Head and Deck cleaning
08-15-2008, 02:54 PM
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Head and Deck cleaning What do you guys see is the best, and most effective way of cleaning the deck surfaces of the block and the underside of the head with the engine still in the car? I'm doing lifters and headgaskets right now and so far everything has been really easy, and knock on wood....no snags yet. I just want to make sure that everything is thoroughly cleaned before reassembly.
Also...the Shop vac method of retrieving coolant I just read a thread about is REALLY handy. Not 1 drops of coolant in any of the cylinders, and only 1 or two bolt holes had very small amounts of coolant in them. I reduced the shop vac hose with a garden hose, then heater hose, then vacuum hose, and then a plastic straw. And that cleaned those out really nice too!
Also...the Shop vac method of retrieving coolant I just read a thread about is REALLY handy. Not 1 drops of coolant in any of the cylinders, and only 1 or two bolt holes had very small amounts of coolant in them. I reduced the shop vac hose with a garden hose, then heater hose, then vacuum hose, and then a plastic straw. And that cleaned those out really nice too!
08-15-2008, 04:08 PM
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First off, Are these the original heads? Second are you increasing HP or just repairing a problem?
If you have the heads off, this is the time to up the compression so the best way is to cut the heads and figure out what the best head gasket is for your configuration, I.E. compression, head type, cam, etc.
As far as cleaning the deck surface, the most important thing is to not scratch the surface, and second not to use anything that will scratch the cylinder bore if left in the cylinder.
I used permatex gasket remover, it comes in a spray can and it works great.
Just remember not to get it on anything that you don't want destroyed. It is strong. With that I used a plastic scraper for paint or what ever. For the final cleaning I used a nonmetalic scotchbrite pad, then cleaned all cylinders, oiled the cylinders with a rag, then cleaned the deck with a clean rag and denatured alcohol.
Good Luck
Mike V
If you have the heads off, this is the time to up the compression so the best way is to cut the heads and figure out what the best head gasket is for your configuration, I.E. compression, head type, cam, etc.
As far as cleaning the deck surface, the most important thing is to not scratch the surface, and second not to use anything that will scratch the cylinder bore if left in the cylinder.
I used permatex gasket remover, it comes in a spray can and it works great.
Just remember not to get it on anything that you don't want destroyed. It is strong. With that I used a plastic scraper for paint or what ever. For the final cleaning I used a nonmetalic scotchbrite pad, then cleaned all cylinders, oiled the cylinders with a rag, then cleaned the deck with a clean rag and denatured alcohol.
Good Luck
Mike V
