My motor is currently out of the car and tranny is separated in order to install a new clutch. I'm doing a very detail wire tuck and tried searching options for either painting the tranny and long block but I heard that alot of people that painted their block start to chip off. So I was wondering if anyone has soda blast their motor while still assemble??

 

Soda? as in the drink?

 

I actually looked this up as I never heard of it b4, apparently they don't use the carbonated liquid but sodium bicarbonate instead. learn something new everyday

 

I've seen a soda blasted car once at a body shop. It was a few years ago though and I can't remember what the advantage over sandblasting was.

Glass beads will work fine on something like an engine/transmission too. But you couldn't do it while it's assembled. I can pretty much guarantee you'd get stuff in it.

 

I don't think that the medium used will keep the paint from chipping or peeling.

 

I think the soda blasting was an alternative to paint in this case, not in addition to. That said surface prep goes a long way in making sure paint sticks well.

 

the glass media will take aluminum material way when blasting. not much but it will remove aluminum. soda blasting will take off the paint with out removing any aluminum like glass media will. and the soda powder will dissolve and rinse away with water unlike the glass that will clump in small areas and stick.

 

Yeah, soda blasting I think is used more on thinner aluminum pieces that would easily bend due to the friction of the sand over metal. the Sodium bicarbonate is less harsh on the thinner metals, as for the paint sticking, wouldn't that be due to the heat? Your best bet to make sure it sticks is to use engine enamel, but i guess we painted my racecar motor with no prepping, just a hot tanked block/cleaned head, and it hasn't chipped at all.