i am building an engine and tried the hand scrubbing method using "soup", tooth brushes and wire brushes and just wasn't satisfied with the results. or the hours involved. researched blasting options and their advantages/disadvantages. here in the states there are two vapor blasting vendors, both with seemingly pretty good recommendations. i just didn't like the idea of taking everything apart all at the same time, packing and shipping across the country. nor did i like the possiblity of a little glass bead stuck somewhere in the internals of my engine.

i was going to try soda blasting but read that an air drier is needed to keep moisture from clogging up the gun. also read that dry soda blasting was still a little on the abrasive side for this type of work. but i figured if water vapor softens the blow of the glass beads in vapor blasting, why wouldn't it do the same with baking soda?

so i fired up my dad's compressor and took his sand blaster, emptied it, cleaned it out and filled it with hot water and few drops of detergent. this worked ok but still left a greasy film. then added a little baking soda. then a little more. the more soda you add, the more abrasive the mixture. no dust. no concerns about baking soda and water killing the grass, the dog or the kids. and results were fantastic. didn't get very far as i ran out of soda and it's bloody cold here still but was very encouraged by the initial results. next time i will collect the waste in a trash can for reuse. i will use a barbecue grill over the can as a work platform.

has anyone done anything like this? are there detriments i haven't seen yet? i am figuring blasted parts will need a good cleaning under hot water as you want no soda residue left. it's simple and inexpensive. have i found engine cleaning nirvana?
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