what are the best cleaning, preping methods/ materials/finishes for engine parts, case heads etc?
Mitchell

Large scrubbing brush n plenty of Kerosene then hit it with the gurnieeee

make sure you don't "hot tank" the case, be careful what you clean it with because it is magnesium. Pretty much everything else which is steel or aluminium u can use carb cleaner or try "wax & grease remover" which is good also

you can just boil the parts in a tank of water and tri sodium phosphate TSP and that will clean up most stuff, don't know how it would react with the magnesium though? try and let us know

An air compressor is most useful. You can use compressed air to blow out all the lines in both case halves, after you've used the kero-degreaser-gurney-water hose routine.

Machine shops will also tank clean your case if you ask them, and will often do so free if you have any machining done at the same time.

I'd be careful of non-VW machine shops, and in order to post a case you'll probably need to clean it first. Aircooled.net and Gene Berg recommend petrol and dishsoap-and-water, respectively, followed by a light oiling (such as WD40.)

Always remember, magnesium is a highly reactive metal (and the VW case is 97 0r 98% Mg,) and techniques such as hot-tanking, caustic degreasers and dubious cleaners must be avoided (remember those experiments at school, the way magnesium burns or reacts with acids, alkalis and salts.)

I have found Mick Motors to be extremely helpful and I'll call them and ask before I ship my case to them for work, if you're using someone else try them, or rethink who'll be machining your case.

I used dry cleaning fluid which is basically a lighter grade of petroleum product. Make sure you have adequate ventilation, and HEAVY rubber gloves. I used kitchen gloves and they probably sliced open on the first part I worked on. I found out that the stuff can be absorbed through the skin!! :o:thumb

Seems like an expensive solution (s'cuse the pun) to the problem, if you don't smoke petrol would probably work just as well. I did clean the outside of a case with a mixture of kero and laudry detergent (poor man's degreaser) and it did a good job with no apparrant damage.

That sounds like a good idea, how expensive is it?

Yes, I am interested in cleaning heads & cylinders too,.... There is a mob in Scone called Aircraft Maintenance.. .. sounds expensive though...
I haven't actually tried anything yet...