hpp wheel cleaning

[87gtVIC]

I picked up a set of hpps a while back. They were filthy. I cleaned them and then they got less filthy. Still there remains caked on black specks and brake dust. I went with simple green straight up and a tooth bush, specialty wheel brushes and a pressure washer, still I cannot phase it.

The ultimate plan is to paint them. Any suggestions on what can clean these wheels? I am not worried about ruining the finish.

-David

[mrltd]

I ended up taking a credit card and wheel cleaner and scraping my 91 turbines to get that kind of crap off. If you are painting them, just get them bead/sand blasted. Much less time consuming than doing that crap by hand.

[tjc78]

You could always try a "Magic Eraser" I also like the credit card idea mrltd suggested.

The little black specks might be road tar, so maybe some bug and tar remover would help.

[87gtVIC]

I do not want to pay for bead blasting.

I actually purchased magic erasers for the task though never tried.

Anyone with experience using oven cleaner????

[mrltd]

Magic erasers are basically very fine scotchbrite.... I'll tell you this, some things are just worth paying for to save a ton of work and time. I spent 4 hours PER WHEEL on those turbines. Oven cleaner might work, never tried it.

[1980c10]

I used over cleaner on my turbines. It takes the finish off just like paint stripper. Just not as strong as stripper.

[marquis_82_withneons]

i shit you not.. this will probably work. we use it all the time..

get the gallon of engine degreaser, gallon on simple green, bottle of "lemon scented" amonia (walmart), and bleach. mix together in spray bottle. shit dissolves paint i swear.. lol

[sly]

yeah... do not inhale though... bleach and ammonia create a TOXIC gas. I do know that it WILL kill mold and mildew with EXTREME prejudice too. Scott air pack required in that case since it was a bathroom. The vent had to be run for 4 hours to ventilate the room before anyone could enter.

[87gtVIC]

I have a gallon of air craft stripper. I think I will try the magic eraser, then run them for the season. Scuff them with red scotch brite and lay on the stripper, pressure wash and hope it all comes off.......

[mrltd]

Hydrochloric acid? Not the greatest thing to toss on aluminum.

[Ike Clanton]

I've thought about using Bleech White whitewall cleaner. Whatever that shit is seems pretty heinous...

[BuffaloRider]

*taking down notes*

When I get a new set of wheels for bison to sit on i'll be trying to paint my old turbines and man they are fucked. I don't know about the bleach and amonia concoction, maybe if this were the battle of Ypres. How about just taking bleach out of the mixture?

[gadget73]

high powered caustics and acids both will eat up aluminum. Oven cleaner is sodium hydroxide, lye, which is some pretty badass shit. In a strong enough concentration, it will eat the skin right off your hands. It also will screw up aluminum pretty badly if you let it sit on there too long. Acids are even worse on aluminum. Aircraft stripper is a solvent but should be fairly PH neutral. It won't hurt the aluminum. I'd go that route first since it should have no chemical reaction with the metal.


And never mix ammonia and bleach. It produces chlorine gas. Fine if this was 1915 on the western front in France, but not really something you want in your house.

[jaywish]

Just my $0.02, If you are going to paint them a light blasting would give you a great clean surface to bind to. I wonder ho much it costs? I hope to find out in the beginning of the week. I just put my summer hpp's on today, they really are hard to keep clean, and I need to pick up some stuff from a powder coat shop so will ask them how much to blast my wheels.

[87gtVIC]

Jay let me know. Maybe they can give a discounted price with eight versus four wheels.