See if you can get softer blasting medium, like shells. Sand and glass will let silica dust into your shop, which can cause silicosis, a very bad lung disease. Have you tried dipping the starter in carburetor cleaner or engine cleaner? Even pressure washing is gentler than sandblasting, all you have to do is dry the starter thoroughly later.

Best of luck, rebuilding is renewing.

Thank you for the information you provide me.

RE the carburetor and engine cleaner

What kind of the solution? Can show me some example!!

Really thank for suggestion

Did you try ultrasonic cleaning in some liquid medium or liquid jet cleaning ?

In case there is insulation on the cables, you may be limited in number of liquids.

No. Never try before. It is a good ideas.

Where can I get these information? I really interested in this method.

Thank you

http://www.tmasc.com/ultrasonic_cleaning_process.htm

you can google Ultrasonic Cleaning Process and you can have millions of link.

But your application being specific (for us simple derusting chemicals work, but you have specific requirement) - have a dialogue with them, find the recommended chemical.

This cleaning process is quite effective (in fact from un-approachable areas of pump impellers, these can remove most of the surface sands/ scales)

for water jet cleaning http://www.ptihome.com/waterjetcleaning_process.php

(along with other millions )

After thinking about it, I think ultrasonic cleaning is a very good thing to look into. You may be able to do that with a safe liquid, not the nasty ones in carb or motor cleaner. So many times those cleaners are not properly disposed of, and serious pollution results. I live near a cleanup site where gas stations and dry cleaners dumped their waste outside, improperly. The whole aquifer for miles around is probably permanently contaminated. Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic!!!! They can cause cancer.

Ultrasonic is very effective, it gets into all the crooks and crannies and vibrates out the dirt. The manufacturer can suggest a good solution for you, hopefully.

My items are the yolk (starter yold). FYI, the diameter of the car starters' yolks are no large enough.

I am considering the ultrasonic. That is true that it will clean the internal rush but I just wondering if the ultrasonic will damage layer of the copper wire.

They use ground Hickory nut hulls to sandblast fiberglass boats and auto body parts.

I wouldn't bother cleaning it that way. The rust will not hurt anything. Some hand cleaning or sanding of the pole faces and hand sanding to remove any loose rust may be all you want to do. Then dry it in an oven at about 100C. Then use a rust stabilizing paint.

If you really want to "make it shiny new", then dissassemble the unit. Depending on the make you may be able to unbolt the pole faces and pull out the internals. Then clean the steel parts seperately. Paint and reassemble.

The outside will be easy to make it look like new.

Thank for sugguestion. You are right that the rushky will not affect the performance of the startert motor. But our policy with customer are slightly tricky. So we have to confirm that the internal parts are free from rush. We did try with the sand blasting but I found that it degrade the performance of the copper wire so as the carbon.

Our production is quite high so dismantle all of them will add us another cost.

Hi Kyle,

Just a suggestion here Kyle,

would it be possible to make a SHIELD in perhaps two parts?

It can be clamped round the copper windings? It could be made from Lexan for instance.

Just a thought.

That are good sugguestions. Thank you.

Come back to the topic. As mentioned earlier, the rebuild items are very rushky. FYI, it is difficult to dismantle the copper coil from the yolk body. So, how are you going to clean all the rush without degrade the performance of the copper coil and the carbon.

You may consider blasting with solid CO2 particles. It is gentle enough to be used on copper circuit boards and involves and leaves no chemical residue.

Hello Kyle,

You may want to try "Evapo-Rust" to remove the corrosion on those parts rather than sand blast them. I've used this product to clean all sorts of cast iron and steel parts, including old rusty tools and even my very old .45 cal. M1911 pistol, although I've never have treated any parts that have included motor wires. This stuff is very user and Environmental friendly, contains no VOCs, and is easily disposed of. It's also very easy to clean up with plain old tap water. One good thing about this product is that you can re-use it over and over again until it is fully spent. I usually just soak a rusty steel part in a plastic bucket overnight, sometimes longer, depending on the amount of rust, then pour the liquid into a separate plastic container for re-use. Sometimes you make have to machine buff the part lightly to remove the residue, that's about it as far as machining is concerned, really!!!!!

I swear by this product ever since I first used it about a year ago.....amazing technology that went into producing it! I suggest you read the testimonials at the manufacturer's website and still have questions about using it on electrical windings, then you should talk to the their technical reps.

You can purchase this product either online directly from the manufacturer or at a Tractor Supply store in your area. A gallon will set you back about $21.

www.evapo-rust.com

Good luck with your project. Let us know how you make out, okay? Have a great day!

Hi Kyle,

I assume you clean these as part of your job and you do more than one?

You may have already damaged some coils but if you start afresh with a new system, like C02 or Ultrasonic. I would choose the last. But it really depends on how many you have to do and whether it is a regularly used system, as to whether it is worth it. Someone mentioned Silicosis, this is a killer and theres very little you can do after the onset. You could try vacuuming your shop, and that means everything where it may settle, like tools benches etc. Then you know you should be safe!

Whatever Air powered medium you use always wear a Mask. It is too easy to think "I will just do this one as it is the last and not wear the Mask.

Good luck.

Try phosphoric acid solution, then simply rinse with water, its a very good metal pre-treatment for removing light rust

Thank you for the sugguestion. Does the phosphoric acid solution destroy the copper wire?

You may have to check the effect on the enamel especally. The dilute H₃PO₄ may have some minor effect on Cu (in fact it likes Cu).

Try and find dry Ice Bead!

this is what I was thinking of! http://www.diamonddryiceblasting.com/cleaner.php