cleaning up an old oil pan

[md21722]

When the oil pan is off to change the rear main and oil pan gasket, what's the best way to clean it up, if anything? Mine has some rust bubbles on the bottom and some varnish on the inside. No sludge or chunks of what used to be oil or engine parts.

I am tempted to use an abrasive disc to grind down the rust spots and repaint and leave the varnish alone.

I am wondering if asking a machine shop to 'hot tank' it is a good idea. It seems like it would be easy enough to drop it off and pick it up when they are done, and then do any rust clean up and painting once they are done with it.

 

[rockclimber]

wire wheel. oil resistant paint on the outside. leave the inside bare.

 

[jeeptorino68]

brake cleaner on the inside, and wipe it down/scrape it out.
wire wheel the outside

 

[md21722]

As a follow up, I took it to a machine shop who put it in the washer. I went looking around for hi-temp engine primer and paint and all I found was VHT. The VHT products went on much thinner that the Rustoleum self etching primer I've used before but the Rustoleum product wasn't hi-temp. I put the pan on last night 4 days after painting it and the paint comes off if you look at the wrong way. In most cases the scratches that occurred during installation only took off the paint, not the primer. Is there a more durable way to get this done? I suppose now that I've got more experience removing and reinstalling the pan there would be fewer scratches if I took it out again, but ideally the paint would be more durable.

 

[kstopp]

VHT paints usually need to be baked on. I've had good luck with them following their instructions.

 

[dan1977p]

VHT paints usually need to be baked on. I've had good luck with them following their instructions.

I was about to say the same thing. You can either put it in the oven if it will fit or you have to heat cycle the part a few times at increasing temps to get it to stick. If you can't get it in the oven, you do have to be very careful when installing the part to not scratch it like what happened to you.

I'd say clean it, respray the scratches while on the jeep and heat cycle it per the can and you'll be fine.

 

[md21722]

Yeah, I'm going to respray and drive it. I don't think it will fit in my oven

 

[lazyxj]

Yeah, I'm going to respray and drive it. I don't think it will fit in my oven

Last time I baked a part in the oven, my wife came home early.
That was fun.

Now, I use a couple of heat lamps to bake freshly painted parts.

 

[dan1977p]

Yeah mine came home to my diff bearings in the oven. Never ends well

 

[Hypoid]

She missed the pistons in the parts/dishwasher?