How do you clean/sand inside rear external air vents?

There's a bit of rust and yet another weld done badly inside the external vents at the back. So how am I meant to get to it?

I was thinking some sort of extension for a wire brush on a drill. Went into Machinemart today. They had a flexi drive shaft attachment, which wasn't quite what I had in mind but I think it would do the job. It was £15 and they didn't have it in stock.



So went to Screwfix. They had exactly the thing I was picturing in my head. A solid extension bit, that came in different lengths, so thought I'd go for the 300mm. Perfect. And only a fiver. Except the fixing is for 1/4 inch hex shanks, and my wire brushes are round shanks, so there's no grip. I've just been looking for narrow rather than round wire brushes with a hex shank, and can I find one? Nope.

So what do people use to get inside the vents? There has to be a really easy way, that I just haven't thought of, right?

 

That would do the trick, with the extension bit! What's it called please?

 

a keyless 'drill chuck' or a chuck adapter.....a decent tool shop should sell them...screwfix may

 

Excellent! Thank you. It was a young girl serving me, and she tried to be helpful but she didn't really have a clue, bless her.

Do I have to worry about bits of crud falling down the vent and into something I really don't want it to? Can I block it off or disconnect something at the engine end?

 

I found this on ebay, it called a Lock-n-Load quick change extension bit holder. Is the end part adjustable do you think like the photo Vanorak put on? It's 300mm, so it's the only bit I'd need. I tried to email the seller but they don't accept questions.

 

i used a bendy bit of wood, with a bit of rag on the end, then sandpaper attached to the rag (rag was there to follow contours) and did it by hand. Probably the best way as you will need to do some bits by hand inevitably.

 

I welded a rotory wire brush to a bit of threaded bar ....I could squeeze it through the vents to get the worst off

.....I also used a cheapo shot blaster (like a paint gun) and an air compressor ....I made an extension for the end out of some copper tubing to get into all the little areas through the vents

 

This is what I do plus fingers through, it's a bum job.

 

Some Dremel kits come with the bendy extension and you can get the wire wheel sanding diskd for them.

 

you could stuff the bit above the battery with a towel to stop the worst of it, but dust is pernicious....no need to disconnect anything...

the irwin lock n load will be hex both ends, unfortunately....

 

Damn. Do you not twist the bulbous bit to open and tighten it then?

Cool, I'll stuff something over the end in the engine bay then, and get the vacuum in there when I take it away. Thanks.

 

Yep, I'll have to do some of it by hand I'm sure. If I tape it together tight enough, it sounds like it will work fine. Just worried I won't be able to put enough pressure on it if the wood isn't firm enough, but like you say, it needs to be a bit bendy to actually get to certain bits.

 

That all sounds a bit complicated to me! Taping sanding paper on a stick, yep, I can do that.

 

If you had a 10mm strip of oak or ash that would be perfect and wouldn't snap. If you aren't in a rush let me know and I can cut a bit today and post to you.

 

Bring back Victorian child slave labour i say. Instead of cleaning chimneys you could shove one up the vents from the engine bay with a handful of sandpaper.

 

That would be great, you lovely man! Thank you for being so thoughtful. I'll PM you my address.

 

sent

 

Bring your new stick and some sandpaper and you could host a sandpapering party at spring camp. You'd have it all done in a couple of hours.

 

Thank you fella!