How to walnut blast?

[Spike00513]

How is everyone carbon cleaning?

Seems like the best method is via walnut blast with maybe a metal adapter from 034
Are you using the Harbor Freight kit?



kit: $35
adapter: $50
walnut fine media: $25 per 25lb bag

I wonder how long one bag lasts and how many cars it can do

Also, if you decide to blast other things as a side project, such as cleaning up a metal part
how does that work?

I am more worried about getting the work area sandy and polluting the environment
It's one thing to use a blast cabinet (which I don't have)
but switching over to glass bead (if it's needed?) and then spraying that stuff all over the area and outside seems kind of sketchy
like what if a random animal walks by and licks it up off the ground

IDK if Harbor Freight is the cheapest place to obtain walnut media






looks like BMW even has a factory adapter, part number 81 29 2 208 037
Not sure if it works on other vehicles
Hopefully whatever tool is used has a good seal to the cylinder head and with the hole the spraygun goes into, so that media doesn't get all over the place in the engine bay



at slightly lower price, people also sell plastic ones, but IDK how many uses they last up to

[JEdRS4]

I'd really appreciate if someone had a tried and true "kit" with all the necessary components for a DIY'r. That would make ordering everything so much simpler. I didn't know 034 had an adapter for the manifold opening, that part is key to do this cleanly.

[Chandler]

I use a big two stage compressor and a blasting tank, vacuum, walnut media, and an adapter like the 034 one you have there. I perfer the pressurized tank over the siphon setup from harbor freight.

[Spike00513]

I use a big two stage compressor and a blasting tank, vacuum, walnut media, and an adapter like the 034 one you have there. I perfer the pressurized tank over the siphon setup from harbor freight.

Was just told by a few people that pressurized tank is stronger than siphon.
Harbor Freight has a 20lb tank one that I think has a water catch, to prevent clogging up the walnut media.



What did you do to set up a fine tip nozzle for spraying?

[MugelloB7RS4]

I will try and see if I can help as much as I can as I went through a similar exercise a couple years ago.

I ended up purchasing the same gray media blaster that's in the first post. I got it from the equivalent to a harbor freight. Was cheap enough.

I purchased a similar adapter from an AZ member who had them 3D printed. The reason I like the adapter I have better than the 034 one is because the 3D printed one has a lip on the bottom that helps make it easier to seal to the port. Without that lip and small movement could move the adapter and result in shells everywhere. The member on here that was making them is "Ford Prefect"

1 bag of media will last quite a while. I found that you can re-use the media. There will obviously be some parts you don't want to, but if you collect them into a clean shop vac, you can easily sift through them and 90% will be reusable. At least that's what I found.

One of the reasons people use walnut shells as blast media is because they aren't hard enough to cause any harm to the valves or ports, but also because if some do end up finding their way into the combustion chamber, they will quickly be burnt and sucked out the exhaust without damage. I'm not sure you'd be able to say the same for glass media. I'm not sure how it would make out getting consumed and then trying to pass through a catalytic converter. The walnut shells make much more sense in that case.

The bottom BMW adapter you showed isn't necessary if you have the 034 or 3D printed one. The serve the same purpose. You basically put tape over the ports you aren't working on and then you put the adapter on the one you are. If you have your shop vac always on before you use the blaster it should suck up a vast majority of the shells. And since is seals the ports, the shells shouldn't fly everywhere.

As for the pressurized tank, I can't really comment because I don't have experience, but would love to hear if you do. For me I found a large enough compressor was hugely important. I have a 15gal that I found was just struggling. I found she shells work best at like 90psi and my compressor was struggling to keep that pressure constant. So I would say make sure you have a strong enough compressor if you go the siphon route.

I used the same 2 pieces to set up a tip for spraying. Once I did, I fed that end into the adapter in the port and you're still able to slightly move it around and direct it a bit.

Hope that helps to answer a couple questions. Take your time and its not too bad. The results are more than worth it.

[Chandler]

I will try and see if I can help as much as I can as I went through a similar exercise a couple years ago.

I ended up purchasing the same gray media blaster that's in the first post. I got it from the equivalent to a harbor freight. Was cheap enough.

I purchased a similar adapter from an AZ member who had them 3D printed. The reason I like the adapter I have better than the 034 one is because the 3D printed one has a lip on the bottom that helps make it easier to seal to the port. Without that lip and small movement could move the adapter and result in shells everywhere. The member on here that was making them is "Ford Prefect"

1 bag of media will last quite a while. I found that you can re-use the media. There will obviously be some parts you don't want to, but if you collect them into a clean shop vac, you can easily sift through them and 90% will be reusable. At least that's what I found.

One of the reasons people use walnut shells as blast media is because they aren't hard enough to cause any harm to the valves or ports, but also because if some do end up finding their way into the combustion chamber, they will quickly be burnt and sucked out the exhaust without damage. I'm not sure you'd be able to say the same for glass media. I'm not sure how it would make out getting consumed and then trying to pass through a catalytic converter. The walnut shells make much more sense in that case.

The bottom BMW adapter you showed isn't necessary if you have the 034 or 3D printed one. The serve the same purpose. You basically put tape over the ports you aren't working on and then you put the adapter on the one you are. If you have your shop vac always on before you use the blaster it should suck up a vast majority of the shells. And since is seals the ports, the shells shouldn't fly everywhere.

As for the pressurized tank, I can't really comment because I don't have experience, but would love to hear if you do. For me I found a large enough compressor was hugely important. I have a 15gal that I found was just struggling. I found she shells work best at like 90psi and my compressor was struggling to keep that pressure constant. So I would say make sure you have a strong enough compressor if you go the siphon route.

I used the same 2 pieces to set up a tip for spraying. Once I did, I fed that end into the adapter in the port and you're still able to slightly move it around and direct it a bit.

Hope that helps to answer a couple questions. Take your time and its not too bad. The results are more than worth it.

So the adapter I am using was purchased Directly from Ford Perfect. It is 3D printed. I am hoping it holds up to another two cleanings. Because of the material it was printed with, it's not doing so hot :) - but for the price it's a steal. The BMW tool will not fit in our ports to the best of my knowledge, I didn't buy one.

The nozzle i'm using looks close to what you pictured. The tank is almost identical, with a ball valve in it. My ball valve is just about toast after a single use. It's quite hard to control as it is on/ off, no in between.

Here is the link to the exact one I am using - I can't remember where I got mine but it appears ECS now sells it. I paid about $30.00 or so with shipping when I ordered it: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bav-auto.../b1100003~bav/

Was just told by a few people that pressurized tank is stronger than siphon.
Harbor Freight has a 20lb tank one that I think has a water catch, to prevent clogging up the walnut media.



What did you do to set up a fine tip nozzle for spraying?

I've got an 80 gal 2 stage that will run about 130 CFM at 160ish PSI, so a massive setup. I bought my compressor with the justification that I needed something bigger than 15/20 Gal and it would pay for it self after two cleanings. I found that you need to push about 75 psi depending on the size media through the blasting tank I have. Some times the media would get clogged and the only way I could push it through was to dial it up, but I ended up exploding walnut shell all over the engine bay and into the valley pan. Clean up sucked. I spent more time on clean up than I did doing the CC.

Honestly I'm surprised you guy by with a "small" compressor that I assume you could source locally and not spend an arm and a leg. I just assumed you needed a solid 7-10CFM at 90 PSI or bust. That being said, I read on some BMW forums that several people used smaller compressors in line with an expansion tank and just waited for it to refill twice on each port with success.