Honda305.com Forum

Can I soda blast the engine cases on a cb160?

Or are they painted and I will need to repaint if I blast them?

I can't get these things clean no matter what I do.

They were painted. You might want to go over them with paint stripper first, then blast them.

Thanks Mike!

Should I bother with stripping and blasting or just paint them and move on?

As MrHonda Bill S & I will attest, be very judicious in purging all the oil journals & channels in your motor after media blasting. Any medium used can find its way into those small orifices, and the results (if not properly & thoroughly cleaned) can lead to disaster!! Trust me, any media used is highly invasive stuff. A good looking motor exterior is not worth the potential internal grief & parts failure you might incur if all those orifices & oil passages aren't thoroughly cleaned. Suggest you check with a competent engine builder, but I'd recommend using a pressurized solvent cleaning tank, air hose or other means of cleaning out every internal passage way you can find after media blasting.
Ron S>

I'm a soda blast guy, but I degrease the motor during assembly and then blast when it's all back together. I have a kit of parts I use to plug everything up on the outside of the motor so nothing gets in, and I just go for it. I haven't had any problems and I'm just afraid I'll leave some residue inside any other way.

I have been pretty happy with soda blasting, but I've noticed that earlier bikes are tougher to clean up. I've just started to see the wet "Vapor blasting" which looks amazing, so when the cost is right I may switch over.

Paul Strassmaier

Paul, What kind of blaster do you use?

It's worth mentioning that the 'soda' is sodium bicarbonate which is water soluble. The blasted parts can be washed in water and the problem remaining is the much simpler one of removing the water.