I got a 3 rib trans out of a bus at a junk yard recently and decided to take the engine too. The oil looked surprisingly nice for having sat for twenty years or so. The bottom inside of the case and the drain plate have this strange gritty grey sludge that I have not seen before. It feels like it has big chunks of sand in it. Carb cleaner does not dissolve it but makes it slightly thinner (that or the thinner I also tried). I spread the stuff on a towel and found that the grit can not be as large as it feels. It looks like it must be really small and had clumped together.
My friend said that it is from the magnesium corroding from water getting inside the engine. He also said that the case is shot because of it. However, I have not found any info on this situation here or the Samba. Is it corroded magnesium? Is the case really shot?
Gritty sandy oil
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Bruce2
- Posts: 7105
- Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2001 1:01 am
Re: Gritty sandy oil
He's right. It's due to water in the case for a long time.
I wouldn't say the case is junk. Use a sharp pointy tool to dig out all the soft powdery remains. Even if it makes a hole right through the case, JB Weld will fix it.
I wouldn't say the case is junk. Use a sharp pointy tool to dig out all the soft powdery remains. Even if it makes a hole right through the case, JB Weld will fix it.
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woodsbuggy1
- Posts: 826
- Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:15 pm
Re: Gritty sandy oil
If you have a soda blaster available, it will clean things up nicely without doing any additional damage. I bought one several years ago and it has been very handy.
Good Luck
Kenric
Good Luck
Kenric
Good quality is getting harder and harder to find.
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ProctorSilex
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:09 pm
Re: Gritty sandy oil
Yeah, a soda blaster sounds nice but my Crapsman 1.5HP diaphragm compressor can't keep up with that sort of thing even with a 30gal tank.
I planned on soaking it with WD40 for days followed by cleaner right before taking it to a car wash with a pressure washer. Do a few cases at once.
What kind of compressor do you have that can keep up with it?
I planned on soaking it with WD40 for days followed by cleaner right before taking it to a car wash with a pressure washer. Do a few cases at once.
What kind of compressor do you have that can keep up with it?
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Piledriver
- Moderator
- Posts: 22856
- Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2002 12:01 am
Re: Gritty sandy oil
I tested/fixed and used a 70A plasma cutter at full power with a tiny little pancake oilless compressor at my place...
Worked great...
~20 seconds at a time.
Got the job done. (20 seconds on a 70A plasma cutter gets a lot done)
Most of the "job" was demoing the plasma cutter to sell, worked great.
(I have another identical cutter)
Worked great...
~20 seconds at a time.
Got the job done. (20 seconds on a 70A plasma cutter gets a lot done)
Most of the "job" was demoing the plasma cutter to sell, worked great.
(I have another identical cutter)
Addendum to Newtons first law:
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
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ONEBADBUG
- Posts: 213
- Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:25 pm
Re: Gritty sandy oil
Now that I'm back building engines again and buying truckloads of junk, I have encountered this several times. The biggest problem is if the sump plate area is too far gone. I have been replacing the studs with 1/4 24 hardware and sometimes have to JB weld some of the area there. Then you have to resurface the sump plate area. I did that by sticking sandpaper to an old plate, and spinning it before the new studs.