Clean enough to eat off of???

[al lkosmal]

Not yet, but getting there. Here's a couple of pix of my 2.7S to 2.7X rebuild. (9.5:1 JE's, Ecams, Carbs or EFI, etc.) Engine, pistons, and cams purchased off this board.

Donor - running, but seller dropped it due to pulled stud. I found just one. This motor still had the thermal reactors on it. A virgin?



Dirty case -



Clean case - after seeing pix of Chad Plavan's extremely clean rebuild I went back with the wire brush.. Not there yet, these mag cases don't look as nice as the aluminum. Maybe if I polish it... or does that put the anal in anal retentive.

[sammyg2]

Old saying, Chrome won't get you home but it makes you look good while you're pushing it.

If you get personal satisfaction from over-cleaning the outside, go for it. That would be the only benefit. I personally don't see the logic.

[al lkosmal]

Sam,
You are correct. Personal preference and satisfaction. Won't make it run any better, but it's a good indication that the time and effort put into getting the outside right will translate into time, effort and dedication to getting the insde right. Why would you want to apply logic? It's my toy and I like it to look nice.

Al

[Henry Schmidt]

The cleaner it is, the easier it is to see defects. Used stuff has to be inspected. We plate all our parts because that is the best way to get things clean. We plate it, then inspect it. It is not uncommon for us to throw away freshly plated items.
All cleaning makes sense.
Inspection aside, it also shows "pride in workmanship".

[sammyg2]

Al, I wasn't trying to be a smart butt or anything, I enjoy looking at a clean engine as much as anyone.
If someone gets satisfaction from cleaning something for cosmetic reasons then that is all the justification necessary, they do it because they want to and enjoy the end result.

My statement was that I personally don't see the reason for it because for me the satisfaction does not justify the work and time involved.

if something needs to be cleaned to properly inspect it then it is no longer cosmetic, it is mechanical.
Cleaning the inside is definitely mechanical. Cleaning the outside where parts fit or where defects are prone to show up also makes sense mechanically. But, to clean and coat and plate something that does not affect mechanical integrity is purely cosmetic and therefore falls into the emotional category, not logic.
The trick is to know the difference.
In my shop we are constantly cleaning parts and machines prior to shipment in a way that is purely cosmetic. We do that to elicit a positive emotional response from the customer, even though it does not have any effect on the reliability of the machine. That is our own twisted version of logic.

[al lkosmal]

Sam,
No offense taken. For all of us, I think, it's always a combo of Engineering and Art. Just where you draw the line is personal preference?? Every once in a while I am impressed by an example of someones work that goes far beyond normal expectations and resets the bar much higher.

Henry,
That is a work of art.

[Henry Schmidt]

This engine is a stock 2.7 overhaul for a customer in Wisconsin. We have discovered that building them this way gives the customer the best possible chance for success and makes us feel good about our product.
We like what we do and it shows .

[CliffBrown]

Henry

You have the best looking rebuilt motors I have ever seen.

Would you mind giving us a breakdown of your engine cleaning routine, to include the make and model of your parts cleaner, what type of blast media you use and what psi air pressure, do you replace all the case studs, what type of plating, what chemicals, etc...?

[adomakin]

im wiv cliff!

Andy

[adomakin]

come on Henry, i want to know what cliff wants to know!!

[bob tilton]

henry - you are an artist.

[Wayne 962]

A nice looking clean engine is great, but you want to make sure that you concentrate on the inside mostly - not the outside...

-Wayne

[Henry Schmidt]

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
A nice looking clean engine is great, but you want to make sure that you concentrate on the inside mostly - not the outside...

-Wayne

Wanye: I hope you weren't trying to say something about how we build engines.
Pride in workmanship starts on the inside and shows on the outside.
The complete package should be the goal of every mechanic.

[al lkosmal]

If there were two engines, same price, side by side, supposedly rebuilt identically, but one was spotlessly clean on the outside and the other was not as clean, which would you buy???? attention to detail and pride of workmanship is where it's at both inside and out. The functional inside cleanliness is priority one, of course. The outside "skin deep" beauty doesn't guarantee the inside is beautiful, but it is an indication that care was taken and it looks soooo good.

[350HP930]

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Rebuilding My 930

[al lkosmal]

excellent. beautiful job.