Cleaning steering box?

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71scamp78

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I have a manual steering box that's pretty damn nasty. Would sand blasting be ok to clean it up. It works fine just curious if I could clean that way. If not what's best way to clean them..they are kind of a pain with the shape they are.
 
Soak it down with diesel fuel until all the grunge softens up. Scrape off the grunge residue and then wash with soapy water and rinse clean, ready to paint or leave natural.

Dawn dish soap cuts grease well.
 
I cleaned mine with gas to get the junk off. Used a wire wheel on my hand grinder to shine it up. 65'
 
I realize a wire wheel would work. My question is if sand blasting would be ok

Sand Blasting will imbed sand into the oil seals at the shafts.

Not recommended, but if you must sand blast. Put 2 layers duct tape on the seal and shaft areas to protect them, and stay away from the duct tape when blasting it. Sand gets into everything.
 
Sand Blasting will imbed sand into the oil seals at the shafts.

Not recommended, but if you must sand blast. Put 2 layers duct tape on the seal and shaft areas to protect them, and stay away from the duct tape when blasting it. Sand gets into everything.
I wouldn’t unless you take it apart, and just blast the case. If it were me I would hit it with a couple cans of brake cleaner, and finish off with a scotch bright and hot water and a grease cutter.
 
If you're set on blasting it, i'd bead blast with a very light media in a cabinet.

They usually clean up pretty good and iirc are aluminum. Is it just caked with crap? Blasting doesn't work great on grease and crud and it will mess up your cabinet.
 
I cleaned it up then (
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@dadsbee) advise put hot wax around seals then taped up with red stucco tape then Bead blasted it then high temp clear coat came out awesome.
 
Depends on the nasty, corroded and pitted or just greasy? How greasy it is? Use some solvent or a pressure washer if grease is really thick. Castrol super clean and a solvent tank brush for final clean.

Get the grease off and see what’s there.

Forget all the abrasives, sand, wire brush/wheel, etc unless it is corroded and rusted on the steel parts.
 
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