Best way to clean engine parts..

blkshp725 · Posted: May 7, 2006, 9:38 pm Post subject: Best way to clean engine parts..

I'm finding it hard to get the old gaskets off parts of the engine in some places. and i don't reall want to dig at it for fear of screwing something up.. God knows I'm good at that.. So i was wondering if there is something out the to help get the gasket off... And what is the best cheapest way to get the inside of the cylder heads clean.. That black carbon...

Jack · Full Member Joined: Mar 15, 2005 Posts: 411

Glass bead the entire head : best method that i found to remove the remaining gaskets and to thoughly clean the intake,exhaust ports and zap the combustion chamber,then rub with scotch brite to remove the dull appearance from glass beading........Jack

-jwk- · Posted: May 8, 2006, 10:34 am Post subject: Re: Best way to clean engine parts..

Try this:

LOCTITE Chisel® MC-FREE strips off all forms of gaskets and gasket adhesives from metal without damaging machine surfaces. Aerosol spray liquid penetrates and cleans using foaming action to lift off baked-on gaskets, gasket cements, and formed-in-place gaskets (including RTV silicone and anaerobic materials). It also removes built-up carbon deposits, baked-on grease and dried oil deposits, grease, and paint.

Should be available at your local auto parts store.

Phred · Posted: May 8, 2006, 6:16 pm Post subject: Re: Best way to clean engine parts..

I'm pretty careful bead-blasting engine parts, especially aluminum parts. Not only can careless blasting erode machined surfaces, the glass fragments WILL embed themselves in the aluminum, to be released later. Notice I did not say "may embed". If you don't believe me, try this-bead blast an aluminum casting, clean it thoroughly, let dry, then stick a piece of clear tape on the casting and pull it off-the white powder is glass particles. It can be cleaned off, of course, but it is difficult and several scrubbings will likely be required. You absolutely do not want glass particles in your engine.

As for de-carboning the combustion chamber, oven cleaner works fairly well. If memory serves, the head has a steel insert in it that forms the combustion chamber, and a wire wheel on a drill or dremel tool will clean this nicely.

Jack · Full Member Joined: Mar 15, 2005 Posts: 411

Been Glass beading my aluminum heads for years now and have yet to have a rebuilt motor of mine fail because of embeded glass particals working loose to be mixed with the lubricants or fuel mixture. And your right a thorough cleaning process is a necessity when glass beading regardless of the type of cleaning compound used but for me, it's more effective than these spary on's , wire brush and oven cleaner technique's of primitive times,which require a chemical reaction period for the deposits to break down,where as i can have a cylinder head cleaned up in in ten to 12 minutes,srubbed in the ports and placed in a hot pressure water cooker for the final cleansing cycle and i'm done in about 45 minutes..............Jack

Phred · Posted: May 8, 2006, 8:47 pm Post subject: Re: Best way to clean engine parts..

That hot pressure water cooker will make a huge difference-we have a hot water turbo cabinet at work, and leaving a part in there for 30-60 minutes does wonders. I suspect that the heat keeps the metal "expanded" and thus the pores in a larger or more open state, which allows the glass to wash out easier. Maybe the wife will allow use of the dishwasher......<g>

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