How to clean out a rear end?

I sandblasted my ford 9 inch after disassembling it and now it has some sand inside the housing and axle shaft area. I have sprayed the inside down with brake cleaner and then sprayed it down with water but there is still grease and grime in there. I will be having a local speed shop install the posi and setting everything up. Is it possible to have a rear end housing hot tanked? Are there any other recommendations for cleaning this thing up?

 

find a parts cleaner and flush it for a LONG time.

 

Car Wash maybe? Bring a bucket, sponge and bottle of Dawn dish washing liquid too.

Al in CT

 

I believe it's called a colonic... doesn't sound too appealing if ya ask me!

 

Carry it in your pickup bed to the local car wash. Spend a few bucks with nice hot soapy water blasting it from center to ends and from ends to center then rinse thoroughly for another buck or two. Wait until bed drains clean, then go home and dry it out. Should be clean as a whistle.

 

pppfffftttt!!!!

 

i had my rearend hot tanked then blasted

 

That sounds downright painful!

 

I take mine to a local " big machinery repair " place that works on big diesels.
Their VAT is large enough to dip a 1966 VW bug and nasty enough that they do not care what you bring in.

In on Friday and dipped all weekend ...They come out CLEAN on Monday

 

With sand blasting and bead blasting, I would not be comfortable with a pressure wash or rinse. Get in there with a brush too. Go with whatever soap/chemical it takes to get the gunk out, since this is a bare steel housing.

 

Try some easy-off oven cleaner and pressure washer..

 

Hot tank,,HRP

 

I worked with a old chassis builder he put a gallon of kerosene in them and let them burn at night they come out really nice and clean

 

I uses an engine brush for a 3" bore or a toilet brush and a couple of cans of brake parts cleaner.

 

I had mine media blasted before i tore it down..it keeps the shit from getting inside.
the very small areas that couldnt get blasted because of it being assembled were easy to clean up..
after having my gear ratio changed and axles cleaned. I painted the axle shafts, and used kerosene and rags and cleaned out the inside..she sparkled like new
i didnt want sand inside my housing there are somany places for it to hide and never get it all out..so i elected to have it blasted while it was all together, minus the backing plates.

 

pull the axle seals out so you can get inside the axle tubes to clean them out with a brush...you will need new seals anyway. i go to the car wash too with some brushes , a couple cans of engine cleaner and a bunch of quarters

 

I have them hot-tanked. Some are too long for the tank and they'll keep it an extra day to flip it around but when you get it back all that imbedded oil/grease/goop is gone and if you sandblast/grind/whatever the grit won't stick to anything. Your hands'll stay nice and clean handling it too.

 

beer and brotworst....no seriously

like HRP said hot tank it is the best way . take it to your local engine rebuilder drop it off, pick it up. Same price as 10 cans oven cleaner, no mess in your garage, absorbtion killing your liver, early death.

 

check around with some engine rebuilders and se if they have an oven big enough to fit your housing and have it baked. all the grease turns to ash and falls out, its the new way to clean up parts

 

HOt soapy water. Scrub, scrub, scrub.

 

.....and then scrub some more. Make it as clean as you can and remember that one little speck of sand getting into a bearing can ruin it. I personally would never sandblast the interior of anything that will later have bearings running in it.

 

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I only sandblasted the outside of the housing but some sand got inside the housing that had oil in it and all the sand stuck. I'll try out some of the ideas and hope for the best.

 

I think you gotta hottank it or equivalent like baking. That crud in unreachable places will be VERY hard to clean out reliably by hand, and with sand in there you don't dare miss a single speck. Once it is degreased, detergent and hot water will help you be sure that sand and other non-soluble/bakeable stuff is out for sure.

 

Hot tank !

 

FWIW I had a 3rd member shipped to me in a sawdust filled bucket, wouldn't even turn. Took it to the carwash and pressure washed the hell out of it and its worked fine since.

Personally, I think hottanking or what have you is great, but I'd never trust it to get all the sand out of there, I'd still take it to the car wash. good luck

 

I second the Oven cleaner method

Apply a thick coat..

wait.

Scrape the guck with a putty knife.

Apply a thick coat..

wait.

Scrape the guck with a putty knife.

Apply a thick coat..

wait.

Scrape the guck with a putty knife.

Apply a thick coat..

wait.

Scrape the guck with a putty knife.

Apply a thick coat..

wait.

Scrape the guck with a putty knife.


Should be pretty clean by now.
- Joe

 

Anytime you introduce something that isn't soluble like glass beads or sand, you MUST clean with detergent, but you need to get the petro type stuff out of there before you can do that. A rearend is not easy to clean by hand due to the heaviness of the crud, and there is no way to see all the nooks. Hottank is only way to be sure, and then hot water and detergent to remove any leftover sand, steel, and other leavings. A few leftover grains could trash your gears.

 

thats gotta hurt!

 

I heard this stuff works great.