HerronScott said:
Didn't Art rebuild alternators or work at a company that did it? Maybe he'll have some good information on what to clean them with.
Scott
I still work for an electrical rebuilder. We completely disassemble all of the alternators, and depending on what part it is, initial cleaning is done in machines using either hot water, mineral spirits or ultrasound. After that, many of the parts go through a steel shot wheelabrator or glass bead tumbler. So much for me handing out some useful information on cleaning parts at home! :laugh:
Actually, I have cleaned parts here at home on several occasions, and the best all around stuff is mineral spirits, followed by brake clean to get rid of any residual oils.
Stained aluminum can be tough. If the mineral spirits and brake clean doesn't get rid of it all, there are aluminum paints that make the parts look like they were just glass beaded. As far as the bearings go, if you're careful with the mineral spirits etc, you shouldn't run into a problem. Most of the bearings are sealed or shielded so as long as you don't dunk the unit in whatever you're cleaning with, the bearings will be fine.