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Brake backing plate questions

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drooartz

drooartz

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I actually did some work on the Tunebug today! I'm working on cleaning up the backing plates for the brake swap (later setup from a '74 Midget). Here's how far I got today:

74brakeback1.jpg


74brakeback2.jpg


My questions:

1. Is this as far down as they dissassemble?

2. What's the preferred method for degunking? I've wire-wheeled as much as I can, but there's still some gunk in the hard to reach places. No access to a sand blaster here, so it's manual labor.
 
Drew, that's as far down as they get.
Try using small scratch brushes and brake cleaner to get into those little nooks and crannies. I use the stainless steel "toothbrushes" used for cleaning aluminum prior to welding.
Don't forget to chase the threads for the adjuster.
A blaster would be nice, though.
Jeff
 
Drew

I did some backing plates today with a dremal tool with the small wire brush attached.

Cheers
Mark
 
I have a small - parts washer that is wonderful - all manner of cleaning tools - scrubbing pads etc. I also keep a package of Pipe Cleaners (Chenille sticks) for tight spots.
 
Thanks. I did some Dremel work today, might try to pick up a better small wire brush for it tomorrow. Good idea on the wire toothbrushes. I've probably got one around somewhere.

Blaster would be nice, but no space (garage or wallet) for one at this point. Time is the one thing I've got, so I'll make the best use of it.

What size/thread is that adjuster? I'm not sure I've got a tap big enough.
 
Blasters are really cheep at HF and good enough for the casual user, I got one on my list.
 
Jack, I've got a gun with a siphon hose that you just drop into a bucket of sand. Use it outdoors, and it's plenty good enough for work like this.
Serious stuff I take to work with me.
Jeff
 
Oh, and that would be so easy to store. Where did you get it?
 
No space for a cabinet. I like the idea of a simple gun to use outside. Not sure what SWMBO would think about that, though.
 
Jack, the one I have was given to me by a friend when he had his body shop. It really is nothing more than a gun with a 3 foot piece of hose attached to go into the bucket.
Jeff
 
Well I be a..............

Wonder how well they work and for how long. Anyone have one?

Talk to me, heck at those prices you could have several for different media.

Go to Harbor Freidght and keyword search "Blaster" a price and size for everyone. Hay Drew, no excuse now.
 
That is $20 I can throw down for something so useful.
Thanks JP and Jeff! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
 
Interesting. I'll have to take a look next time I'm down in the city.
 
They are pretty neat. The mess, even outside, is unbelievable!! I have a cabinet style as well. Bought it from Tractor Supply for about $100. It is less than perfect. I actually prefer the syphon style (minus the mess.) To me, it is well the worth dropping it off to my blasting guy and getting it back in the afternoon. No mess to clean up. And if you have never blasted before, it is a big mess. Did I mention the mess?
 
I do mine in the back yard, so all the sand just goes to the grass. I live on nothing but sand, so a little extra doesn't hurt. Of course, I have 200 feet of air hose, so I can get pretty far away from everything when I do it, and only use it for <u>very</u> small jobs.
Jeff
 
That makes sense, Jeff. What kind of sand are you using? I was using this black beauty stuff when I did the body. I think the reason I was so upset with the amount of mess was,,,,,, heck I did an entire car! Small parts are done in the yard but remind me of the big blast of 05. Black sand is still blowing into crevices. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
For the little bit I do outside, I just use beach sand from the local hardware. I know it's not the proper media, and I <u>do</u> wear a mask and hood, but as I said, I only do very small jobs. I've got a 36" x 48" cabinet at work that I can sneak most things into,
For anything larger, I just pay to have it done.
Jeff
 
My experience is that the results are great, but at the cost of a big mess. Sand will be everywhere on your person and in all crevices of the part your are working on. A blast cabinet is cheap and does contain the mess, but is limited to small parts. For sandblasting, a pressurized system works better that the cheap siphon feeds.

A downside of getting your own blast cabinet/sandblaster is that you'll need a lot bigger air compressor than you might think. My compressor is an old 1 HP Sears which is great for occasionally powering an impact wrench, cleaning parts and inflating tires but woefully underpowered for running a sandblaster or blast cabinet. If you do upgrade to a higher CFM compressor you'll still need to work out a way to keep water out of the airstream as it will clot up your sandblast gun nozzle.

No matter what system you use, breating silica dust is a hazard to be careful of.

As an alternative, I did find that mounting a 6 inch wire wheel on an arbor powered by an old motor makse a great tool for removing loose rust and crud.

Mike
 
Agreed. My blast cabinet is about worthless as far as I am concerned. Unless I can get the part cleaned by a wire wheel, I take it in to be done. Unless it is a very small part to put in the cabinet for only a few minutes.
 
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