There are few things that can rejuvenate you like a good, hot shower. I can only imagine how awful it must have been a few hundred years ago having to bathe in stale, tepid water out of a small tub no less. And, you’d only do that maybe once a week!
I’m certainly thankful I can shower as I please, at whatever temperature I please. I can only imagine the level of clean is also vastly improved. There’s no way sitting in a small tub with a sponge would get your body as clean as a hot shower today with a multitude of soaps, shampoos and conditioners available to us.
It seems these days, keeping clean is of the highest importance – showering being just one aspect. The importance of a pristine clean can also be said for engine components.
While much of today’s engine building talk revolves around tighter and tighter tolerances being held, we’re also seeing much more importance being placed on the cleaning and cleanliness of key engine components before assembly. Engine building to the unindoctrinated used to be viewed as a greasy, oily mess – it still is – at times. However, today, engine and machine shops are keeping things pretty tidy, and that goes double for the engine components.
Whether a shop utilizes ovens, blasting cabinets, chemical tanks, ultrasonics, parts tumblers, or something else, building engines with fresh, clean components is the new standard. We all know an engine over time gathers dirt, grease, grit, grim, oil, and other contaminants. These aren’t just on the surface of engine parts either! These contaminants get everywhere – in ports, holes, cracks, creases, etc.
To keep up with an industry always pushing the boundaries of engine performance, you need to keep up with your cleaning equipment too. This month we cover a few of those cleaning options available in the market and reasons why you might go with one over another or set up your shop with several of them, depending on your needs.
As always, I hope you enjoy this issue and have a great October! EB
