A commonly overlooked situation when powder coating valve covers and utilizing sandblasting as part of your prep process is making sure all your media is removed! This seems like a simple 'no-brainer' thing to think about, but valve covers tend to have baffles on the underside of them to help with baffling oil from entering the PCV system easily. These baffles create a dilemma when trying to remove your sand blast media effectively and it's easy for your sand to get caught up in the nooks and crannies of it. If the appropriate steps are not taken to fully remove them it can create catastrophic engine failure once installed.
-Inset shows valve cover baffles as mentioned above.
Here are some effective ways to remove this media:
- Strategically using compressed air at every angle possible to blow out any sand present. This should include rotating the entire piece and using gravity to your advantage.
- Submerge your piece into a hot-tank setup while agitating.