff down with degreaser. I once accidently put an aluminum oil pan in the caustic bath, the heaviest aluminum oil pan I've ever seen so I didn't check it with a magnet. The pan cam out all pitted and eaten away at, but it was fine, just looked odd.

Also, make sure after you clean the block, spray it with some wd-40 or some kind of light oil to keep rust from forming.

When a block is cleaned, all bearings, sleeves, plugs, etc. are removed so I wouldn't worry about different metals reacting differently. This is done no matter what block material you have.

Yeah, that is true but this shop uses a high temp oven and they did say it would ruin the block so I will give it the best I can for now so they can take measurements. They are sobusy to finish the season that I have to wait at least a month before they could even clean my stuff. I just want to know what I will be needing. THX, all set.

Well, if the oven is the problem, then the problem is the heating of the metal solely. One can't heat up Aluminum as much as Steel so heating up Aluminum too high will alter the structure of the metal and therefore weaken it. So, make sure that block isn't over-heated.

If it's an oven like what we used for "baking" iron heads then you will not be able to put aluminum in it, just not gona happen.